Strawberries for sale on the street corner, and the warm floral
and sweet citrus fragrance of springtime orange blossoms floating
in through my window signals that spring is in full swing.
Strawberries for sale on the street corner, and the warm floral and sweet citrus fragrance of springtime orange blossoms floating in through my window signals that spring is in full swing. As the last of my lilacs fade, and the primroses and camellias have already dropped their petals, the next wave of flowers is preparing to bloom.
Gilroy has been particularly beautiful this spring as the mild winter spared many plants (including annuals) from freezing, and pansies, impatiens and snap dragons from last year are back in bloom for a second season. Not to mention that a more than usual number of residents got into the Easter spirit and did an outstanding job of decorating their homes and yards for the holiday. There were giant white rabbits, bunny wind socks, huge eggs, and lots of Easter lights in yards and windows. At this rate, Easter will catch up with Halloween eventually in terms of neighborhood decoration. Only in Gilroy.
It’s that time of year again – I am getting my Juicyfruit gum ready for tomato planting season. Juicyfruit gum? Yes; while I find that it does not completely eliminate gophers, it does significantly cut down on their activity. It is best to wear disposable gloves, so that no natural human scent will be on the gum.
Cut the gum down the center longways, unwrapping it just as you are getting ready to drop it into each hole. Some people prefer to roll it up in a little ball and drop it in. Last year my gopher population was definitely less – and although I could see evidence of their presence, no plants were lost. The year before they managed to dig right up through the dirt to snatch seven or eight of my tastiest tomato plants.
For those patient gardeners who want to keep a non-toxic environment as I do, catnip is also helpful in the fight to keep gophers out of the garden. If you don’t have a cat of your own to do the job, attract more cats to your yard and the rodents will stay away. Some gardeners like cat mint, but I find that most cats prefer catnip. The trick is to put a wire cage over the new plant, or it will be eaten too quickly. Wait until well-established to ”protect it from wayward cats,” as the label recommends. When I first planted catnip, it took the neighborhood cats just two days to demolish it – they pushed the wire cage over so it was exposed, and the plant looked like it had been attacked. Now I have a heavy weight on top of the wire cage.
For other garden pests, I employ the help of Toad Homes. You can make your own cheaply at home. Simply take any clay flower pot about eight inches across and chip a half circle out of the top. Turn it upside down and place it in the ground, preferably in a spot that gets water and shade. A cool dark place is necessary for toads to live, since they don’t drink, but can only soak moisture in from the ground through their skin, or by licking an occasional leaf. They come out at night to look for bugs and slugs. One toad will eat as many as 3,000 bugs a month, including earwigs, ants, slugs, cutworms, flies, spiders, and squash and rose beetles.
Put a toad home by a porch, under the edge of a deck, near a backyard pond, or maybe in a shaded area of the yard, for less garden pests and more beautiful petunias.
