Garden Critters

Walter, our groundhog before he was moved to greener pastures.

The most difficult part of gardening can be combating the varmints.  Whether one has slugs, deer or birds, it can be a full time job keeping nature’s pesky creatures from feasting on your hard work.  Every growing season I feel as if I’m a warrior.  Either I’m combating slugs or chasing the local groundhog away from my garden. 

I used many natural pest control recipes over the years to much disappointment. As I pen this article I wish the methods I’m about to speak were miracle cures, but they are not.  There are times they don’t appear to work either.  Nature has a way of adapting and finding ways to feed itself.  Garden critters are no different.

Slugs:  I have tried everything to rid my garden of these pesky creatures.  Many claim a thin layer of coffee grinds but that has never worked for me.  Plus, one year I actually put too many grinds in my garden in a desperate attempt to keep the slugs away and ended up having mold and mildew all around my shade loving plants. 

The best method to rid your garden of slugs is cumbersome and done by the light of the moon.  In the evening, venture out into your garden, armed with a flashlight and simply pull the slugs off of your plants.  I pinch the bottom leaves off of my plants to deter the slugs from taking refuge underneath them.  I also use empty tuna fish cans and place them into the soil and fill them with beer. I do this in the evening because the beer will evaporate throughout the day.  The next morning, I venture back out and see that my beer traps have several slugs in them. 

Birds:  Birds are tough and most deterrents don’t last forever when dealing with them.  Be creative.  Short of netting your entire garden, one can partake in the scare tactic methods like I do.  I have a scarecrow planted in the center of my garden.  That never worked alone.  I live in New York and our birds have an attitude and never play by the rules. When I arrived home from work one afternoon, I saw a few birds perched on my scarecrow.

This year my garden will have a scarecrow, which I’ll move around the garden each week, two wooden poles decorated with strings of aluminum pie pans and two shepherd hooks with wind chimes.  The glare of the pie pans and the sound they make when combined with the wind chimes keeps my flying friends at bay.

Deer:  Is there anything more difficult to deal with than deer?  I must say no.  The best deterrent is to erect a fence of at least eight feet, but the expense is high and many of us don’t want a fence.  I have tried all of the gardening tidbits such as hanging Irish Spring soap and spraying garlic around the perimeters, but what worked best for me was when my neighbor’s dog would come over for a visit.  He marked up the yard and I noticed when he did so, there would be no visiting deer.  Someone told me to place human hair in cheesecloth and hang near the garden.  I haven’t tried that but believe I will be sticking to the visiting dog method.

Critters:  Rabbits and groundhogs are my least favorite garden pest to deal with.  Children can be your best defense against the critters because when my sons were younger they would run after the rabbits and groundhogs.  They also named them, but that’s another blog entry.  The best thing to ward them off is to trap them and bring them to the woods.  There are many humane traps available at your local gardening stores.  I used a Havahart trap.  I know it’s a lot of work but when critters like groundhogs are left unattended, they will eat it all.  Trap the groundhog and save your okra and spinach!

Wonderful Shade Gardens

It’s that amazing time again!  Spring!  In my yard, it time to look for the fairies and prepare the soil for the upcoming May planting.


When I first moved to my house, I worried about my property with its mature trees and abundance of shade.  Then, with notebook in hand, I visited the library, researched on the internet and spoke to my local farmers and came up with a list of great shade-loving plants and flowers.

I came to learn to love my shady areas more than any other place in my garden. When my children were younger, before they became cool teenage boys, they claimed it’s where the fairies lived.  I’m certain they were correct!

Here are some of my favorites for my shade-loving areas in my yard.

Hostas: I always start out with planting one of my favorites called funkia or commonly known as Hostas. These shade-loving perennials can add spice and mystery to your garden.  They come in dozens of shapes, sizes and colors.  (Great for plating zones 3-8).

Ferns: While there are many varieties, please check with your local gardening center to see which grows best in your area.  For my garden, I have chosen the ostrich fern, which is hardy and easy to grow.  (Great for zones 2-8).

Solomon’s Seal: a native root to the eastern United States, the unassuming flowers can add touches of color to your garden.  They attract bees and hummingbirds, and appear to repel deer.  (Great for zones 5-9).

Impatiens: My shade garden would be incomplete without the pretty colors of the “Touch-me-not” as impatiens are known here in North America.  They come in a huge selection of colors and will truly spice up any shade garden. (Great for zones 9-11).

In my shade garden I start with preparing the soil with peat moss and composted manure.  The soil should be moist but not soggy.  This will spread disease.  Decide which type of shade you have:  full shade, partial shade and medium shade.  Then, get your pad and paper out and explore the colorful magickal shade garden that you can create.

This is only a short list of foliage that can be planted in the shade.  There are so many more options, such as Lady’s Mantle, Meadowsweet, Snapdragons, Winter Creeper and so much more.  Get your pad and pen out and explore the amazing garden you can grow under the cool guise of the shade.

I’m Wishing on the Full Moon

I’m aware that one is to wish upon a star, but I have always tried to go the extra mile in my life.  I wish on the full moon.  I’m not alone in my admiration for it either. From the beginning of time, people have been mesmerized by the full moon.  It has inspired poets, scientists, psychics and even horror writers.

The next full moon occurs on April 17, 2011 at 10:44 EDT. Whether you know it as the pink moon, the seed moon or the wind moon, it’s a time for new beginnings.  Just as spring has made its arrival, it’s time for us to clean out our homes, plant our gardens and get ready for life and rebirth. It’s time to gaze into the sky like our ancestors did and hope for new beginnings. 

And, if you missed last month’s “Super” moon, don’t fret.  April’s full moon will not disappoint.  It will only be 941 miles further away from the Earth than last month’s moon.  So don’t forget to watch it rise and set in the skyline and make a wish upon a full moon.  Hey, why not?

How to Make Blessed Moon Water

There are many uses for blessed water and many have their favorite, personal reasons for creating it. I often use my blessed water to wash my hands of the day’s troubles and woes.

What you will need:
A Full Moon
The amount of water you’d like to bless
A silver or wooden bowl to hold the water
A jar for storage after the blessing ritual is complete
Your favorite crystal or stone
Sea salt
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My bowl of water is placed on a large ledge that protrudes out from my windowsill. It keeps the water safe from various night creatures as it is energized by the lunar rays. My bowl is made of bamboo and is special to me since it was a gift from someone I care for deeply.

I place my favorite stone in the center of the bowl. I use an amber stone, which banishes negative energy, and that is the sole purpose of my blessed water. I take a small handful of course sea salt and rub it in between the palm of my hands and say a prayer as the salt drops into the water. I ask for the angels of protection to help me in keeping a positive heart, mind and soul. I ask the goddess to allow the rays of the moon to purify my water for future use.

The water will be kept outside overnight so it can be energized by the moon’s light. The next morning, I bring the water inside, run it through a cheesecloth and place it into a mason jar for future use to cleanse my hands of negative energy or to wash my altar items.

The next full moon is arriving May 17, 2011. I’ll be working on my blessed water that evening. Maybe you can do the same as well.