Last year the rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, skunks, etc. had a blast chowing down, digging, transplanting, uprooting, and generally wreaking havoc in my gardens. This year I’m trying a new method of critter control. It’s not all that pretty, but so far it’s definitely been effective.

After planting my spring-blooming bulbs in the fall, I covered them with chicken wire to keep the squirrels from digging them up. Now I’m re-using that same chicken wire to keep annoying (and hungry) critters from munching on my perennials while they’re getting started. The sheets of chicken wire have been transformed into wire boxes.

I used a square galvanized planter as a form.

continue reading "A New Method of Critter Control"

Mom and I dug out our birdhouses on Saturday. They’re of a much more rustic quality than the modern birdhouses featured recently. Although they’re not ultra modern, sleek and shiny, they are environmentally friendly! With the exception of one birdhouse, they were all made with reclaimed barnboard.

One was built by my dad from twice recycled barn board. I love that the hole for the birds was made from a knot hole.

The more elaborate birdhouses were made by Ray Heeres of Listowel, Ontario Canada. His creations can be found in many places throughout rural Ontario.

The stand for this birdhouse was made from the same twice recycled barn board my dad used for the birdhouse he made.

The only non-barnboard birdhouse is one that once belonged to my Grandpa (my mom’s father). I rescued it quite a few years ago and even though it’s a little worse for wear, I’m not about to part with it.

Birds have been the theme lately here at 2greenthumbsup. As I write this post, I can hear all kinds of tweets and twitters, calls and bird songs. Coincidentally, my mom received an email yesterday that she forwarded to me. It contained these photographs of Abigail Alfano, also known as The Hummingbird Lady), feeding Hummingbirds from the palm of her hand.

The photos were taken in September 2006 by Abigail’s husband Sam. They live in a hummingbird migration zone near Franklinton, Louisiana.

While some birds prefer to go the diy birdhouse route - tweaking their nests till they’re just right, most birds are more than happy to take advantage of the bird feeders or feeding stations we humans supply and set up for them.

In keeping with the modern theme started in an earlier post on modern birdhouses, here are some examples of modern bird feeders guaranteed to please the bird with a penchant for clean lines and minimalism.

1. Pip Pip Bird Feeder at FunctionAlley £66.00
2. Eva Solo Feeder Ball $56.00 USD
3. Bird Ball Peanut Feeder at Garden Boutique £34.95
4. Eva Solo Bird Table $154.99 USD
5. Lunchbox Birdfeeder at perch! $84.00 USD
6. Birdfeeder at perch! $84.00 USD
7. Egg Bird Feeder by J Schatz $135.00 USD
8. Nido Bird Feeder by Blomus $36.29 USD
9. Anidar Bird Feeder by Blomus $72.59 USD
10. Nido Covered Bird Feeder by Blomus $72.59 USD
11. Fuera Bird Feeder by Blomus $110.00 USD

Have you ever considered that maybe birds get tired of the same old barn board trend and would like to set up house in a more clean, contemporary space? I’ve come across a number of modern birdhouses that would be sure to satisfy the tastes of even the most discriminating of birds.

For people, sometimes a rustic birdhouse just doesn’t work with the overall aesthetic of your modern / contemporary house and yard design.
These modern birdhouses might make a few of you happy too!

1. Malcolm Leland 21L Bird Shelter by Vessel/Architectural Pottery $175.00 USD
2. Egg Birdhouse by J Schatz $135.00 USD
3. Round Stainless Steel Birdhouse by Tom Dukich $179.95 USD
4. Teardrop Stainless Steel Birdhouse by Tom Dukich $199.95 USD
5. Lantern Birdhouse by Jonathan Adler at haus modern living $150.00 USD
6. Ceramic Orb Modern Birdhouse at Olive Barn $19.00 USD
7. Ralph Modern Birdhouse from Modern Birdhouses $195.00 USD
8. Richard Modern Birdhouse from Modern Birdhouses $195.00 USD
9. J.R. Modern Birdhouse from Modern Birdhouses $195.00 USD
10. Roost Birdhouse from Hepper Home $125.00 USD
11. Architect Series Type a01 from NeoShed $200.00 USD
12. Nidusa Birdhouse - Art. Lebedev Studio $100.00 USD
13. Piep-Show-XXL from Radius Design €129.00

Nothing brightens up a dreary day like seeing the bright red flash of a cardinal in the evergreen hedge or hearing a cheery “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” when you pick up the mail.

We can encourage our feathered friends to stick around for the winter or stop while they are passing through by helping out with their basic needs - shelter, water and food.

Shrubs, evergreen trees and bushes along with any perennials or grasses that were left standing in your garden, will provide food and also safe shelter from winter storms. If the winter birds can find their own food most of the time, they may need help only when there has been heavy snow or ice.

Keep in mind that if you start to feed the birds, they may expect you to continue.

There are some elaborate and expensive bird feeders available, as well as heated birdbaths, but the only feeders I have used are simple ones. They are easy to use and are fun for kids to try, too.

continue reading "Birds in Winter"

Since skunk traffic in the yard and garden seems to be at an all time high in the fall (so my nose tells me), I thought I’d do a short recap of this skunk smell removal recipe for dogs.

continue reading "De-Skunk Your Dog With 3 Common Household Ingredients"

So far this year I have had a groundhog, a skunk and a possum living under the shed in my back yard. When the groundhog made his appearance, I called a family friend to come and deal with it. No muss, no fuss. I didn’t have to do anything more than pick up the phone. That carefree feeling didn’t last.

continue reading "Critter Control In The Yard & Garden"

My furry little groundhog friend has left the building! Well, more like he’s been removed from the property, actually. Two phone calls was all it took - one to call for help and one to find out if the beast was gone. Now that’s the kind of critter control I like! No muss, no fuss, no blood. I didn’t have to get my hands dirty or bitten. The family friend I called looked after everything. I went away for the weekend and when I returned home the problem was solved. Yippee! My fingers are crossed that no other fur-bearing critters decide to move in to the newly vacated home with the fabulous view, lush landscaping and the fully enclosed backyard that’s perfect for the younguns!

All summer long I’ve been grumbling and complaining (to myself mostly) about the various holes that appear in my lawn overnight and how my Windflower Anemones keep getting eaten down to the ground. The Spiderworts are continually uprooted and the pretty new Bergenia I recently planted has been totally annihilated. This morning as I was gazing out the kitchen window, I caught the culprit in the act. Without thought, I ran out on the deck and yelled at him. He stopped what he was doing, looked up, then scurried back to his hidy hole. There’s a groundhog living under my garden shed!!!

I always assumed that the hole under the garden shed was made by skunks, and in thinking that, chose to give it a wide berth, avoiding it altogether except for when I needed to get the lawn mower out. I’ve been blaming and cursing the squirrels for the lawn and garden destruction and have even done research on how to keep them out of my gardens. Well, the truth is out - quite literally! The groundhog is sitting out on the back lawn having a lovely snack and soaking up the sun.

I called my dad because he’s supposed to be able to fix everything, at least that’s what my three year old son thinks, and we discussed the ‘groundhog living under my garden shed’ problem. We decided that I should call a family friend who is well-known for his critter removal skills. I called, left a message, and am now waiting for a call back. Stay tuned for this continuing saga…