Protecting Your Garden : June Garden Party
Welcome back to another installment of the Garden Party featured on FinchnWren.com and Homemaking Organized.
This month Melanie and I wanted to talk about Protecting Our Gardens.
Initially when discussing what we would talk about this month, in relation to our gardens, we thought some nice delicate discussions of prettying things up with garden art would be appropriate, but the more we talked I realized that the last month has been all about protecting our precious teeny gardens and making sure we having something to show for them come harvest time!
With warmer weather comes all those great things God has created, bugs, more bugs, and wild life.
We've had a lot of action in our garden this past month and some of it I haven't even pinpointed where it's coming from!
The Attack of the Birds
It all started off when the birds came after my veggies.
I had noticed bits and pieces of plant material around my raised beds one day and thought maybe rabbits or something was coming after my garden. I was all in high gear and ready to go. My husband got all geared up to put up some wire fencing around my raised beds. He bought the wire stuff and everything!
Then as I was standing in the living room chatting with a friend we both happened to look out the window, see a bird land on my tomato plant, rip off a branch and take off! A few minutes later he came back, tested my rosemary, and other herbs. Found a branch, ripped and took off!
I was like “What?!”
Turns out there is a Starling Bird situation in our neighborhood and we were just the latest recipients. Our daughter had mentioned hearing something in her outside wall but we assumed it was just some birds sitting under overhang.
Nope!
They were trying to build a nest in her bathroom vent!
So we did some research about what action we could take. We knew they hadn't had time to actually live in their new home as the activity just started the day before. My brave, fearless Hubby climbed up an incredibly tall ladder (he does this for a living) and put coverings on all the house bathroom and kitchen vents.
I tried to make it up the ladder to get some pics for you all but about halfway up my shoes started feeling slippery and I just didn't see this having a good ending. Sorry 'bout that.
In our previous home a bird got into the kitchen vent and we had to take out the microwave and let him fly out through the house out a window to free him. Don't want that happening again.
The Aphids and the Ladybugs
Next up were the aphids. My ever vigilant, eagle eyed daughter had been seeing aphids all over my precious plants. Most especially my 20 year old strawberry plants that have been living in a pot for 20 years and waiting for a permanent home.
Now if you want to know what aphids can do to your precious plants they suck the living life out of your greenery. I know God created all things for a purpose but they don't have one in my garden so go they must!
To help me out hubby came home this past week with a nice little tub of ladybugs. We diligently followed the directions and let a few out each evening for several days.
After the fact I find out there is a bit to know about using ladybugs as a pest control solution in your garden. Such attracting them to your garden rather than buying them and using other beneficial bugs in controlling aphids. I'll be looking more into that in the future but for now I actually think they made a dent in the aphid population.
No matter how green I try to be in my garden I end up having to do something. I guess my veggies are that good.
The little White Wiggly Worms
Okay so I only saw one of them but it was enough to send me into a shivery nervous twitch. I'm talking about a little wiggly white worm on my pea plants. Ick! Ick! Ick! {{{{shiver}}}}}
This was after I had put out my ladybugs and I wasn't sure what to do so as to not harm the ladybugs. So I just hosed him off.
My family comforted me as I hosed down the plants. I'm not sure if that helped but I don't see them anymore.
In other Pest News
Just in case rabbits were gunning for my garden I did put out some little cotton balls with a few drops of peppermint on them (I heard that helps but I really doubt it). I've also thrown bird netting over everything and when this season is over we're planning on taking up the beds and putting down the wire fencing UNDER them. This is to keep moles from decimating our garden We learned that little tidbit, a little too late, from a good friend of ours who has an amazing garden of all things from flowers to fruits.
The slugs have also been kept at bay with expensive Hazelnut shells. These are all the rage where I live and we spent a pretty penny buying up some bags that went on sale. So far I haven't seen a slug in my garden. The used to get in there all the time. Phew!
Another item I use in my garden in Mosquito Barrier. When I purchased it, it was called Garlic Barrier and I've used it for years. It's a very concentrated garlic liquid. I think that is all it is. You add a little oil and lots of water and spray until your hearts content. It's best if you use it in early spring if you have a bad mosquito problem. You get a lot of protection for very little. In fact I think I need to go spray some on my garden! Spray in the early mornings or late evenings.
Do you have any garden protection tips to share?
Don't forget to drop by Melanie's Garden at FinchnWren and link up your Gardening posts (below) with us this June!
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Kemi, you have had quite the wildlife issues! Your husband is an awesome man to have prevented the bird infestation! And your daughter, as you said, has quite the eye. 🙂
I love your ladybug idea! I found one in our house last week and wanted to buy more, but couldn’t fit it in the budget this year. Maybe next year I can plant ladybug-friendly plants! 🙂