Garden Pests

Now that everything's in the ground and has had some time to get settled, garden talk is about pests and what to do about them. Someone mentioned having seen Japanese Beetles already. Eek! Thankfully, I haven't seen any yet this year. I was hoping to get a first bloom on all the roses before I saw the JBs and I did. Most of my neighbors treated their yards with Milky Spore late last summer, so we're hoping that staved them off. (Notice I didn't say "eliminated them.")

I bumped into a fellow gardener at the local garden center early yesterday morning. He was buying insecticidal soap because of unidentified worms on his heirloom tomatoes. I said something had eaten a few holes in my Brussels Sprouts, but couldn't find any sign of the pest -- even after having carefully examined every leaf of every plant! He said they're sneaky that way.

And, it seems like you can't go anywhere lately without hearing about bunnies--and not in a good way. They are decimating gardens everywhere--except here at Auntie K's. Neighbor Nancy lost everything except two pepper plants. It's odd that all the gardeners who have bunny damage also have dogs or cats. "They're useless," one friend lamented. I shrugged and said that now that Monty's gone, all I have is the neighborhood hawk to keep the bunny population under control. She said, "well we have coyotes and we STILL have bunny damage!" I laughed as I conceded that her coyote trumped my hawk.

What are the garden pests you're dealing with this year? Post a comment and let me know!

Creature Feature

One of my favorite things to do is to sit in the sunroom and watch the birds in the garden. (The Riverman now enjoys this, too. ) We've seen a couple of butterflies in the garden and lots of bees. The hawk -- a once regular visitor to the birdbath -- has been absent for a month or so, but we've had other visitors at Auntie K's.

The first regular visitor this year has been a baby bunny. I was worried that the bunny would get the blueberries or some of the strawberries, but when I've seen him, he's been munching on Elmer's fallen leaves or on dandelions. Go bunny! (Yesterday, I saw a bigger bunny and thought "the crops" might be in danger, but so far, so good.)

The oddest -- and most enjoyable -- visitors to the gardens this year has been the trio of mallards! Two males and a female have been hanging out in the neighborhood -- wandering from yard to yard. Many mornings, I find them under a tall hosta or the big arborvitae. They watched us plant "the crops," and although they quack if we get close, they must sense we're not a danger to them, because they just waddle a few feet and nestle in again!

Do you have usual or unusual visitors in your garden? Post a comment and tell me about them!

Creature Feature

When I was a kid, “Creature Feature” was a fun and spooky way to spend rainy Saturday afternoons. The neighborhood kids would gather in the Newmans’ basement, pile on the couch, and see who could NOT jump when Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, or Lon Chaney appeared on screen. I almost always jumped.

These days, Creature Feature is about the strange and wonderful creatures that show up in and around Auntie K’s Garden. Living in the city, I don’t have deer, like many friends do. But, there are still some interesting encounters with creatures of all kinds.

Last summer, I had a hawk that visited one of my birdbaths on a regular basis. I’ve seen it in the neighborhood this year, but have not seen it at the birdbath.

Bunnies are standard in city gardens, but the other morning, there were SIX bunnies in the yard. Thankfully, I have put cages around the things they like to chomp on the most. I know this sounds mean, but I’d like for the hawk to thin the bunny population instead of taking the song birds.

I was sitting on the front steps a few weeks ago and felt something swoop close to my head – not a bird, but a bat! I’m not afraid of bats (sorry Bela) because they eat lots of mosquitoes, but I'm not sure I want to put up a bat house for them.


I’m sure you’ve heard the question, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” But, my question is, “Why does the duck sit on the roof?!” For the last two years, a male mallard has taken up residence on the roof of my neighbor’s house. This year, he has been sitting on two roofs. It’s quite peculiar!

And, then there’s the wild turkey who likes to race cars down the street in the afternoons. He always turns down the alley at some point, but it’s quite entertaining for the block or so that he runs next to the car.!

Those are some of the creatures in and near Auntie K’s Garden. Who – or what – is visiting your gardens?