I have always loved having beautiful flowers in my spring and summer gardens. Each year I would dig and plant and cultivate this developing cascade of color. It was fun and so satisfying as I watched them bloom and grow.
Years went by and it became more challenging to actually create gardens so I began to use potted plants instead. Truly, I wish I had thought of it sooner. Having a number of pots full of gorgeous blooms are just as pretty and so portable! I can move them around at will, making them more visible from my office windows whenever I want to. I get to look at them while I work at home. It is a win-win.
Then, several years ago, something began to happen. Most often the trouble was with my potted New Guinea Impatiens. I still don’t know why they are more susceptible. Perhaps the other types of flowers are less inviting. The others in the untouched pots were a combination of yellow marigolds and purple petunias. Those pots were seldom disturbed but the ones with new guineas, which are my favorites, were attacked unmercifully. They must be sweeter to the furry little troublemakers who came by when I wasn’t looking and MESSED WITH MY PLANTS!
It took me a few days to catch on. At first I wasn’t sure why I was finding soil from the pots tossed all over my deck. Then I realized that there was also a big hole in the dirt in one of them. Another time, the plant was actually removed from the pot and laying on the ground! Oooh, that made me mad! What on earth was happening?
Finally, I saw the culprit running away from the scene of the crime. A squirrel had a crab apple in his mouth that he had just retrieved from where he had STASHED it in my plant! Time went by and later I saw a chipmunk digging in the dirt. A friend suggested that chipmunks like to nibble on the roots. This was getting serious; they were teaming up!
To try to solve the problem I looked into repellants and other answers I had seen online. Somehow that did not sit well with me. I was pretty sure they would not work but I definitely needed a solution. So, I prayed about it. “Lord, there has to be a way for me to get along with these furry creatures. You made them! What do I do?” Then I had an idea!
Squirrels and Chipmunks Apparently Don’t Like Stones!
So, I bought some bags of small stones – you know, the kind that some people use in the bottom of their fish tanks? They look really nice in potted plants, too. As I carefully scattered a thick layer of decorative stones onto the dirt in each pot, I held the stones back from literally covering the base of the stems. It made sense to me that the plants would need a little bit of space. And, then, I watched.
Day after day, no trouble! The plants flourished. The stones looked so pretty and so did my flowers! I just watered as usual and enjoyed them for the rest of the summer. Yes, decorative stones solved the problem. This is my third season using this little technique and truly the rodents stay away! Isn’t that great? You can see the stones surrounding my potted flowers here. I really love the look!
Here are the kind of stones that I used.
These pretty stones can be used in potted plants, gardens and even fish aquariums!
Keep chipmunks and squirrels out of your plants with this simple, decorative trick! #gardening #tips Share on X
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Here is how to enjoy potting your plants indoors without a mess!
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Would you like to hear about another sweet little tip I learned? I love taking a book outside on a nice day to read but sometimes either bees or mosquitoes get in the way. Inevitably, they drive me back indoors. Well, yes, again I prayed. This time I asked Him what is a natural repellant for insects. I instantly heard in my thoughts: Mint! Yep. Mint came to mind. Previously, I had stayed away from planting mint because it grows so fast; it can take over your gardens and even creep into lawns.
Well, I went with flower pots again and planted mint in them. The portability of pots pays off. When I want to relocate from the deck to my front porch, I just pick up a pot of mint and take it with me. It helps a lot!
How to outsmart squirrels and chipmunks and keep them from messing with your plants! #plants #tips #gardening Share on X
Enjoy!
Pet Hair EVERYWHERE? This is the very BEST pet hair vacuum I have ever used!
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Keep the little furry guys OUT of your flower pots!
