Spring is in full swing here at the pumpkin patch, which is not without its stresses. Jamie planted a few of his seeds indoors last week and much to his chagrin, they did not sprout when anticipated. His best seed never germinated at all. As a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin, this causes an immeasurable amount of stress. He will replace the dud and move forward with the others, which will hopefully flourish.Look at me. Being all supportive of the Lord of the Gourds.
I've been thinking about pests lately. Not of the little brother or sister variety that we all endured growing up, but creatures. Most of us have 'em and we're always battling them at our house. We have a vole that completely wiped out our rose bushes and we are replanting some new ones.
Rabbits are also our household pests. It pains me to say that because I had pet bunnies growing up and absolutely adored them. But alas, Whiskers and Snowflake never dug out a hole under and through our front porch nor completely obliterated our garden, snacking on my favorite crop of all: strawberries.
Game on, Bunnies.
Of course, our pests don't have anything on my in-laws. Their pest de choix? Skunks. They took up residency under my inlaws' front porch last year, creating a very real dilemma whenever entering or leaving the house. Animal control wouldn't do anything about them unless they were rabied which, I don't know about you, I really wouldn't want to be the one to test that out.
My in-laws tried to stink them out with mothballs. They were unsure of exactly how many skunks they had and had only spotted a couple at a time. But imagine their delight to come home from church, only to find NINE skunks sunning themselves on their lawn. Call me crazy but having pet skunks in plain view is exponentially worse than having them burrowed under my house.
Though it could stave off those people who insist on coming over unannounced when my house is a mess.
Eventually, the skunks migrated back under their porch because well, they're kinda used to living with stench. My inlaws' last alternative was to hire a professional skunk trapper. Now, I'm sure he catches other animals but he was most proud of his ability to round up the Pepe le Pews of the world. He actually knocked on their door holding two captured skunks. Evidently, if you hold them by their tails, they will not spray you.
Just in case you wanted to try it next time around.
Unfortunately, he got distracted and dropped one of them, leaving a path of fresh-smelling roses behind.
How would you like to be that guy's poor wife?
And so now I turn to you as gardening season kicks off: do you have a garden, what do you grow and what pests do you battle?
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Oh. Oh. Oh. I have so worried that I might have skunks! Sometimes when I am sitting in my family room I can smell them and I am so afraid, and have told my girlfriends, that they might be taking up residence in my shed. I knew a girl in high school who got sprayed by a skunk and it was a very tramatic thing for her - bathing in all that tomato juice all the time. Her blonde hair was orange for quick some time. Now, after this story, I am going to be especially paranoid.
However, my greatest arch nemesis right now are DEER. I hate them with every fiber of my being. It is because of them that I can not even fathom having a garden without so much work and energy into gardening in a cage - which sort of takes the fun out of it if you ask me - and I am forced to use just ugly ugly foliage in my yard which they won't eat. They even eat the stuff that my landscaper says they shouldn't touch. They are horrid, vile creatures and I think it is very much like saying a skunk smells like a rose for me to even call them deer.
Woa, long comment. I must feel a little anxious about this - or passionate.
Our pests: My inability to garden.
Voles! Nothing I have tried works. Also pocket gophers are a big pain!!! Just typing about these cause my blood pressure to rise!
I would so freak out if I saw skunks around my house!!!! Gee whiz!!
I dream of having a garden someday. I'd love to have a vegetable garden and fill my kitchen with wonderful things that I grew myself.
Ugh skunks are my nightmare. We had one wander by our house awhile back and it was not fun at all. Our biggest pest is a cute little bunny that loves the clover that grows in our lawn. I am torn because I love how cute it is but if it goes after my plants then game on bunny.
"Lord of the Gourds" sounds so sexy..haha love it
Good fact to know about holding a skunk by it's tale.
We don't have a garden because we have an open space behind us and we have so many bunnies.. although now that we have our little Italian Greyhound, she chases them away.
wow, that was an enthralling story about skunks! my sympathies to them. and you... for the pumpkin dramas that are sure to be the bane of your existence for the next little while. ;)
Oh, dear...I can't believe he dropped one of those skunks. Note to self: Once you catch one by the tail, for pity sake, don't drop it.
You name it...it is a pest here in Georgia. Blech.
This is our first year with a garden we've planted raspberry bushes, blueberry bushes, cucumbers, cauliflower, canteloupe, watermelon, bell peppers & tomatoes... not to mention the peach tree & pear tree. We've got wild rabbits running around the neighborhood and squirrels. We haven't had any issues yet, but we'll see.
There are skunks around my backyard all the time. They come to chow down on the bird food that falls from the feeder. And sometimes it smells like skunk, but they have never taken up residence under the deck. Maybe it's because they can smell the cats?
This year I did sheet mulch, which could also be called lazy woman's composting. Unfortunately, I still have two compost piles. Now I just have to plant a lot of plants directly into that sheet mulch.
I grow all the foods I can't get enough of and hope they turn out. I'm more of an experimental gardener and am in awe of your hubby's pumpkin passion.
With that said, I haven't planted a thing yet this year, too darn finicky this weather of ours!
Our garden area is still too muddy to plant, hopefully we'll get it in soon. Right now our pears and apples are blooming.
One year we had a family of skunks take up residence under our bedroom. There were a couple nights they woke us up with a lovely smell. We used a live trap and caught 9 (must be a good number or something!). The first few, my husband drowned in a pond. Until a friend heard how badly he was treating them. Our friend offered his orchard as a new home to them. So far he hasn't been awakened by them. It took at least a week before our house started smelling better! We have other pests in our garden and orchard: ground squirls, pidgeons, so far our friend hasn't heard how we are getting rid of them.
Heather K.
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