Diggin' It

Gardens are suffering from the cold and no wonder; KOMO News.com reported on Monday that Seattle has probably the coldest maximum high temperature so far this year of any major city in the lower 48 states. And it was 75 degrees in Anchorage last week; already this spring Calgary has hit 77 degrees, Stockholm 75 and  - this is the worst - Yakutsk, Siberia, in Russia had a 77 degree day! Our high so far in 2010? A sizzling 72. No wonder my basil has melted away, the coleus and tomatoes malingering at best.

And yet - I had a great weekend in the garden between raindrops - or deluges. I planted a big pot of mint, but mostly tried to keep up with weeding and slug picking. The cheerful orange chiffon poppies I seeded into the gravel driveway last autumn have taken off...

 

 

Despite the gloom, my new solar Japanese lanterns have soaked up enough sunlight to glow at night.

 Sticking bamboo spikes into a pot may finally be convincing the next door cat to find another toilet...any ideas for less unattractive ways to dissuade cats from trashing pots and raised beds?

 

Maybe it'd help if Bridget stopped sitting around in the new Adirondack chairs (I finally got rid of the old peeling wooden ones and bought these recycled plastic ones at Swanson's - they're  heavy duty, have a ten year guarantee, and hold up to all kinds of weather...) and got busy with her terrier job of keeping the garden cat-free.

Comments

[Andrew]

I've heard using chili flakes sprinkled in the garden detract cats from using the area for play. The flakes bother the olfactory senses and keep them away without harming the animal.

[valerie Easton]

Thanks, Andrew - hopefully the chili flakes don't really hurt the cats, just dissuade them?
Val

[Deborah Heg]

Hey Val,
Try covering the soil with the larger landscape stones - you know the ones that come in bags, I think 2" or larger. Then the cats can't dig. It works for me with house plants.

[Patio Furniture]

I see its hard to keep the dogs off of the patio furniture too. =)

[Fences New Jersey]

Great gardening post there!!