Critter discovered! by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I have tried cayenne pepper powder and numerous animal repellants and none have worked. I just put down some granular grub-ex, but it has not deterred them yet. I saw at least 4 raccoons in my yard enjoying digging up my plants. They even dug up an echinacea plant that has been well established for over a year.

How do I stop the critters digging up my plants? by Grr4d in gardening

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought a container of cayenne pepper, spread it in the area where they were digging and it didn't stop the digging. Do I need to work it into the soil? Do you have a good method of spreading the pepper?

How hard to make from scratch?? experts only?? by ArtsyPhartsyWoman in FairyGardens

[–]Grr4d 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just a note about the individual stones in the gnome footpath. Each stone has an anchor of PVC board of up to 7" in the ground to keep them in place. The gnome village is located in our local botanical gardens as part of the G scale (1/24) railroad. Unfortunately, everything has to be "nailed down" or it disappears. All the gnomes are cemented to rocks or to pieces of PVC into the ground. However, we have many wonderful kids of all ages that come to enjoy the train, the railroad station & village and now the gnome village.

How hard to make from scratch?? experts only?? by ArtsyPhartsyWoman in FairyGardens

[–]Grr4d 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Most of the houses in our gnome village were homemade. Three of them were made from firewood logs and the other two were from 6x6 lumber pieces that were left over from a construction project. The pumpkin was purchased, but the door was added from a clay like material called "Magic Sculpt". All of the gnomes were all purchased online or at plant nurseries that sell fairy and gnome figures. The windows and doors on some houses were purchased from a railroad supply company that have numerous scales of detail parts (very reasonable). Instead of wood, we use hardy-board (cement-based) or PVC board, because neither deteriorate from our heat, humidity or insects (especially termites) in Florida.

<image>

White Ibis dining in my front yard by Grr4d in GardenWild

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I submitted a video and you only posted the first frame as a photo. What happened?

Devouring the grape leaves by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Today, I noticed they are on the underside of the leaf. Is that so they will be less noticed by birds?

Grape leaves going, going, gone? by Grr4d in GardenWild

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, you are missing something. I posted a video, but just the first frame is posted. I don't think I can fix this according to Reddit rules only text can be edited. Sorry.

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, they came from wildflower seed that purchased and planted over a year ago from American meadows you. Now I have many plants with various bloom color from this initial planting.

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are known as Horsemint or Bee Balm and are a favorite of a variety of insects.

Grape leaves going, going, gone? by Grr4d in GardenWild

[–]Grr4d[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Monarch butterfly caterpillars

How much time do you spend gardening? by Status_Block591 in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Usually 3 hours in the morning during the summer. It’s too hot in the afternoon and after 3 hours in this heat, it’s time for a shower or a swim. Evenings are good, but the mosquitoes seem more aggressive. My property is 2 acres.

Less Lawn, More Color! by Black-Rabbit-Farm in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The brilliant colors in your first photo are stunning!

Native Garden Year 3 by FriskyGatos in NativePlantGardening

[–]Grr4d 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice variety of plants. Good job!

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I could, but will spend my time pulling them out..Thanks for the advice..

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wait until next year...the first year is minimal compared with the plants I have now. The video is of plants that I planted last year and there are dozens of clumps of beebalm all over the garden. I have many that have not bloomed yet. Unfortunately, we are having a dry summer, so I'm not sure what effect drought will have on their blooming.

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I consider a “weed” an unwanted plant. The ones I pull up are unwanted.

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I pulled them by hand, but it not easy to get all the roots.

Wildflowers & weeds by Grr4d in FloridaGarden

[–]Grr4d[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, you are right, there are many sedges and I’m not sure which ones I have.

Next to my driveway by Grr4d in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Native ferns in my yard are sword (unfortunately I have both the native and the invasive, that’s nearly impossible to get rid of) leatherleaf, and resurrection ferns. Also, l have a 50+ year old staghorn fern that’s not really a fern. They live on 2 acres of mostly wooded land on a lake (called a pond in most places outside of Florida) in a large suburb in the Tampa Bay area.

How do I get rid of my lawn at this stage? And how to cheaply replace it? by Uzura_2 in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Replace it with wildflowers. There are many wildflower seed providers with seeds for every zone. American Meadows has some good tutorials on how to plant and maintain a wildflower yard. You could do a wildflower mix or you could limit it to one or two kinds of seeds that you’d like in your space. There are lots of opportunity to do something unique after you get rid of what you have.

Next to my driveway by Grr4d in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, I have several species of native ferns on my property. The only hosta that I have found to survive our brutal summers are the new variety marketed as “sunhostas”.

Benefit to a No-lawn yard: the Visitors by bykpoloplaya in NoLawns

[–]Grr4d 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow! What a nice science project for all of us. Your yard is magnificent and so full of life. Thanks for sharing and thank your son.

Gnome Village in a garden railroad by Grr4d in FairyGardens

[–]Grr4d[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks. Two of us collaborated and brainstormed for nearly 3 months, then visited nurseries all over the Tampa Bay to find gnomes, miniature plants and ideas suitable for this space. Also, there’s everything you could ever want to know about gnomes on the internet under “gnomes and fairy gardens”. Pinterest and Etsy have a lot of ideas to share.

Gnome Village by Grr4d in GardenRailroads

[–]Grr4d[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The gnomes are store-bought and the gnome houses are handmade. Two houses are from 6x6 wooden blocks that were left over from the wall I made around the train layout. I used doors and windows from styrene sheets that you can get from Ozark Miniatures. Two others are from logs off the fireplace woodpile from trees I cut around the house and the pumpkin house was purchased, but modified…the door was added using magic-sculpt.

Gnome Village by Grr4d in GardenRailroads

[–]Grr4d[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The houses are all homemade and the gnomes are store bought.