Category Archives: Critters

What Gardeners Are Talking About: Deer

The Spring at the Inn event, held last Thursday at the Lake Elmo Inn, drew a packed crowd of enthusiastic gardeners, who oohed and aahed over a dozen or more new perennials and shrubs that will be available in nurseries … Continue reading

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Deer Resistant Landscaping

A Gardener’s Reading, 23 of 30 Like many northern gardeners, I’ve battled critters pretty much as long as I’ve gardened. At my old house, the issue was raccoons, who had a cozy home in the storm sewer under our street. … Continue reading

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Here’s What Mole Damage Looks Like

If you are wondering whether moles are the source of damage in your yard, take a look at this picture of my backyard. See all the raised patches and the occasional small mounds of dirt? That is the work of … Continue reading

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Oh, Deer!

While I’ve battled with a variety of four-legged marauders over the years, including voles, moles, pocket gophers, beavers and rabbits, I’ve always counted myself lucky that we did not have deer nearby. Until now. We live near drainage ponds near … Continue reading

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Those Rascally Rabbits…

You can tell how high the snow was in my backyard this winter by the height of the dogwood and hyrdrangea bushes that the rabbits chomped on. These branches are about 30 inches high, and considerably lower than they should … Continue reading

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Caterpillars Pig Out

Last fall, Northern Gardener published an article on ways to attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. In it, Tom and Donna Krischan recommended a plant called bloodflower milkweed  (Asclepias curassavica). The plant is known as a terrific food source … Continue reading

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Garden Warning: The Ticks Are Here

This morning, I felt something funny on the back of my head. Uh-oh. I found a tweezers and asked my teen-age daughter to see what it was and remove it. “I think it’s a tick,” I said. “Ewww, Mom, gross.” … Continue reading

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Bee Condo Attacked!

Well, nature is cruel, and yesterday I witnessed a downy woodpecker pecking at the bee babies in my bee condo. (I had the camera with me because I’ve been trying with no luck to get a photo of a hummingbird … Continue reading

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Eastern Tent Caterpillars

Nearly every spring, I have to remove a nest or two of Eastern Tent Caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum) from the apple trees in our yard. This year appears to be a good year for the caterpillars as I’ve pulled four nests … Continue reading

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Update on the Critter Situation

Well, there I was, feeling all zen about having a mole in my backyard, recognizing the great things about moles and feeling very accepting of critters in general. Then, I went outside yesterday to set out some winter sowing containers … Continue reading

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