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December 28, 2011 · Leave a Comment

Book Review: Deer Resistant Landscaping

Books/Writing· How to

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. At my current house, we’ve dealt with mice, pocket gophers, and most recently moles and beavers. Unlike many northern gardeners, deer have not been a problem where I live–at least not yet. In the past year, we have had many more encounters with deer than in the previous 11, so I’m just waiting….

If deer are a problem where you live,  however, run out right now and get Neil Soderstrom’s new book, Deer Resistant Landscaping: Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals. Soderstrom offers a sane approach to dealing with unwanted garden visitors. Readers learn why these creatures are in our landscapes, what their role in the environment is, and what you can do to discourage their presence or live peacefully with them. The book focuses first and foremost on deer, including in-depth profiles of nearly 200 plants deer don’t like.

While that is extremely helpful information, it’s Soderstrom’s discussion of animal behavior that is most interesting. For instance, expectant deer mothers become very territorial. They spend most of the year traveling with other female relatives, but when they are close to delivery, they head out on their own.  Opossums, which seem more prevalent here the last couple of years, move their dens every few nights, and while they can be a terror if they get in your garage, opossums are helpful in that they feed heavily on snails and keep the populations of mice and voles down. Mice enjoy making nests in the spare tire well of cars and while voles breed pretty much constantly, moles breed only once a year.

If you have a critter problem, but aren’t sure what it is, Deer Resistant Landscaping has photos to help you identify it, including shots of animal tracks, tunneling and burrowing systems, mug shots of the various suspects, and critter doo-doo pictures. What I really liked about Deer Resistant Landscaping is that Soderstrom helps homeowners consider their options carefully.  For instance, the mole who has been bugging me since last summer is actually eating a lot of bugs in my yard and there’s likely only one mole, so maybe doing nothing — and adjusting how I mow the lawn to camouflage  his tunnels – – is the best bet. Soderstrom offers practical advice on how to dispatch animals in the least inhumane way possible and he’s quick to point to the situations that really demand a professional. (Transporting a skunk: No, thank you!)

For sound and responsible advice on dealing with critters, you can’t do much better than this book.

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Sometimes amaryllis are just so extra—like extra Sometimes amaryllis are just so extra—like extra large! What I really like about this one (it’s called Magic Green) is that the blooms are just right. Showy but not excessive. So far, the color is more cream than green though there is a pale green undertone. Beautiful variety! 

And, for those who may notice those tell-tale yellow strips in the pots—yes, I am having an ongoing fungus gnat issue. Not out of control, but definitely irritating. 

How’s your indoor garden 🪴 growing? 
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We’re still a few weeks away from seed starting We’re still a few weeks away from seed starting time, but I’m looking forward to having baby plants in the house. 🌱My conversation with Meg from @seedtofork on the Grow it, Minnesota podcast got me thinking about how I might change my set up this year. I’ve never used heat mats for seed starting since I keep my seedlings in the heated part of the house. But maybe this is the year to try that for peppers and tomatoes? Meg swears by heating mats! 

She also got me thinking about LED lights vs. fluorescent. I’m not inclined to replace lights that are still good, but light technology is changing. A lot to learn! 

Link to the podcast in the bio. Also links to seed starting charts and tips in the show notes at growitminnesota.com. 
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Succulent Sunday. I bought this trio from the loca Succulent Sunday. I bought this trio from the local Boy Scout troop during the holidays. It came with  snowman decorations and Christmas glitter, but once that came off it has a subtle charm. Low maintenance too!
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Wondering about what garden zone you are in or wha Wondering about what garden zone you are in or what first and last frost dates mean for your vegetable garden? Here’s the zone info for Minnesota and Midwest gardeners. 

My latest blog post on MyNorthernGarden.com has the basics on zones and frost dates. (Link in bio.) Knowing a few simple things about your climate is a key to success in the garden. 

With the warm temps we have had this winter, it feels like we are gardening in about zone 6, but never fear, it will get cold again. Listening to the weather the other night, I was reminded that in early January of 2019, it hit 47 (!) in the Twin Cities. On January 29 that year, I recorded the coldest temp I’ve ever seen in my garden—minus 23. 🥶🥶🥶 
 If you haven’t listened to it yet, check out the latest episode of Grow it, Minnesota to find out how to beat the cold with hoops, cold frames and more. Link to that in bio, too. Stay warm! 
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Super excited about tomorrow’s episode of the Gr Super excited about tomorrow’s episode of the Grow it, Minnesota podcast. My guest is Niki Jabbour to talk about cold frames, mini hoops, poly tunnels and her new book, Growing Under Cover. The book is packed with information for northern gardeners who want to stretch our short growing season. The episode goes live tomorrow morning and you can subscribe in Apple, Google, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. 
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Top nine images from 2020! A bit surprised my tool Top nine images from 2020! A bit surprised my tools made it into the list 🤔 but the rest are plants I love. I’m looking forward to more gardening friends and fun in 2021. Happy New Year! 🎈 
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Yea! Look what came in today’s mail. The latest Yea! Look what came in today’s mail. The latest Northern Gardener is out with lots of great garden advice from @renegade_gardener @kopurdy @gbrownhudson (cover photo by Gail) and more. Just the thing for a long winter weekend. 
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I was listening to the @plantramapod podcast on my I was listening to the @plantramapod podcast on my walk and the hosts were waxing poetic about wax plant, aka Hoya. I could not agree more! It is a great house plant, and the first one I had success with. My two plants are offspring of a Hoya that my grandmother had, which was passed to my mom and now me. The original plant 🪴 was planted at least 60 years ago! Hoya are long lived, don’t need much watering or fuss and do well in many sun situations even in our dry Minnesota homes. 

My plants have bloomed in the past but not since we’ve been in our current house. Maybe 2021 will be the lucky year. Anyone have tips for getting them to bloom? 
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We snuck in a walk at Lebanon Hills park this morn We snuck in a walk at Lebanon Hills park this morning before the weather turned. This old tree seemed to be smiling at us. 
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Can’t imagine why my sister thought this would b Can’t imagine why my sister thought this would be a good shirt 👚 for me?  Thanks, @kelzenbergs ! 
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Keeping my spirits bright with this book on arrang Keeping my spirits bright with this book on arranging flowers. Inspiring and educational. Now, if I just had an acre or two of land for all the 🌻🌷🌺🌸.
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Well, this is a new one! We have two moths in the Well, this is a new one! We have two moths in the house. In Minnesota. In December. All of my traveling plants have been indoors almost two months, so I’m completely perplexed as to where these guys came from. They’re in the kitchen where we have a door to the outdoors, but no way they could have survived outdoors until now. Right? Anyone ever have this happen? 
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