Re: [gardeners] Friday in the garden
AMGarden@aol.com (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 9 Jun 1999 07:00:41 EDT
In a message dated 6/8/99 8:29:04 AM Eastern Daylight Time, gshirley@laol.net
writes:
> Your home sounds really nice Anne. It must be nice to have the nature area
> backing
> up to your yard. Don't know if I would want a bear wandering around the
back
> though, the neighbors cat is bad enough about agitating the dog. ;-)
George,
We more often see the bear scat than the bears themselves. Purple scat means
we have had a nighttime visitor eating the beauty berries. Our dog and
others usually keep them out of the yard. Being that our neighborhood is
closest to the main thoroughfare we get the least number of those visits.
Not so long ago the local high school (about 2 miles from here) had a bear in
one of the trees out front. That caused lots of excitement. Somehow he
disappeared during the night while the tree was all lit up by authorities
trying to get it to safety.
Much more often we get the raccoons and skunks. Our yard has an 8 ft wooden
fence because of the pool, but the house is slightly elevated and we can see
out over most of the nature area. The powers that be have decided to take
out the stand of beauty berries, and I will miss them. There is a small
children's playground along side it, and they want to keep the kids from
sampling the berries. While not poisonous the berries are attractive and
could start a dangerous habit with the little ones. Replacing the berries
will be a number of trees for shade on the play area, and a few flowering
bushes. Since the area backs up to our yard, our opinion on replacements was
at least asked for. We may not get it, but at least they asked.
The nicotiania I planted will hopefully be the fragrant kind. Last year they
did not smell at all. It was a great disappointment to me, so I ordered seed
from a different source. There was another packet of some assorted varieties
that came with the newpaper. Something about keeping Florida green. I
planted those in the recently bolted lettuce bed. It will be interesting to
see what comes up.
Anne in FL Where the Echinacea is in full bloom, and the Crepe Myrtles are
just starting.
zone 9b