Bees, Garden Blooms and Squirrel Wars

How’s your garden growing? It seems to be feast or famine with Mother Nature in the rain department. The last couple of years we’ve fluctuated from moderate to severe drought conditions resulting in low lake levels. This year, the lake is at full pond and rising from a very wet spring and more rain in the forecast this weekend.

We planted some Earth Angel Floribunda Roses last year. These are the first blooms, they (and I!) would be happier with a little less rain.

Earth Angel Rose is a fragrant old-fashioned rose and with blooms varying in color from white to soft pink and that change as it reaches maturity.

It takes several bloom cycles to produce peony-shaped flowers which I’m looking forward to.

 Knock Out Roses have been especially floriferous this spring!

And the hummingbirds have been zipping around, battling and territorial over the feeder. They’re way too fast for me to photograph~ the only ones I can capture are the ones on the bird bath. ;)

‘Mother of Pearl’ rose blooms just in time for Mother’s Day. This shrub rose was given to us by friends and planted a year and a half ago in memory of my mother-in-law, Betty.

 ‘Mother of Pearl’ is a Grandiflora rose that’s resistant to black spot and performs well in hot humid areas as well as cooler climates.

They’re starting to look a little shabby from all our rain. . .

But Endless Summer Hydrangeas have no complaints in the rain department!

Popcorn Drift Rose starts out yellow and fades to creamy white, reminiscent of buttery popcorn.

It’s comparable to the family of Knock Out Roses in disease resistance and low-maintenance, but smaller in size so ideal for small gardens or containers.

Lamb’s Ear weathers the toughest of droughts and too much water can result in root rot. I love the soft, silvery stalks with their pinkish-purple colored flowers that are always buzzing with bumblebees.

Female bumblebees and honey bees have pollen baskets to collect the pollen grains to return to the nest for their offspring. You can see the pollen basket on the hind legs on the bumblebee in the photo below.

 I’ve been battling with the squirrels digging in my containers and destroying just-planted flowers. . .

{insert *bad* words here}

 We have more squirrels per capita than the law should allow with our trees. We’ve been to war with squirrels in our attic, under our porch and had a squirrel stowaway on our boat a few years ago. I’m determined keep them out of my containers. . .

 I picked up some cayenne pepper and plastic forks from Dollar Tree.

I gave the pots and a few other containers a liberal dusting of cayenne pepper and placed some forks in the soil as a  deterrent. The cayenne pepper won’t hurt the plants and hopefully with one lick of their paws they’ll scurry away to dig elsewhere never to return! I’ve had to reapply with our rain showers and after watering, but it’s worth the effort until they get the ‘do not dig here’ memo.

Note to Self: Keep Calm and Cayenne On ;)

Thank you for your visit!

Sharing with:

At Home With Jemma, Have A Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson, Home and Gardening With Liz
Life and LindaPoofing The Pillows

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 Metamorphosis Monday,The ScoopWow Us WednesdaysFeathered Nest Friday

  84 comments for “Bees, Garden Blooms and Squirrel Wars

  1. Kathy Menold
    May 25, 2018 at 6:15 am

    I am usually pretty patient with the wildlife we have around our property but this year they are getting on my last nerve. The squirrels have tossed my inpatients out of window boxes, deer have feasted on my dayliles and a pair of Carolina Wrens insist on nesting in the ferns I have hung on our front porch no matter how many times I remove the nest! Gardening is not for sissies!!

    • May 25, 2018 at 6:25 am

      Amen Kathy, it’s not for the faint of heart! I don’t know how farmers do it. We usually have birds nest in our porch planters every summer, as soon as they grow in and start looking good. It’s a challenge to water and keep the flowers from dying so they provide cover for the nest from predators without drowning the babies and the nest!

      • FRANCES M TROY
        May 25, 2018 at 4:59 pm

        In Texas we have Dove. And they will come back to the same hanging basket each year. If it is not there waiting on them, they will stare in your window until you get it ready LOL. I will admit, it is fun to watch the babies teeter on the edge of the hanging basket for a couple of days before they take the leap into the great unknown. As soon as they do, the mother dove is gone for the year.

      • May 25, 2018 at 6:48 pm

        That’s hilarious Frances! I always worry about those baby birds taking the first flight from the nest.

  2. Barbara
    May 25, 2018 at 6:27 am

    Our problem here in Queensland is with scrub turkeys (wild turkeys). They eat the bulbs of freesias before they have sprouted more than an inch and any other bulb they can get. Newly planted annuals are a magnet also. Unfortunately some people love them and they are protected. We have tried ground coffee now we will try cayenne. We used to have a wonderful crop of freesia but now maybe only a couple of bulbs survived. Thanks for the tip. Love your garden.

  3. Diane
    May 25, 2018 at 6:53 am

    Mary,
    I live in a town home neighborhoo. Everyone is fighting with the squirrels. We all do container gardening and the squirrels are not selective,no one is safe. I have been using the pepper and coffee grounds. With all the rain it is a pain to keep up with their antics. I also have a “chipmunk gang” what the squirrels don’t get they do.
    Sometimes Mother Nature is very uncooperative.🐿🐿

    • Loretta Gordon
      May 25, 2021 at 11:58 pm

      Sorry to hear that I’m going through the same thing with squirrels and chipmunks Ive found after trying several things that squirrels do not like the smell of mothballs, so I put about five moth balls in little cups all around my garden and it seems to help, they do not dig in the plants near the mothballs. My garden might smell like mothballs a little, but my plants are still intact.

  4. prairie sunrise
    May 25, 2018 at 7:12 am

    I laughed–imagining the squirrels weaving thru the forks like a dog in an agility obstacle course.

    • May 25, 2018 at 9:14 am

      Lol, they’re plenty agile! 🐿🐿🐿

  5. Debra Matcovich
    May 25, 2018 at 7:21 am

    I hope that helps, but what does the plastic fork do. Do you have any remedies for chipmunks. They are the pain in my side all spring and summer. They also dig up my flowers and drown in my pool. The worst advise I got years ago was to use mothballs. Let’s just say my basement smelled like a old attic for six months. Plus I think they liked the smell.

    • May 25, 2018 at 7:50 am

      Debra, we have the same problem…we live in the country and chipmunks are at a PREMIUM…they have destroyed many many plants and a few foundations..yes, foundations!! Live trapping and moving hem to a new area is, as we found out, ridiculous…the only way is to use rat traps baited with an apple loaded with peanut butter…I am vigilant about where I see signs of them and hat where the trap is set…our neighbor dies the same..he had tthem abuntantly in his crawl and attic..sounds cruel but those cute little things are very very destructive….AND, they are NOT an endangered spieces…sounds cruel but so dies 10 Grand for a new foundation..

      • May 25, 2018 at 7:54 am

        Sorry for the typos! 🙄

      • Jacque Avant
        May 25, 2018 at 3:34 pm

        If you have cats outside they will get the population of chipmunks down. One stray cat at our home and we now do not see any chipmunks.

      • Debra Matcovich
        May 25, 2018 at 8:31 pm

        Ellen, Thank you for the advise, but I couldn’t put traps. Isn’t there a pied piper for chipmunks.

      • May 26, 2021 at 6:42 pm

        I have problems with chipmunks and squirrels and rabbits around me property. I look for suggestions to deter things animals. Yes they are cute but they can destroy a home owners property.

    • May 25, 2018 at 8:14 am

      Hi Debra, The plastic forks poking up are just a physical barrier and deterrent. They probably need to be spaced closer together. You can also use wooden/bamboo skewers in your containers.

  6. May 25, 2018 at 7:49 am

    Your gardens are beautiful Mary. Love your different varieties of roses and the hydrangea is beautiful. The downpours of rain have really messed with my peonies. It was going to be a stellar crop but still may have some more blooms. No problem with squirrels YET. They can just about get on our last nerve. I have tried catching them (similar to your photo) and taking them to another location. They just seem to multiply. I think you are on to something with the forks and cayenne! Happy Friday.

  7. May 25, 2018 at 7:53 am

    Mary, the gardens are beautiful…I feel your squirrel pain but our pain is the chipmunk…and as far as too much rain, it’s either feast or famine..we are at the famine right now but that is supposed to end tomorrow and that will help..have a great Memorial weekend…..God bless our military and I thank them all for their sacrifices and service! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

    • May 25, 2018 at 9:35 am

      Happy Memorial Day Weekend Ellen! Thanks for all your visits and comments 🇺🇸🌺🌱🐿😀❤️

  8. Amma
    May 25, 2018 at 9:18 am

    LOVE your gardens!!!! And your photos are fabulous. Wish I had your talent! We have a problem with squirrels and chipmunks, too. Squirrels in our attic kept the family awake all night chewing – we replaced cedar siding with cement board siding (think HardiPlank) and enclosed the gutters including steel mesh wire balls in the bottoms of the downspouts – my husband provides “roof rat” treats for our resident hawks = no more squirrels in the attic – still plenty on the property to plant trees (prolific group). Our chipmunks chewed through our new 6 inch deep poured concrete slab – haven’t figured out what to do there as they chew through the new concrete “patches” – resident snakes may help – I think I’ll stock up on Cayenne, too. We have found using Milorganite works pretty well for our “pasture rats” (deer). Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend!

    • May 25, 2018 at 9:32 am

      Thank you Amma! Gosh I had no idea chipmunks could be so destructive and chew through concrete! It puts Chip and Dale in a whole new light for me 😀 Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day weekend! 🇺🇸

  9. May 25, 2018 at 9:31 am

    Beautiful gardens Mary. Gorgeous roses and love the lamb’s ear. I am with you on the squirrels. They are driving me crazy! I get up early just to get to the gardens and bird feeders to try to shoo they away but I need to try something new. I’m going out to buy some cayenne pepper today and sure hope it helps.

    • May 25, 2018 at 10:13 am

      Thank you Judy! Those squirrels are the bane of our existence 🐿🌺😀. I saw a video by P.Allen Smith with a “critter repellent” recipe that helps keep the raccoons, squirrels and skunks away. It’s a mixture of onion, jalapeño and cayenne that you boil, strain and pour in a spray bottle. I thought I might give that a try next.

  10. Amma
    May 25, 2018 at 9:45 am

    I noticed you have “red” nectar in your hummingbird feeder – red dye is thought to harm the little birds each of whom only weighs less than a nickel – experts recommend making your own nectar using regular pure cane table sugar that has been REFINED – The ratio is 4 parts water and 1 part sugar (1 Cup lukewarm water & 1/4 Cup sugar) – do NOT use fancy sugars or honey or anything with dye in it – the little birds are used to the feeders and will readily come to the clear liquid – It should be changed out at least every 3 day or more often in hot weather as mold and fungus grow quickly and will coat their little tongues – take the feeders down if you have to be gone longer than 3 days – using table sugar and tap water is cheaper and much better for the little guys. (*wink)

    • May 25, 2018 at 9:58 am

      No, my hummingbird feeder is red glass. I mix my own nectar with a ratio of 1:4 sugar to water WITHOUT red dye. 😀

    • Betsy
      May 25, 2018 at 1:48 pm

      Thank you for sharing! I had no idea the red nectar was harmful. I’m switching mine out today!

  11. Sharon
    May 25, 2018 at 10:03 am

    OMG love your Keep Calm and Cayenne On!! I’m going to try it too. I was wondering what was digging up my plants and bulbs, those little rascals! Your roses are beautiful !

    • May 25, 2018 at 10:05 am

      Thank you Sharon…those dastardly squirrels! 🐿😀

  12. May 25, 2018 at 10:05 am

    Your roses and other flowers and plants are so pretty, Mary. I sure hope the squirrels get the “do not dig here” memo, too. They certainly can do so much harm, I agree. i love your birdbath with the hummingbirds flying around the edge. The birdies here enjoy my little waterfall so much, and I love watching them as they bathe.
    Happy Memorial Day to you, Mary! xo

    • May 25, 2018 at 10:09 am

      Thank you Kitty, I bet your birds love your waterfall! Happy Memorial Day Weekend to you❣️🇺🇸🌺

  13. May 25, 2018 at 10:11 am

    I thought I was the only one that had SQUIRRELS!!!! I THINK THEY MULTIPLY OVERNIGHT! Every morning I have to add soil to my pots and try to fix flowers or replant broken flowers. Squirrels even get in my hanging baskets??! AND…I have CARPENTER BEE problems as well!! They love our garage doors that we built for some reason. It looks like bullet holes in the doors! Lol Anyone know a solution? Happy Memorial Weekend!

    • May 25, 2018 at 2:11 pm

      Hi Nancy, My hubby always comments “there goes another litter of baby squirrels running across the yard”” 😀 They do seem to multiply over night. I’ve seen carpenter bee traps at Lowe’s. They look like a simple wood box or small birdhouse with a hole and a glass jar attached. Happy Memorial Day Weekend, 🇺🇸🐿🌺😀

  14. barbara
    May 25, 2018 at 10:18 am

    My squirrels after destroying my herbs decided to eat some hoses to the tune of 300 dollars under the hood of my car. There was a family that was living in the cable box across the street. We called the cable company and they sprayed and ran the family out. The cable company said they do a lot of damage to their equipment as well.

    • May 25, 2018 at 11:45 am

      Hi Barbara, the squirrel on our boat did $600 worth of damage to our wiring harness! I’m sure they’re a menace to the power and cable companies. Happy Memorial Day weekend ❤️🌺🇺🇸😀🐿

  15. Diane D.
    May 25, 2018 at 10:42 am

    As always lovely flowers!!

  16. S Williams
    May 25, 2018 at 10:48 am

    Good morning Mary! Our squirrels stay on our porch more than we do! LOL My husband slaughtered one of our crepe myrtles to keep them off the roof as well as a holly tree & part of an oak tree on the other end the house recently! He had to rescue one from inside the gutter downspout by ripping it open; then had to replace that gutter section. Squirrels are so destructive & menacing. They see us on the porch & look at us as if we are the intruders! They scamper off as if to say we will loan you our porch for awhile! They have ruined several planters so we have to replant them hopefully this weekend. It’s so true that gardening isn’t for the weak of heart! Your garden is beautiful! Our hydrangea bush is just blossoming out here in west TN. Will be on the lookout for some rose bushes like yours but we have to plant them where the deer won’t eat the blooms! At least we can try to deter them with ground up egg shells at the base of the rose but they still manage to get to the taller blooms occasionally. Happy Memorial Day! Thanks to all the active Service members and veterans. We thank you for your service! Mary thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us and for reminding us there are squirrel wars across the country! Garden on fellow soil lovers; digging in the dirt is great therapy & cheaper than a shrink! Clara 😃

  17. Pam Schrantz
    May 25, 2018 at 10:50 am

    Mary, I love the idea of a red glass hummingbird feeder! I just have the flat disc ones so I am on the hunt for a red glass one.

  18. Loraine
    May 25, 2018 at 10:50 am

    love love love your website. Funny to hear you girls talking about squirrel issues, I am in sunny California with no issues of squirrels in Southern California, Northern Probably. Keep up the good work and keep the stories coming.

    Thank you…

    • Betsy
      May 25, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Thanks for the Irish Spring information. It’s always a tough balance between getting rid of unwanted critters, and allowing our pets to remain safe in the yard.

    • Betsy
      May 25, 2018 at 1:35 pm

      Lorraine,

      I think all your squirrels migrated to NorCal and are living in my back yard! Rest assured the squirrel population is thriving in California ha ha!

      Betsy

  19. Annette Croley
    May 25, 2018 at 10:58 am

    Annette. We’ve had squirrel problems for years. We’ve put out cayenne
    Pepper and watched the squirrels ear it like it was a gourmet. Caviar!!!!!

  20. Martha Franks
    May 25, 2018 at 11:08 am

    Mary, thanks for the idea of cayenne in planters! I use it in my bird seed, but never thought about using it in pots!

  21. Donna C
    May 25, 2018 at 11:17 am

    LOL!! Keep calm and cayenne on…love that!! I also have squirrel issues. My son sent me a picture of a tee-shirt that has a squirrel on it and says “Excuse me lady but your bird feeder is empty”. Squirrels and chipmunks have also dug up my planters. A raccoon has been feasting on the bird feeder at night. He was so cute…but bugger off please! Birds nest in my patio ferns. Animal Kingdom could film here!

  22. Jan Edmonds
    May 25, 2018 at 11:19 am

    Love your website. Just had to comment on the squirrels. Even though my husbands feeds them peanuts in the winter, they chewed the wires and knocked out my computer service. How ungrateful they are!

  23. Patricia Miller
    May 25, 2018 at 11:21 am

    I read that Irish Spring soap will keep them away so I got a couple of bars and used a vegetable peeler to scrap off little pieced in my pots and garden. It is working so far. I have had to reapply it after we had several rains and I found a pot dug in, but once reapplied they are leaving them alone. They had dug up all my pansies last fall and after a week and half of replanting them they all dried out and died- that is when I went on the offensive and looked for non-toxic remedies. We have two cats that go out for supervised play time outside so I had to keep it non-toxic for them. Maybe this will work for you- it holds up to the rains better than the pepper would since it takes several rains to break the chunks down.

  24. May 25, 2018 at 11:30 am

    You have so many amazing blooms! I love seeing the bees too. We have an area of our lot that we are trying to establish as wildflowers. Right now we are battling weeds more than anything but when I go out there bees, butterflies, dragonflies and many bunnies are living happily. We just moved into this house 11 months ago so we have a long ways to go with everything!

  25. Tricia
    May 25, 2018 at 11:56 am

    I Just saw a post about putting forks in planters, on a site I joined a few days ago – ‘joe gardner’ on Facebook. I’ve also been dealing with squirrels in the attic…they think it’s theirs!!

  26. Alice
    May 25, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    Will try the Irish Spring soap idea. Thanks

  27. May 25, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    That was delightful, just sitting with a cup of tea as a gentle rain wets the garden, good thing too since our pump broke and NO WATER! I have a lovely bouquet of angel rose by my side, had to Google popcorn drift, I have popcorn but it’s pure white and tiny flowers, how large is popcorn drift, they look about two inches? Very pretty!

    Loved the hummingbird capture 😉 my feeder is off my kitchen window, I have taken countless pics, it’s like a helipad! Had a bright red one come, stopped me in my tracks, ran for the camera and never saw it again…

    Fun to see your garden bloom, our seasons still match up, I thought we were going to be bee keepers of two hundred hives, he came out to check our site and was coming back in two weeks, looks like he went across the street instead, I get the bees in my garden, but no free honey payments!

    A Lovely morning in the garden with you, tea cups clicking over our audio books 😬

  28. Catherine LUXEREAU
    May 25, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    Bonsoir Mary, vos roses sont belles en particulier celle qui est d’un orangé doux et si en plus elle est parfumée alors quel bonheur….mignons les écureuils mais pas quand ils mangent les plantes…😊 Je me répète mais encore bravo pour ces belles photos colorées…bon week end !😄

  29. Betsy
    May 25, 2018 at 1:28 pm

    Hi Mary,

    Ahhh…squirrels! Ours are so large they look more like extremely well fed housecats. Our pest control company advised us to catch a squirrel in a rat trap, then place the trap and specimen someplace obvious. Pest control said to put it on the roof, so we did. Apparently the squirrels communicate danger so they steered clear of our place for quite a while.

    There would not be enough sweet tea to calm me if a squirrel ate my boat!

    Good luck!

    Betsy

  30. May 25, 2018 at 1:35 pm

    Good Luck and God Bless with the squirrels GF!!! Forgive me for chuckling but you know I’ve been there… My neighbor and I were just talking about the voracious rabbits too! Your flowers are very pretty, I really do like those knockout roses. Sounds like we’re headed into some rain here too so I’m playing with the grill today:@) Have a great Memorial Day Weekend Mary!

  31. Marion
    May 25, 2018 at 2:30 pm

    Mary your flowers are beautiful. We had Squirrels twice in the basement. They did some destruction. Every time we plant bulbs they dig them up.
    HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY
    Marion,Marilyn and Joan

  32. May 25, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Oh boy- people think squirrels and chipmunks are so cute but they can really damage things! Milorganite is a pretty strongly odored fertilizer (it’s what they use to make the golf courses stay so green). I wonder if you sprinkle a line around the edge inside each planter if that would deter them. I had some trouble a few years ago with some chicken ‘n hens I planted near the fairy garden. Each day it would be dug up and I saw the chipmunk do it! I think it was burying seed and to him that looked like a good spot but to me it was maddening. We’ve had a pretty dry spring and I am running sprinklers to help the plants along. Have a great Holiday weekend Mary!

  33. May 25, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    My problem is the chipmunks digging holes in my containers – every day I fill in the holes, morning and evening! I wonder if Cayenne would work for them also? Might be worth a try!!

  34. May 25, 2018 at 5:44 pm

    Mary, your garden is lush and beautiful. The rain you have received has certainly made a difference. I love the roses, they are exquisite! I have to join in with the rodent problems. We are seeing lots of chipmunks. Before our beloved Oreo passed away, he kept the chipmunk population at zero. Armadillos are the most destructive, and they were unheard of this far north ten years ago, and now they are everywhere! There is no deterrent for them, nothing works. You cannot capture one and move it. We have several families that have claimed our 250 acre woods behind our pasture and then they mosey on over to our landscaped spaces and dig holes to get grubs. Gardening is always interesting!

  35. Gail
    May 25, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    I use expired spices from my cabinet to keep deer off my hostas. But I’ve never top dressed my pots w cayenne pepper – thanks for the tip. Here in central VA, all time record rain for May, right at 11” with more expected over the weekend.

  36. Virginia
    May 25, 2018 at 10:03 pm

    Mary, Just another beautiful post and love the conversations regarding the squirrels. We too have waged war with the squirrels over our figs but “Old Man Winter” took care of that so now there will be no figs to fight over. A new villain has moved into the river bank across the street. My husband first noticed holes dug in one of my beds by the river and then last Sunday as we returned from church there he was with daylilies in his mouth. It’s a pair of muskrats. They have totally ignored the lettuce and peanut butter we put in the trap and according to our neighbor still not interested. As soon as we return home I am going to try cayenne pepper around that garden and hopefully they will find new lodgings. Thanks so much for your helpful hints.

    • May 26, 2018 at 8:15 am

      Hi Virginia, We’ve had problems with muskrats chewing on our boat wires. We always keep an eye out for shells on our dock as a telltale sign. They sit on the dock steps and eat freshwater Asiatic clams. My hubby bates his trap with an apple cut in half or quarters. Even apples that are soft and past their peak work. The next morning the apple is gone, core and all and viola…a muskrat!

  37. Cyndi Raines
    May 26, 2018 at 1:26 am

    Sorry you are having squirrel problems. I wish I could loan you my dog Buddy. Every morning and throughout the day he keeps a vigil from the deck and when he spies a squirrel, he dives off of our deck and races across the yard chasing them through the picket fence and they barely escape up a tree, just beyond his reach. He has skid marks across our lawn and because he does such a good job of chasing them away, we forgive him for destroying the grass.,lol. It is so much fun to watch! We live in the country and have a continual fight against ground moles and their digging tunnels. We even treat our lawn for grubs, but I think it makes the moles more agitated! Ha! The war continues. Is that hanging basket of flowers near the hummingbird feeder, “Million Bells”? I love them, but haven’t had much luck with them. They usually die after 6 weeks and I’m so disappointed. I’ve tried more sun, less sun, more water, less water, and they still die. Any suggestions? Thanks Mary. Happy Memorial Day! ♥️🇺🇸

    • May 26, 2018 at 8:03 am

      Hi Cyndi, We DO need a squirrel chaser like Buddy :) Yes, they are Million Bells in the hanging basket. I just treat them like petunias, with full sun and watering keeping the soil moist but not too wet and I give them some bloom booster fertilizer every two weeks. I just read here that they won’t tolerate high pH soils, maybe that’s it? Wishing you a Happy Memorial Day. ♥

  38. Virginia
    May 26, 2018 at 8:32 am

    Oh Mary, thanks so much for the advice about the apples as Musgrat bate. I am going to send your recommendations to my neighbor and hopefully we too will catch the critters. We arrived in Beaufort yesterday to beautiful weather 🌞and lots of activity. Enjoy your Memorial Day and weekend.

  39. May 26, 2018 at 9:54 am

    Wow Mary, i am swooning over your bodacious blooms. Such incredible colors. Loving the sweet bee photos. The photography is so beautiful. Great tip with the cayenne pepper. I shall give it a try. We have lots of squirrels. They keep eating my petunias. Some have even started tearing up a cushion to get the padding for their nests. Have a fabulous Memorial Day weekend. Thank you for sharing your fabulous garden at our May Garden party.

  40. May 26, 2018 at 10:08 am

    Mary, we could use some of your rain. As for the squirrels, we have the same irriating problem. They dig in my containers, and worse, they chew holes in the outdoor cushions. I finally just went cushionless. That’s fine for the table chairs, but not for the big comfy lounging chairs. Untill I find a solution, I’m not replacing the cushions a third time. Love all your pretty blooms. I may try the popcorn drift roses. I’m looking for a replacement for the knockout roses I removed this past year. Enjoy your pretty weather. Happy Memorial Day!

  41. May 26, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    I will definitely try cayenne pepper for our pesky squirrels, they make such a mess with the flower pots!! Your blooms should be in the botanical gardens Mary, they are all gorgeous!! I have never seen blooming lamb’s ear, that is so unique and beautiful!! I guess you will be getting more rain from Alberto! We are enjoying a normal sunny Sat. but getting ready for the storm to start changing things tomorrow…too early for hurricanes!

  42. May 26, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    Wow, your gardens are so lush! My first wave of blooms (knock outs, climbing roses and irises) are on the downside now, but we haven’t gotten the rains that keep being predicted – just skirting around us. This is especially hard for me because I keep dividing and transplanting, hoping for rain. I haven’t even stopped to smell the roses yet, so much work, and I am obsessive with weeding. Let me know if your squirrel battle is successful. I’m giving up on my mandevilla vines this year due to the fight with squirrels eating the tender leaves last year, even with cayenne regularly. For us, the battle is those Canada geese on our riverbank – just saw 11 babies this week between 2 sets of parents. Ugh. And Mr. P. had a very bad accident chasing after them last week. Double ugh.
    Enjoy your holiday weekend, Mary. I hope the rain lets up enough for a cruise around the lake, at least.

  43. Jann Olson
    May 26, 2018 at 6:48 pm

    Mary, your roses are absolutely gorgeous! Mine are just in bud. Loved your photo of the lambs Ear. I have a few plants in my garden, but won’t bloom for a while. I smiled about your battle with squirrels. :) No squirrel problems here, but I grate Irish Spring on plants in our front yard to keep the deer from eating everything down to the ground. We’ve had a lot of rain, but our winter was so dry that we need it. Trying to stay positive. Beautiful and sunshiny the last few days. Thanks for sharing with the Garden Party.
    hugs,
    Jann

  44. hemzit@twc.com
    May 27, 2018 at 5:56 am

    I receive at least 2 copies of each email you send out. I do like to read them but one copy is enough. Can you please adjust your mailing list. Thank you, Lynn

    • May 27, 2018 at 6:31 am

      Hi, At the bottom of your email of a post notification, you will see an option that reads “Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Home is Where the Boat Is. and Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Follow the links to adjust your subscription.

  45. Sandi Allen
    May 28, 2018 at 11:17 am

    OH Mary, your flowers and gardens are Beautiful as always! Just Love to drool over all those Beautiful blooms. I read through the comments also, a lot of wonderful tips on how to keep those pesky critters at Bay. I will be trying a few of these. Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

  46. May 28, 2018 at 12:53 pm

    Gorgeous, gorgeous as always Mary….no I did not know about the pollen basket…what a great photo of the bee!!…and I am going to try the forks and cayenne as the squirrels here do the same thing…they have done a number on my pot of flowers and Japanese painted fern…not to mention how much they destroyed in my attic and the money they cost us!…

  47. May 29, 2018 at 10:31 am

    Great title for the blog entry. I just had to read this one! I’m learning quickly that if it’s not one battle in the garden, it is another. Good luck with the squirrels!

  48. May 29, 2018 at 3:33 pm

    I had to laugh when I saw you applied cayenne to ward off the squirrels. I just sprinkled chili powder everywhere and when I ran out, I applied tumeric. Let’s just hope the squirrels don’t like Indian food!

  49. May 30, 2018 at 8:05 am

    I hope the chili powder works. We have a squirrel that’s taken up residence in the front tree. Brazenly just sits on the grass when I leave the house. He is completely unafraid. Your roses are beautiful.

  50. Pam Richardson
    June 4, 2018 at 8:33 am

    Oh the pesky varmints we gardeners deal with! The hubby has set up trail cameras to find out what is digging holes in our side yard! He thinks armadillos or skunks, we shall see! Thank you Mary for linking to Gardens Galore!

  51. June 4, 2018 at 12:13 pm

    Your photos are beautiful as well as your flowers.

  52. Linda L Hovgaard
    June 5, 2018 at 11:29 am

    You have squirrels….I have moles. Last year we remodeled our house and did not have time to focus on the yard much. The moles turned my back yard into a race track! I can’t afford a new lawn so I’ve been filling, patching and seeding all spring. But the worst culprit (and he got away) was the mole that blew our in ground transformer to the house. My husband and I were having coffee one morning and heard all these pops and alarms going off. Then we smelled electrical smoke. Thank goodness we were home and nothing caught fire. We lost our wall oven, garage door tracks and opener, lighting switches, our new laser printer, computer modem, etc. The mole had filled our transformer box with dirt which rotted the inside mechanisms. Caddyshack has nothing on me….lol.

    • June 5, 2018 at 3:45 pm

      Oh my goodness Linda…I’ve never heard of anything like that! I think I prefer the squirrels…you need a mole exterminator and one who is way more successful than Carl Spackler :)

  53. June 6, 2018 at 5:03 pm

    I’m at war with the squirrels too! I have no good words for them.
    Your roses, hydrangeas and flower baskets are all so beautiful.

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