Rattlesnakes – that unmistakeable buzz
July 21, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
This week I had a story run in the outdoor section of the Great Falls Tribune on Glenn, a local guy who catches rattlesnakes for fun. He clears them out of ranches and other places where they’re a…
Striving for perfection
July 14, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
As I scramble to weed the gardens in preparation for being part of the Paris Gibson Square Museum’s annual Garden Walk, I think the biggest thing I’m going to demonstrate to visitors is perfection…
Saving the strawberries
July 7, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
We picked the first strawberries of the season yesterday. They were the warm, sweet berries that make all of the work preparing the bed and babying them worthwhile. I’ve had a tough time growing…
Keeping the Colorado Potato Beetle in check
July 2, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
It’s been a cool, wet year so far, but one crop that’s doing well are the potatoes. That’s good news for those of us who really enjoy our spuds, and even better news for the voracious Colorado potato…
Chewing on chard and the attack of the spinach leaf miner
June 24, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
It’s been the week of bugs attacking the greens. I brought home some lovely Swiss chard from a plant exchange at a friend’s place, and before long it looked like a mere shadow of its former self….
Galls on the chokecherries
June 17, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
I’m closely involved with the Master Gardener program in Cascade County because many of the folks who go through the classes volunteer in the community gardens in order to earn their certification….
Plant herbs to deter pests
June 10, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
I love this time of year. Everything is green, gorgeous and bug free! The grasshoppers have not descended upon us like a Biblical plague and the earwigs are not a terrible menace. But as I was…
Darling deer
June 3, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
Yesterday I started removing sod to enlarge a few flower beds to accommodate the plants I started in the greenhouse, as well as perennials that need divided. When I took my wheelbarrow load of dirt…
Get out mouse!
May 27, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
This has been a banner year for rodents in our area this year. Voles did a number on a lot of lawns (as well as chewing through the twine of roughly 40 bales of hay on the bottom of a friend’s 7 ton…
Jumping June Bugs!
May 20, 2011 by admin
Filed under Pest Patrol at Planters Place
Without question, spring is my favorite time of the year. There’s nothing like the daily growth, warm temperatures and wonderful sunshine. It was particularly lovely growing up in Ohio….
