Herbs in the Garden

Rather than just the sweet smells of roses and flowers, herbs lend another dimension of smell to the garden. Spicy, musky, heavy or light, each herb having a distinctly different scent.

Planting, Rosemary, Thyme and Oregano along a garden path will give off a gorgeous aroma as you pass by.

Mint makes a fabulous perennial (in most areas) groundcover, that can take foot traffic. Mint comes in many varieties, each with its own fantastic smell.

Sage is a lovely plant, and comes in different colors, the Tricolor Sage is a perennial favorite. Variegated green and white foliage with just a hint of red on the edges of the leaves.

Lavender, one can never have enough Lavender in the garden. Beautiful grey/green foliage with prolific lavender, purple or even pink (depending on variety) blooms. They smell fantastic and are great for drying.

Dill, Basil and Parsley are great foliage fillers for containers. Mixed with annuals they make a lovely display. Keep these planters near the house for easy access during cooking.

Nasturtiums are a free flowering herb that look great in planters, along the edge of the garden and are also great in salads.

Herbs generally like a sunny, well drained location and are easy to grow. They are not easily susceptible to insects and diseases. Many herbs are perennial, and will grow and spread quickly.

Tender herbs can be brought into the house and wintered over in a warm sunny window. Spray with a solution of soapy water before bringing inside and occasionally through the winter to keep insects away.

If you are going to be cooking with your herbs be sure to use a good organic fertilizer and an all natural insecticidal soap(if necessary).

Herbs like Echinacea and Scented Geranium have long been enjoyed as perennial flowers in the garden. Oregano and Thyme between your roses are breathtaking. Mint and Creeping Rosemary in planters adds a scented dimension that will delight you. Try a few in your garden, you will be surprised and pleased with the performance, smell and look of herbs.

How To Keep Critters Out Of The Garden

Rabbits, deer, chipmunks, squirrels, gophers, moles, voles and ground hogs are probably our biggest challenge in our vegetable and flower gardens. Following are a few easy tips on how to get rid of these pests:

There are all natural repellents such as ShakeAway, Liquid Fence, Deer Away and Critter Ridder.

These all natural repellents all work well and all work in different ways.

Shake Away is a granular Predator Urine product. This is a fantastic product. It creates the scent of predators such as fox, coyote and bobcat. They will not wash away in the rain and do not evaporate. They are not messy or highly stinky, like their liquid counterparts. They even have one for cats.

Liquid Fence Products such as their Mole and Vole repellent are odor and taste based repellents. Mole and Vole is all natural liquid that is sprayed and gets down into the soil to coat the roots of plants and earthworms. Their tasty meal is no longer tasty. They simply go elsewhere to look for food. It is long lasting and won't harm vegetation.

Critter Ridder by Havahart comes as a granular or a liquid and is listed OMRI organic. It will repel skunks, ground hogs, squirrels, racoons, dogs and cats. They are both pepper and capsaicin based products.

Critter Ridder Deer and Rabbit repels by scent and it lasts up to 3 months. It is also listed OMRI organic.

These are all safe, natural products. There are a few other items that also work well. Human hair and dog fur will also work. Human hair works the best. Go to your local Barber Shop and ask for some hair. Yeah, they might look at you a little funny at first, but they will think you are a genius when you tell them what its for. Put it around the perimeter of your garden. This will decompose naturally. It may need to be applied once or twice. With all these products, once a Critter knows your garden or flower beds are not a safe or tasty place to go...they usually will not come back.

Happy Gardening!