Guineas in the Garden

My 8 year old little boy has been removing his own ticks for about 3 years now. When tick bites are so common that a 5 year old begins removing ticks on his own, it's time to do something! But what? We tried everything. Really. But what works?

Our garden is much too large to make pesticide application affordable, but we did try that, before the chickens joined our family. We just can't remember to apply insect repellent every time we go outside, and that also gets expensive when you spend all day outdoors as we do.

A few years ago when our little girl received an Easter gift of 2 baby chicks, we thought that might help. And really, it has...some. But after my husband was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, we realized the seriousness of the situation. It terrifies me to know that one of my children could encounter that dreaded disease that leads to a life of joint problems.

Last fall an adored friend of ours gave us a gift for which we are very grateful. He hatched out for me 4 Guineas! (He hatched them in an incubator.) I've been told ticks are a favorite treat for guineas, and they will eat hundreds of them. We're so excited, and we'll let you know in the summer if we see a decrease in the number of ticks latched on to our tender areas!

I must tell you that I don't know much about Guineas, but I have found a wonderful site that is a wealth of information on Guineas, including some very entertaining photos and captions. It's worth your time to take a look at Guineafowl.com. I don't know the author personally, but on her site you can learn all about guineas, because after all, she wrote the book on Gardening With Guineas! (Yes, really--you can order it from her website!)

Privet Is An Invasive Plant! Don't Plant It In Your Garden!

Many invasive plants are still commonly sold and planted here in the Southeast. One still popular but very invasive plant that should not be planted in your garden is the Chinese Privet. Once planted, this invasive shrub is difficult to eradicate. Privet produces tiny berries by the hundreds that are eaten by birds and planted all over the neighborhood. Very soon privet begins popping up in nearby woods and meadows, developing tight thickets that crowd out native plants. I find it ridiculous that privet is still so widely sold and recommended for hedge plantings.

Privet is often chosen at garden centers when the homeowner is looking for a privacy hedge or evergreen shrub that is easy to grow. There are many better choices out there, since just about any plant is better than privet. For alternatives to privet, try visiting your local native plant nursery or a locally owned nursery. There you will find a knowledgeable nurseryman that would have suitable alternatives to privet.

Some plants to consider instead of privet:

• Viburnum - some species are evergreen, most produce large flowers in spring and showy berries in fall, as shown in the above photo. There are both native and non-native varieties.
• Roses provide showy blooms and easy care, if you choose a carefree shrub rose. In addition to beauty, the thorns on most shrub roses can provide a barrier for intruders if that's your goal.
• Holly. Whether you choose an American native variety or not, holly provides berries and beautiful foliage. Some species are evergreen and even variegated. Holly is a favorite of birds as a food source and nesting site.
  

When planning a hedge, I always suggest a mixed shrub border rather than a long row of the same plant. A mixed shrub border can provide beauty and interest 12 months a year, and with variety, you can provide food and shelter for birds and other desirable wildlife. Plants with berries should be included as a food source, and birds love to build nests in thick bushy shrubs with spines or prickly leaves. When you have a variety of plantings in your garden, you are contributing toward diversity that is important for preservation of the environment.

Alternatives to Invasive Plants in the Garden

My gardening goals have changed much over the years. In the beginning I was enticed with plant descriptions such as 'fast growing', 'prolific spreader', or 'reseeds freely', envisioning a lush garden covered with beautiful plants after minimal monetary investment and less work.

Perhaps it was when I enrolled in the Master Gardener Class that I learned of the dangers of planting invasive plants, but it should have been obvious to me sooner. I need only to step outdoors to view the rampant spread of the very aggressive Japanese Honeysuckle. Every time I drive my children to school, I see hillsides overtaken with Kudzu.

Now I view planting invasive exotic plants as down right wrong. Aggressive plants like Kudzu can completely take over a whole field in little time, even killing large trees by blocking sunlight and stealing the very little water we get during drought common to this part of the country.

So as you plan additions to your garden this year, take a moment to investigate a plant's reputation before adding it to your garden.

To offer a little assistance, here's a short list of invasive plants that are still bought, sold, and planted, along with a more environmentally-friendly alternative:

• Japanese Honeysuckle - Plant our native honeysuckle instead, Lonicera sempervirens, commonly referred to as Red Trumpet Honeysuckle or Coral Honeysuckle.
• Japanese Pachysandranda - Instead, try our native Pachysandra Procumbens, which is variegated, offering much more beauty than the plain green invasive one.
• Privet - Well, there are many alternatives to Privet. Anything at all would be better. For a non-invasive hedge, consider holly, viburnum, shrub roses, or camellias.
• Wisteria - Yes, we even have a native wisteria that's much better than the very invasive Chinese or Japanese Wisteria. Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls' is available in many nurseries and home improvement stores. Before buying wisteria, check the label. If it merely reads 'Wisteria,' stay away from it. If it's Wisteria frutescens, it will be labeled as such.

Gardening In Deer Country

As lovers of animals, we welcome all wildlife into our garden, even deer and squirrels. We enjoy seeing the squirrels run and play among the oak trees and we like it when we awake to watch deer eating fallen acorns early in the morning fog. What we do not like, though, is taking a walk in our woodland garden to find that the deer have apparently enjoyed an all night buffet in our hosta bed, or enjoyed the tender buds of our blueberry bushes that held bloom buds that would have ultimately developed into juicy berries for our children.

Shadow, or large black lab, is getting older, taking more naps and chasing deer less. Actually, I have observed her lying down on a soft bed of leaves while watching deer forage right beside her! We accept that though, since she is a very good dog.

Still, we'd like to enjoy the investments we've made in our garden. Plants can get expensive. So what do we do about it? Getting rid of the deer is not an option for us. Fencing must be at least 10 feet tall and surround the whole garden to be effective. Deer deterrant sprays are too expensive and are just temporary, having to be resprayed after every rain or watering.

The best option we've come up with is to plant things deer do not eat. Many of the plants disliked by deer come with a strong fragrance which will fool the deer into thinking there's nothing there they want. For every plant they like, we try to plant one they don't.

Unfortunately, many of our native plants are tasty to deer. Afterall, God created a food source for the animals when he made the animals. If you have the space, you might just want to plant plenty of the plant, hoping when they eat, they'll leave some for you to enjoy.

But there are a few easy to find native plants deer don't like, and here's a list to give you some ideas:

• Buckeye
• Butterfly Weed
• Coreopsis
• Iris
• Native Ferns
• Magnolia
• Mountain Laurel
• Sedums
• Verbena
• Witch Hazel
• Yarrow
  

The deer-resistant plant list can be lengthened if you consider adding some non-native, yet non-invasive, plants to your garden. Herbs are great, since their scent is not a favorite of deer. Rosemary has helped us alot, making a great companion plant for our native dry roadside garden. For a list of non-native plants you should consider, please visit our other site, Gardening Shady Style.

Pruning Native Azaleas

As a native plant nursery owner, I'm often asked when should the Native Azaleas be pruned? Well, definitely not now, that's for sure! Many new gardeners mistakenly think all plants should be pruned in winter, but that's not so with most plants that bloom in early spring.

Azaleas and rhododendrons rarely need pruning anyway. I prune away only damaged or dead wood on azaleas. That should be done anytime damaged or dead wood is observed, to prevent disease.

Most of the native Azaleas bloom in spring, and they bloom on old wood. That means that the flower buds for this spring have already formed. Pruning now will remove those flower buds. If you need to control the size of your native azaleas or just want to shape up your plant's form, wait until after the blooms fade and prune then.