One of the things we love most about the casa is the garden. Over a period of almost 100 years, people have added tulips, lilac bushes, peonies, Irises, Allium and ivy. Spring after spring it has been a surprise and delight to see what the sun’s warm rays coax out of the earth. I’ve only planted a few things since we’ve been here and really love the unruly English feel of it all. But, after almost a century, there are things that need to be moved and thinned and re-grouped. Namely flowers that appear randomly, some groundcover in odd spots that could certainly be used to fill in at more visible areas, and some greenery that is quite possibly weeds.
The yard, in its current state
I’d like to take these random pink tulips.
And move them next to this random pink tulip.
I also want to move some of this groundcover around. There’s Sweet Woodruff, Vinca and Geranium Johnson’s Blue:
This Grape Hyacinth is cute but sparse. I’d love to fill in with more of it.
I tried to cut this Spirea completely down last fall but it came back all springy and vengeancey this year.
There are also groupings of Irises which only bloom intermittently, apparently they’re stubborn like that.
I really like this Jack Frost framing the gate but, overall would like for the fenceline to be neater and feel more purposefully landscaped.
I’m not a natural gardener. My grandmother was, and my mom has built an adorable potting shed to support her habit, so I’m thinking, with some research and gumption, I COULD become one. Turns out, most things I need to wait until Fall to move. But, I’m taking note of them now so, when September comes around, I can remember what was where and contribute to making next spring even more fabulous.
After weeks of early mornings spent undoing the damage the raccoons have done to our yard the night before, I finally broke down and researched what appeared to be our last remaining option: coyote pee.
I found myself at this website that is at once amusing, encouraging and an assault to the eyes. But the good news is it looks like it might be the answer to our problems. Since we sodded the yard toward the end of the summer, girthy raccoons have been making middle-of-the-night trips to flip over pieces of it to feast on the grubs and worms and whatnot living underneath.
Our neighborhood raccoons are not cute and cuddly.
They live in the sewer and are disgusting, ill-tempered and ambling. In addition to uprooting our yard, they eat our neighbor’s roof shingles and glare menacingly at Spencer when she comes in at night. If it’s going to take a purchase of coyote pee to deter them, I’m up for it.
I’ve posted before about my battle with the squirrels. And I’m fully aware that I live in Colorado where there are wild animals. They were here first. I’m cool with that. I just don’t want them messing with my stuff. I don’t throw apple cores on the floor of their tree nests or show up unannounced around dinner time at their sewer dwellings, have they no common courtesy?
Somewhat interestingly, one can purchase the urine of coyotes, wolves, foxes, bobcats and mountain lions-apparently certain types of pee work better in certain situations. And, for those of you who are wondering how in the world they collect it, well the site shares that too, although in a confusing, editorial manner. Read it and tell me what you think, are they really giving the animals beer and pretzels?
So I’m off to procure some pee. Will let you know how and if it works. And, just so you know.
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