squirrels what do you do to stop them!!!

Sprinkling blood meal around the vegetable plants works to keep rabbits away. It might work for the squirrels too. The scent makes the rabbits fear that there is a predator in the area and they scid-daddle.

Blood meal might work for one thing however I'd think it may bring other critters in like opossums, cats, dogs, animals that like blood don't want them in my garden either.

I have never used blood meal, good tough it may be, because there are lots of canines in my neighborhood including my own two. The youngest one, tries to eat the bone meal, but I found that if I just get it dug it quick she doesn't go for it any more -- usually. But I have a feeling she would **really** go after blood meal.

I'm out in the country. I've been using the blood meal around the vegetables for years and have never had a problem with any other critters coming because of the blood meal. I have a dog and the neighboring farm has cats and dogs. Woods surround my place. The blood meal works and hasn't attracted any unwanted visitors in my case.

That is good to know cathy, maybe I will try it. I know it is a good fertilizer.

I don't mind trying some things here and there you never what might work.....

makj,
Can we cry on each other's shoulders? I hate it when the critters scarf up all of the flowers that I've worked hard to grow and waited a year to see. It is just so infuriating, but...

At least the critters don't know any better. This year for the 1st time since I started planting them, I have enough iris blooming at once to make a lovely sight - that is...until...

I came home today to find that some incredibly, rude and selfish human who clearly does know better had cut the blooms stalks off and hauled them away apparently while I was at work! Can you BELIEVE that? I'm so mad I'm bordering on homicidal. I mean, the nerve of some people.

And, no, it wasn't a child. The person (1) went to the trouble to bring a knife with which to sever the stalks leaving a clean cut and (2) they did not take blooming flowers but rather buds about to open. A child would have taken the lovely open flowers and would probably have snapped them off on sight without bothering to plan ahead and bring a knife. Only a gardener - or a florist - would be likely to know that those swollen buds would open and would last longer. Oh, and whoever did this had the nerve to come right up to my front door to cut that pink one I've been asking about! Most of the cut flowers were along the side of the house. All were in the front yard. But that pink one is just about 3ft from my front door!

Now wouldn't you know it, but there happens to be a florist living across the street. She owns a florist shop. She and I have already had it out because she used to cut all of the lower branches off my magnolia tree - to use in her floral arrangements, the foliage, not the flowers. Now that she has removed all of the lower branches, I can't reach any of the flowers either to cut them or to photograph them for my paintings - which is one reason I wanted the tree in the 1st place.

makj, sorry for writing a book, and an OT one at that, but I thought you might be able to commiserate with me. I'm so mad I could...

Flower arrangers can be very hard core. I lived next door to one once -- and she was a good friend of my mother's. One day I decided the contorted little pine that was outside my side door should be replaced by a rose bush. So I cut the tree down with my trusty bow saw and planted the rose bush. When the neighbor found out she was irate. She called me up and chewed me up one side and down the other for cutting down the pine tree saying she had been using it for Christmas decorations for years. Of course, it was on my property but that didn't seem to phase her. She never spoke to me again!
I was flabbergasted.

Scutler,

That would make me so mad, someone stealing my blooms before they opened!!!

I don't like to cut mine and take them in myself because I know that the neighbors and people driving by like to look at them. The owners of the gas station in town drive down our road during iris season just to see my irises in bloom.

Perhaps you should stop by your neighbors, say just for a visit. If she took them, I bet she won't invite you in.

I think yo should drop buy your neighbor's and give her some iris divisions from your garden so she will leave yours alone. Or maybe just move away from her.

Scutler, I hear you....THAT IS crossing the line, coming into your yard and cutting them and taking them....I think I would see if I could figure out who did it and let them know, maybe had they asked you would have given some to them, but that is just underhanded.....I don't know why people still seem to amaze me, but they do, they can be so rude and nasty......I am sorry that happened, you are right you wait and work and then gone, not fair....maybe you should set up a scarecrow and that way the person gets a good soaking if nothing else.....hope your friday goes better....

What a good idea makj! That would certainly put a damper on blossom theft! Then you would have to install a video camera, because the scene would be hysterical!

One of the cameras to photograph wildlife at night seems to be in order. Could you mount it high enough so she could not reach it? Visit her shop & spot your plants? Iris people south of Boston had trouble with a florist who sent out teen agers to cut flowers so he could sell them. Larceny under $100? Let neighborly friends know that this is going on--maybe people thought that she had permission. It sounds picky, but you should be able to enjoy your own plants.

There is nothing picky about wanting to enjoy your own plants. I had no idea florists could be so ruthless!

not only ruthless, down right pushy, we have a sign at the start of our road, that only goes to 3 properties anyway, the states, Private road, NO trespassing, well that says it all don't you think, yet people still drive down like it is a regular road....it dead ends too, so they have to turn around, but come on, what part of that don't you get???but to go into someones yard and cut, not just pick, but cut and act as though they had all the rights in the world to do it...