Critters that love my plants....This was taken Fri., Dec. 16th - a little blurry because of the window glass. They've constantly, for 3-4 years now, been eating my plants, all year long - particularly the ivy I have grown directly behind the house (because we haven't built a porch yet and we don't want to mow the hill so I planted English Ivy). One momma is licking the baby on the right. I hate these guys. I haven't planted anything beautiful or new in years because of them.

Stay on topic VA..this is more flowers, not less flowers. Ba da bing! Save hair clippings and spread them around the sensative areas. Have hubby drink a few beers and mark his territory out there. Works for me. I have heard it works fine.

I have to laugh. Ivy is a delicacy for deer.

One day long ago when deer/elk were on our property (I forget which), I said, "Oh, they're sooooo beautiful and noble and elegant and... Wait a minute! They're wrecking the place!" Which they were. Ripping at saplings, bending and breaking them down, eating the cherry trees to shreds. Ran out and chased them away.

Watch out. They LOVE roses-- buds, flowers-- they'll nip them down to nothing. So will Javelina. What I need is a great, big, mountain lion in the neighborhood.

Hmmm, do ya think that would work if Sweetie "marked" the hedges between us & the neighbor? She lets her little yip-yap foo-foo dogs out at 2 a.m. and they have that row of hedges smelling like the monkey house at the zoo! And they're our hedges, no less. (Drives me nuts. No, she's not a good neighbor.)

I've gotta get out & take some mistletoe pictures - they're our "greenery" on the trees in winter, lol.

He may need to aim for the yip-yap foo-foo dogs instead of the hedges. Even if it did not work it would make for one heck of a story for telling.

Love that idea for the foo-foo dogs. Barb43 - Perhaps you could find something online that is a deterrent for dogs.

Hubby's going to drink and wiz outside tonight! Doin' bpose 'says' he heard it works!

I had taken some photos of the flowers I do have - several are encased in green plastic-coated fencing - all 4 sides and the top - it was the only way to protect the Red Sedum because they munch that and then I don't get blooms - but, I can't find those fencing pics - started that two years ago.

Here's my Clematis (purple & white) (2006) BEFORE they ate it all. Every year it just looks worse and worse. In very early spring, I am going to cut them to the ground. I may end up having to remove them totally (although that's hard to do with these babies-they just pop back up again). Wanted to add these photos to stay in compliance with the thread (tee-hee!). 'Course, they never touch the Iris - thank goodness.

Spring bloomed & leafed out on us early this year. Here is a tree in the front yard of one of my HUD houses. It was almost finished blooming by March 22nd.





And this is one of my HUDs that's closing tomorrow. I took this picture last week to use in the ready-to-close inspection.