Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds

So let's talk coffee grounds.
For years I have used coffee grounds to acidif the soil around my plants. I would sprinkle my coffee grounds around my roses , tomatoes and evergreens. But I didn't know you could use coffee grounds to keep pests away from your plants. I was having problems with worms in my cabbages.  A friend suggested that sprinkling some coffee grounds on and around my cabbage  would deter the cabbage worms .  To my surprise it worked and have used it ever since .

homemade scarecrow

Homemade scarecrows

Keeping birds away from your garden can end up being a full-time job . But here are some ideas for reusing items you normally would throw away and save a couple dollars in the process.

If you go to the store to buy reflective tape or some other reflective scarecrow , you're wasting your money. Why pay $5 for a roll of reflective tape when you can use old CDs instead .Take two old CDs and put them back to back, shiny side out. At one edge drill a hole through both, then tye the two CD's together with fishing line leaving a leader to hang from.

Hang them in the garden.  The movement and reflective surface will help deter those pesky pest that think your garden is the latest smorgasbord .

(2)Another idea may require you to think ahead a little bit.

 Remember those Christmas sales the day after Christmas ?Remember to pick up an extra role of that reflective tape or gift ribbon or giftwrap that is on sale for half off . Cut into 1 or 2 foot lengths and hang it like you would the CDs. Then weight the bottoms with large paperclips.

Bull snake garden friend

Bull snakes, our garden friends

One of the things to keep in mind this time of year is our friend the bull snake. Snakes are generally not welcome around homes but this one I always make the exception. The snake is responsible for helping keep rattlesnakes away, as well as help keep the rodent population down. He is one of the many reptiles that come in from the desert looking for food. It is very good at mimicking the look of a rattlesnake. If that is not enough, hissing and striking at you as if he were the real thing, will definitely get your attention. Snakes should never be killed as they are a very important part of our ecosystem. Without them rodent populations would explode. For the most part if you leave bull snakes alone they will leave you alone.