Wildlife Lovers Unite! Come on if you were hungry would you not take your neighbors bread. To be truthful I too started out as a wanted to be serious gardener for now over 35 plus years. My dream was to build a Victorian English Herbaceaous Ribbon Garden! Seriously in the city-what was I thinking! I dared to dream, and convinced myself I would in time move to a place with more room. I mean more room with 100 ft rows, averaging 8 feet wide with a rolling cart down the center another 26" wide. Guess what, 40 years later and the dream is still alive--with life in the city--unexplainable illnesses one which took my sight and then God willing giving most of it back--I suffered more negative pesstimistic views of living among humans--yet I never gave up on humanity, nor the fact God appeared to know what he was doing. And then it happened--over the garden fence for over 10 plus years each season a mother and father bunny rabbit pair would stack a baby on their backs and push him or her through into the yard, (they could not fit the holes between the wired garden fence so us kids would reunite the baby each evening by opening the garden gate--out the little one would run). We were content watching the rabbits eat that high grass, and then it really started happening-right behind (I imagine good news traveled fast) a squirrel. She ate the corn that year and us kids sat and watched in !! at the wildlife. The abandoned storefront property which was to become our home, yes dad remodeled it, only had house sparrows tucked into the garage rafters, for the rest of the neighborhood was !!! and was surrounded by our neighbors lawn of plain green grass (ever so evenly mowed lawns-no trees, no flowers (Ok an occassional Sedum plant-I just can't tell a lie), and the occassional "Keep Off The Grass" signs). The house sparrows had managed to move in the garage and seldom left the new fenced yard dad installed to protect his children-later we learned why as neighbors enjoyed killing birds, squirrels and cats, and the statement often yelled outloud "get off the grass" had our parents wondering if they did the right move. We tried hard to accept our fate but you could count the kids in this neighborhood--you could walk for blocks and blocks and blocks with no found friends. The day we returned to move in some of the kinde neighbors placed signs all over the front grass "Cut Me". The abandoned store had indeed grass, nearly hip high to us kids. Dad sighed and handed my brothers a garden tool and the boys jokeinly pratacticed their golf swing for hours, and hours, and hours. This went on for a rather long time as money was being spent on food and remodeling what was to be our home. It was interesting as the years progressed still no birds beyond the house sparrows, an occassional bunny if he or she was fortunate not to be shot by those good neighbors, still no signs of insects, and we thought for sure some would arrive with all that high grass. Looking back perhaps it was all those chemicals the neighbors used on the grass. Finally more years past and a squirrel returned with her family of three. We loved the squirrels and gave them food-our home grown corn, and a sunflower head (if they managed not to be stolen by some gracious neighbor. ) As I grew a little older I starting taking gardening a little more seriously-mom would take time from her busy schedule of housework and walk with me each spring to a distant garden center and pick out 2 to 3 plants to place in a garden. They appeared so small I automatically divIdied them behind her back--I became so good at that=hence a gardener was born. and wildlife taught me much. Pick up the little ones and save them if you can, the constant slaughter of birds and animals was most stressing-eventually we made friends with a family with kids, and learned our squirrels had a large house in the one tree in the backyard-theirs (that was the green high in the sky way over there). For 20 plus years I have studied squirrel behavior, chipmunk behavior, hawk behavior, mice behavior, cat behavior, dog behavior, human behavior.
Now for the squirrel behavior--they are curious creatures and will go everywhere (today 20 plus squirrels arrive daily) I have a full garden of perennials, a few annuals in containers and soon to be planted among the perennials, also roses, herbs, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, bulbs all kinds,both spring and summer, apple trees--oops an apple tree-(forgotten the old timer was cut down-will be replacing many of these trees as they are finally aging), a pear, a maple tree with seeds squirrels just love, white cedar trees which when mature produce a seed squirrels just love, taxus yew shrubs which when mature with seeds squirrels just love (oops--had to cut down due to security and room issue--making a come back though), barberry shrub (oops need to replace-fried out with 1996 heat), burning bushes, pussy willows squirrels just appear to love for exercise, and a food source, and the list goes on and on- oh ya had to cancel vegetables-due to the new fence being installed and the open concept for human theifs. Back to the squirrels--they have housed in our roof line--(quickly learned this is a good sign to us humans--time to replace the wood nearing rot level-the moment dad did this they moved out, gave them a worn out bird house attached to the old fence--they made the hole bigger and take turns sleeping during the day and night and stay in the garden--I still have fruits, vegetables, strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, etc.. I've place perch polls in the gardens and on occassion squirrels, hawks, falcons, and other wildlife-opposum, mouse, raccoon, and many many different birds--most traveling through the area--sit on top. Squirrels also love water, and no matter what share in the bird bath, butterfly, and cat bowls. They cry when you move their homes (fence is being built); and run mostly from humans (m'm noticed not all--I found out why!). One neighbor stops to talk and has a true hate for them--our squirrels ring doorbells to eat, sit on porches waiting for you to come home, some even come to greet you standing by your car door--mind you we have street traffic--and I quickly had to put a stop to that. The trick is to keep them busy, and still realize you will lose something in your garden. On occassion when they accidentally our playing they may break a branch-I can tell that when I go outside and call them--and the tail signal, or they just up and leave the yard. They are a thrill to have--I be not telling the truth if I said I loved them everyone! There have been years when only one decided this is it--I'm going to eat the heads of the tulips, yes we have a few who love the smell and spring the tulips back and forth (I take a long stick and pound it on the ground--I even had one walk right up and grap the stick-I like a adult tell them outloud as teaching a child-and it often stops. However one year a young squirrel decided differently and right in front of me walked up to a tulip and snapped the head-the rest of the squirrels quickly left the yard. Later I laced small bits of last years blackberry thorns in that square of tulips with lillies-actually heard the yelp and now for 7 years have not one of 20 plus squirrels cross that path. Also I made a "Big Bird" feeder and placed it near the big maple tree. Our big birds-aliase Squirrels-claim it as theirs and the rest of the feeders are for the birds. They will still try but I go and remind them otherwise. The neighbors cats-always welcomed sit with me during the hot summer days and nights, garden with me less then one foot away-and only with one condition- watch the birds, squirrels, and hunt the mice as they cross from the neighbors driveway into the wildlife gardens. True cats have their own minds--and when they fail to listen I point and tell them they have to leave the yard--and they leave.
As to repellent--a neighbor who has big problems with his gardens--has tried the squirrels spray and tells me it is not working--I reminded him to do it again--as it appears once the squirrels understand not their--they leave. Its amazing early today I watch a family of four cross the street to go into our front yard--new garden in the making--one decided to run into the garden itself three halted and stayed on the grass--amazing--what they can learn. So if you decide to try that repellent--give some to your neighbor and also have them spray along the edge be it only a hanging pot or pot--they will come to understand--not the pots, not the pots. Give these little creatures credit--after all God creates no junk!
