I have a real Jerk in the subdivision that always lets his dogs dig in my flower beds (while walking them!) and break the flowers with the expandable leash lines. Now that I've asked him to stop, he's REALLY going out of his way to be an A**.
I can't win, so my questions is, if my lilies up front actually bloom before he snaps the buds off in the night, can I go ahead and dig the bulbs, stems and all, and replant them elsewhere. I'm hoping to keep the stems on them before he breaks those as well. This way the bulbs can get some nutrients this year and prepare themselves for next year. I know summer is a terrible time to transplant, but it's move 'em or lose 'em.
Thanks for any advice! :-)
Mean Man help please
Keep some dirt around the roots and water in when you move them.
You could try an electric fence ;*)
The electric fence was on my mind too.
You have my sympathy.
I think you could move them. I moved one after the storm broke half of it off. It was a learning experience, as I learned the bulb sometimes isn't straight down. Mine seem to gooseneck, so I dig way around, carefully till I can follow it.
Good luck! We love our lilies!
Yep, take a big gob of soil around the bulbs and they'll never know what happened. Start digging much wider and deeper than you think you need to.
Then smooth out the dirt nicely, plant some cheap annuals and several mouse traps just slightly covered with soil. That should take care of the problem. >:)
(I have a jerk neighbor, too)
Yes, I would move them asap. Water in well. Spread cayenne pepper all around your beds. Crushed mothballs works too, I just can't stand the smell. Good Luck, Smokey
I agree with all of the above!
It's shame to punish the dog--although deterring the dog may be the only way. If they walk at a certain time can't you run a sprinkler--if not--turn the hose on the MAN--"ooop's sorry, didn't see you"
Some people just need to be shot. It's for their own good.
Absolutely. And survivors should be shot again.
At DH's old house, a rotten neighbor let his dog run, knowing full well that the dog peed on the side of the house. A few mouse traps later, no more dog problem. Don't get me wrong ~ I love dogs. It's the owners that are the problem.
LOL that is all too funny - not the problem, but the suggested solutions, all of which I agree with.
We had horrible, inconsiderate neighbors too. One of the things that prompted our move farther out in the burbs to a much bigger property where they're all - uh -farther away.
You could also get one of those motion-activated sprinklers I have seen advertised for deer, dogs, etc.. That might work on the guy, too.
Could we be so lucky (sprinkler)?
Being clueless is one thing, being malicious is inexcusable.
This message was edited Jun 15, 2008 5:19 PM
Make a doggie bisquet out of coir and bacon grease. It's all organic and not poison of any type. After he eats a couple of these he may need a pill to poop. This is an effective Chip and Dale war tatic that falls into the not nice but perfectly leagle range. If you did not have the dog problem I would advise adding Borax and a little sugar. Works great for ants around your foundation. Another funny tatic is to fix up a rag with Skunk pee. After Mr. Doggie and master deal with this a time or two he will walk the dog somewhere else. I never saw a dog that would not roll on a dead skunk or fresh manure. There's another idea!
I am having a similar problem with my neighbors dog, which is not on a leash and they let him out around 1-2AM. The darn dog ends on my yard to do his busy. I have 2 dogs and never let them in the front yard for the same reason. I dont want to smell pee and poop when I come home.
While looking for a solution I came across a sprinkler with a movement sensor that is for dogs going in your yard. If I find the link I will post it for you. If memory serves me right....I think it was around $50-$60.00 and I would set it full power at the owner height. LOL! Good Luck!
Oh my, this is bringing all kinds of evil out of the woodwork! I love it!! ROTFLOL
What if poor old granny walks by to sniff the flowers, and the sprinkler knocks her dentures out?
I agree with Docgipe and Northernseasons, those are too funny solution. Northerns' would be fantasy, but docgipes might be reality!! I saw in some funky catalog (that I can't remember the name of) a motion sensored sprinkler, and I bet that you can google it and find one. It was intended for deer to trigger and get sprayed when they get near your plants. Don't know why it wouldn't work for a dog and a dog walker?!!! I'd hook a water cannon up to that thing at this point in the game!
I googled it and this is just the first one that I came to. plenty others out there. I think I want one now!
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_1050064_1050064
This message was edited Jun 15, 2008 10:04 PM
Spoken like a true Montanan, Northernseasons. I come form good Montana Norwegian stock. I think you should move your precious lilies and then go about the Chip and Dale, Tom and Jerry dirty deeds kind of tactics. I just transplanted several lilies I needed to move, the advise to dig wide and deep is crucial. I took a good amount of dirt with each one. I was worried for one of them because most of the dirt fell away from the bulb, I got it back into the ground quickly and watered it alot. I was lucky with this one and it never seemed to notice. I would feel better even losing one whilst trying to save them all, instead of watching them get trashed slowly each time one gets close to blooming. Then you will go beyond the silly pranks, you could try excessive amounts of red chili powder on the ground around the beds. The dog will sniff around ( as dogs do) and end up with a burned up nose and he will think twice about returning, even when encouraged. This may not be the nicest thing to do to the dog, it's less his fault and more your half-witted neighbor, but this will deter him for sure. I am the same way, I have adog, he has broken several nice and expensive plants with his tail. Only when he gets too excited about visitors. Good Luck
NorthernSeasons - That statement applies to so many folks... :-D (Don't quote me on that :-) Moby - I've even heard a Judge say that!
That's one reason why my goal is to sell our business & move from Atlanta and head to Montana! I lived in East Glacier for 5 months and after many return trips, am headed there in October for my 40th. (I was there for my 30th too!) I'm headed to Kalispell, (for Glacier) but don't know where I'll buy my "40 acres" when I get to move there!
I digress; The man's the Jacka**, not the dogs. Their just being dogs. He actually leads them to the beds and waits to cross the road until he's on a dangerous curve half-way around the front of my yard. He does this even after I watched him and his dogs almost get hit by the post lady. It really is dangerous. I hope if he gets hit, the dogs get away!
I've thought many times about the Scarecrow squirter, but seriously, he'd just come back in the dead of night and break it. No smell deterants have worked and I've tried fox urine, cayene pepper, crushed mothballs (in some product), that stuff with garlic, everything. But he doesn't have the dogs really linger more than a minute or two max in each spot along the yard.
Bottom line, good guys zero, bad guys one.
I've just got to move on and move the plants. I'll be easier on my heart.
Thanks so VERY much for the tips. I probably wouldn't have dug far enough down and I KNOW I wouldn't have dug far enough out. I'll keep as much soil as possible so they don't know they have moved. When the do figure it out, they will LOVE the new, composted site!
And now, here is another reason I have to be grateful for the lilies I've enjoyed so far: Have y'all gone to the site of these poor souls? I could cry for them. Instead, I'll pray for a bumper crop for them next year!
http://plantlilies.com/hail.html
edited for spelling - as usual...
This message was edited Jul 18, 2008 11:54 PM
Isn't that just sickening? I suppose the only thing worse would be if she'd been home to watch the devastion while it happened. Rough year.
3g, I'm so sorry to hear you're being provoked by such a jerk! The good thing is lilies do recover quickly and easily from being moved. As said above, if you get a good ball of soil they won't miss a beat. But even if the soil falls away from them, just water them in well and they should be fine. I received some this year from a friend who moved and dug their lilies up when they were about 2' tall. They'd been transported from Indiana and most of the soil was knocked off, and it took a couple of days to get them in the ground. They wilted horribly at first, but within a couple of days they were standing straight up. Now they look like they've always been there.
Could I make a suggestion? I got up one morning and found two very large dogs from neighbors who allow theirs to roam had been very quietly harassing our rabbits, apparently for quite a while. They had knocked one hutch over and hurt the rabbit in it so badly we had to put her down and managed to knock the feeder off another hutch so that the six babies in there ran out. They killed every baby except one.
I went to Tractor Supply (you can also mail order) and got this battery operated garden electric fence kit and put it around the rabbit area. I haven't had one single problem with dogs getting near the rabbits since. Even my dogs only took one zap - it doesn't do them any harm - to learn to stay away.
It's pretty unobtrusive and comes with everything you need except batteries. The batteries are good for months.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay_10551_10001_50858_-1______14345%7C14359%7C14362%7C14363%7C50858?listingPage=true
You could wire it so that the battery case is close to the house. Then he won't be able to mess with it without getting zapped himself.
By the way, you could start sending him bills for the damaged lilies, complete with photos of his dogs in your bed and cc to the town animal control office. If you have a leash law in your town or county, what he's doing is illegal.
I hate to suggest this, but, well you could call out the sharks. The two legged variety. You could also contact Animal Control who will be more than happy to write him a summons. Nothing hurts like a ding to the pocketbook. I'd stand right there with my camera and take lots of pictures for evidence first. Most likely threatening him with the pictures and a letter from the shark will fix it.
This has been educational. It seems nice people can't deter nasty ones unless we get nasty ourselves. Detering the dogs seems to be a better solution than provoking the owner. Calling animal control just makes these people hate you more.
Replace the lilies with some sort of sticker bush or very thorny rose. Before you do, put something like bone meal just under a layer of dirt, a lot of it, in a wide area, just so the dogs will dig. Maybe he'll get nervous when he can't pull his dogs away.
How about one of those Audrey plants (little shop of horrors) that will just eat the guy??
ROTFL!!
And to replace the lilies up front how about some nice thorny roses? :) Best of luck to you. We've had our share of downs living in to close of quarters with neighbors. Can't wait til we can move to some acreage to!
No! No! No! You need a Venemous Tentacula! I'm sure professor Sprout would let you have a cutting.
bwahaha!
ROTFL even tho I'm lost. (I never watched all of LSOH. Just saw bits and pieces.)
I know I'm showing my ignorance, and I really am pretty computer fluent, but what does ROTFL and LSOH mean? I've seen ROTFL for years, but never bothered to ask it's meaning. Thanks ^_^
ROTFL = Rolling on the floor laughing
LSOH = Little Shop of Horrors (I had to think about that one, tho) :)
Thanks!
Could I suggest something here?
What he is doing is damaging your property.
Being on you property without your permission.
Endangering his dogs by walking them in traffic on a dangerous route.
Call your sheriff or the police and press charges for tresspassing.
LOL in the way of pranks I wonder if you could hook the auto sprayer thingy to some paint?
That would probably just make him good and mad, and be a big mess to clean up, but the initial look on his face could be worth it :)
Have you considered putting up some sort of fencing?
Ooo evil abounds! Better yet, how about some Rit dye??
This message was edited Jul 17, 2008 1:51 PM
What he is doing is actually vandalism. If you can get a picture of him doing this, you can a court order to cease and desist. If he continues, then he can be receive a court summons for vandalism.
I was thinking the same thing last night.
What I would do is use a camera with video and record him through a window, shed, car ect where he can't see you. Then you will have it on tape.
Call the Dog Warden they will talk to him Paul
I kind of agree with deter the dog. I have a bad neighbor, with 2 rag muffins for dogs. He let them run at certain times of the day to do their thing. Of course my yard was always the destination. I put up a 6' privacy fence. He didn't like it but couldn't do any thing about it. It helped to create more shade on his lawn and his grass started to die. He called the Governor's office and trumped up a story, that I had sprayed over into his yard. The DNR showed up done a couple tests, and talked to me. I explained the need for light of the grass and said too bad how sad. He could obey the leash law, and I would not need a fence.
He is still P-OD But his dogs don't get to my yard.
I like all the tricks mentioned but with the lawn squirters , I would try to time his activities. Then set up the lawn squirters and set a timer to be watering for a half hour before to a half hour after. as well as a screen attached to the electrified wire. When he tried to mark his territory, he would get a buzz he wouldn't forget.
You could also move all the lilies back and plant prickly pear cacti across the front. " Not!!! " I know I'm getting bad. Skip the cacti.
Why would you torture a dog just because he has the misfortune to have an irresponsible owner? Poor dog.
Hey all. I can't put up "deterant" plants because this land borders the sidewalk, ends at my drive and then folks are expected to cross the street where the sidewalk begins again. (This by the way is the VERY dangerous, blind curve I spoke of earlier) That land isn't technically mine to manage. The city owns it. I forget how many feet in, but I know it's at least 10 ft. I can't call it trespassing. Plus, the very children that love that garden would then be hurt by the "deterant" plants. I can just see them walking along the sidewalk, tripping and landing face first into a barberry! This photo is from Easter '06, but you get the idea of the layout now.
And really, at this point, I've given up. You can't fight the bad guys unless you're willing to get dirty too. And then, I can assure you, I'D be the one to get in trouble!
I don't have the energy to put into this anymore. In fact, I'm over living in this subdivision and trying to garden. I'm actually going to hire a, dare I say it, "Professional Landscaper" and have the yard simplified down to pine islands. The neighbors will leave me alone and I can let out a sigh of relief knowing I don't have to worry about it any more. I'll garden later in life, somewhere in the Pacific NW maybe. I'll just have to really, really restrain myself in the spring. Think of the $ I'll save!
I just realized again that this is the Lily Forum. Look how far we've digressed. Somehow I turned it into the "B**** & Moan" forum. Sorry, and sorry to the more delicate ladies for my new forum title. ^_^
