Garden Medley

Keeping the snails under control in your garden in some areas can be a lot of work. They appear by the dozens or even hundreds a day for many gardeners. Getting rid of them takes patience and persistence.

If you have children, this is one job they can be trained to help with. Snails are easy to pick up and many kids are fascinated by bugs of any sort anyhow. Have them collect the snails in a bucket or old coffee can.

My mother’s way of handling snails was to simply pour salt over them. It leaves a rather disgusting mess, and you may prefer to be more compassionate. If you prefer you can take the snails someplace far from your garden and release them. Some preschool classes may also occasionally keep a tank of snails for educational purposes. As I noted above, kids love bugs. (more…)

No matter how much you love it or loathe it, most yards have a lawn. It’s a lot of work, takes plenty of water and regular maintenance. It’s also a great place for the kids to play or to sit and enjoy your home and yard on a pleasant day.

The trouble with lawns is that it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of overwatering and using too many chemicals to keep it green. The job of watering is often relegated to automatic sprinklers rather than actual attention being paid to the needs of the lawn.

I’ve become more aware of how easy it is to overwater a lawn recently. My sprinkler system has a leak, which my landlord has been able to find a permanent solution to. As a result, that water is turned off except when we’re watering, rather than using the installed automatic system. (more…)