We planted a bunch of annuals over the last couple of days - one group would get planted - we'd step back to admire it - take a little break - and then completely forget where we put the hand trowel. EVERY.
SINGLE. TIME.
So right in the middle of it I ran into the mudroom to grab a small plank of wood we had there from something or other we did in the house and promptly placed 3 screws in it.
John says - I'm shocked you're not taking photos
Suzan says - Of this piece of wood with three screws in it?
John says - Well you blog about everything you do - I just figured.................
Suzan says - Don't touch anything - I'll be right back
and I ran upstairs to get the camera lol - I wasn't going to do anything more than the 3 screws ( because it was going to go inside the shed )
I also grabbed a can of spray paint ( that I'm painting a chair for outside with ) on my way back into the garden..................
I used long screws and screwed it right into the fence - leaving a good portion of them exposed as hooks.
I'm loving the color of it against the wood - and I really have to thank John for this post
( but not for helping me screw that plank of wood into the fence - which was really really hard LOL )
Here's a sneak peak of the outdoor " kitchen " area - I haven't painted the unit yet - but I've started to
decorate :)
My " BASIL " cutting board is perfect for it since I intend to have a few basil plants ( and other herbs ) around that area. I decorated the cutting board with a stencil and a sharpie many many moons ago.
( I suppose it's time to admit I have a thing for sharpies - and it's almost as big as my thing for shoes )
Later on.....................
John says - YOU'RE JOKING RIGHT?
Suzan says - What?
John says - What the hell is a headboard doing against the fence?
Suzan says - I think I like it
John says - IT'S NOT STAYING THERE - IT'S ENOUGH WITH THE LADDERS -
Suzan says - You know, I wasn't sure about it myself - but you just said the magic word to make it stay
John says - What?
Suzan says - " CAN'T - I don't like that word
John says - What are you going to put behind the bed in the guest room - a picket fence?
Suzan says - OMG - you're BRILLIANT - yes, please !!!!!!!!
oh and I've started decorating the ladder !!!
I'm using it as sort of a corner arbor ( key word here is SORT of ) we can't plant flowers in that corner -
It's stone underneath the mulch - so I'll place planters - different flower pots from the rungs...........
as well as fairy lights and candle holders and finish it off with honeysuckle growing along the top - it's far from finished but it's well on it's way !
Isn't the shadow of it on the wall cool?
And just a little side note -
DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET RID OF A GROUND HOG UNDER A SHED?????????
Because if you thought my squirrel episode last summer ( HERE ) was over the top ridiculous -
I almost had a heart attack yesterday when one of these ambled out from beneath the shed
And I don't find them cute - sorry to all ground hog lovers out there - but this might as well have been
Sasquatch coming out from under the shed - first of all it was much bigger then the one below and it wasn't
sitting all dainty like with a fresh manicure - ( uggghhh are those flies all over it - I'm going to be sick )
OMG - is that terrifying or what?
PLUS IT'S EATING ALL THE HEADS OFF MY NEWLY PURCHASED FLOWERS
( after digging up all the Iris bulbs first )
I feel like I've moved to a zoo - seriously - I know there's raccoons too - overwhelming for this city slicker...............( I'm starting to appreciate squirrels )
John took Soda out for her last walk last night
John says - Do Skunks and Ground Hogs co-habitate?
Suzan says - I don't think so
John says - 2 skunks just made their way into the back yard as I was coming in
At this point I wouldn't be at all surprised to see a mountain lion laying lazily on a branch of one of the trees - tail lazily swinging - ( I TOLD you 15 minutes from downtown may as well be 15000 miles, didn't I ? )
Someone told me to use mothballs for the ground hogs but there's so much controversy about it being a cancer threat that I'm too scared to do it.................and I don't want the backyard to smell like my Grandmother's closet!
( not sure how this ridiculously all over the board post happened - I was only going to write about the garden tool board LMHO )
Have a great day everyone ♥
Hugs,
The wildlife whisperer
I'll be at these fabulous parties !
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I suppose you will have to get a gun or a coon dog just to stay safe. A cougar is a mountain lion and you know I had one of those in my back yard last winter. I survived. Your little dog should be chasing those critters out of the yard. Put him to work!
ReplyDeleteps - love the yard decor!
The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take care of your problem is with trapping and removal of the animals.
ReplyDeleteGet yourself a trap or call animal control and see if they would come out and set a trap for you.
In order to trap a groundhog alive, most people will use a single catch trap that will snap shut the wall of the cage behind the groundhog, keeping it there until it can be checked and dealt with. The best bait for groundhogs is cantaloupe, which should be cut into chunks with some left outside the trap to invite the groundhog in. The trap should be placed very close to the exit of the burrow. Others will also have success in using sweet corn, strawberries and even vanilla extract as a bait to catch a groundhog.
Good luck with your critter.
Que bichinho lindo, uma pena que eles fazem um estrago no jardim. Aqui se matar esse bicho dá 5 anos de prisão. Eles tem medo de cachorro.
ReplyDeleteTenha um ótimo dia.
I would never kill it - so I will never go to jail ( over this anyway ) apparently it's against the law to put moth balls down ( I may go to jail over that )
DeleteXXX
I love the way your garden is looking and am so glad that you finally have the weather to be outdoors.
ReplyDeleteI have a dinner party in less than 2 weeks so today is a garden day - all day!
I might have to copy the hooks for the garden tools, because I lose mine all the time.
ReplyDeleteYes, I prefer the lambs I was looking at to your Ground Hog; I am extremely pleased, and relieved, to say we don't get those.
Your garden is coming along well, and John is really very helpful with his decorating suggestions.
Just make him a little house and serve up some cantaloupe for lunch! LOL
ReplyDeleteNo to the mothballs, they are full of napthaline and very toxic. Soda will get sick and so will you. My MIL used to put those on her furniture to keep the cat off- it took me forever to get her to get rid of them. So dangerous, but her generation had them everywhere.
I'm dying to see what you put out in your yard next! hahaha
it looks wonderful, very eclectic! The only way I know of to get rid of ground hogs was bang bang you are dead kind of method, but I come from a farm soooooo, but my Dad always said fox pee would keep them away, thats a little hard to come by if you are not a trapper like my Dad but if it was me I would put something like a radio where it goes under, then string bells along his entrance , the noise might keep him away, they are viscous when cornered, we had one under our deck at the house on the lake, very nasty, he went away after dark and we covered his entrance , no more ground hog, cute but very mean, like some people I know, lol, best of luck, you are creating a beautiful outdoor area,
ReplyDeleteTrap and release. bait with cat food. Best to hire a pest company. They will trap and remove for you. Cut tree limbs and vegetation around the outside of the house. Barrier under your shed and deck etc. Go online to see best methods. Contain garbage securely. City or country they thrive on what we leave around for them in the smallest way, pet food, chew bones, bird feed, you name it. Good luck in dealing with them. Green acres is the place to be ..... : ) Patty/NS
ReplyDeleteThis might help: http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pestcontrol/a/groundhog_day.htm and this quote made me think of you: "Woodchuck Sign Language: A 10"-12" hole appears in the ground in your backyard or under your shed with mounds of dirt outside it.
ReplyDelete• Translation Into English: "A woodchuck lives here."" You can send out a google search and see if there is any more information on the subject. Best wishes. p.s. I also thought that having things that move in your garden sounds like something you and the husband "need". Have fun...
Freddie the groundhog lives under my shed. She had 2 babies last year. There are always skunks--man they stink! We have tons of rabbits and squirrels and occasionally deer. Just this week we heard this horrible screeching coming from the yard--it was so loud. My husband went to investigate and it stopped, but we were able to find out is was a fox's mating call!! Welcome to the country!
ReplyDeleteLoving all your gardening decor! The trowel hanger is brilliant and I love the color.
ReplyDeleteHa, I'm laughing right now about the comment you left on my post...it might look perfect but we have lots and lots of wild critters. I'm just hoping we've managed to plug up all the holes the scorpions are using to come into the house! Shudder.
The local pest control uses coyote pee to keep the racoons from our attics. We use sweet potatoes to lure possums into cages then release them in some other neighborhood. I personally have a couple of rat snakes out in the yard somewhere to cut down on the mouse population. You need a terrier and a large cat.
ReplyDeleteGarden looks great! Too bad about all the critters. Especially if he really saw skunks! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny! I love your outdoor decor and trowel sharpie board. I have no idea how to get rid of ground hogs or skunks... poor Soda! Keep her close!
ReplyDeleteYou'll have the prettiest pool parties in all of Canada I wish our tools looked a nice as that!
ReplyDeleteOnly solution: learn to love ground hog! Rewatch "Graoundhog Day"... And think it could have been a cobra living in your shed...
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Suzan, I have never seen a groundhog before..... I think I would run a mile if I saw one coming out from underneath the shed.
ReplyDeleteEach time I visit you, your inspire me and you make me laugh at the same time.
Have a fabulous weekend.
Best Wishes
Daphne
I love your garden! Hopefully you remember to put your trowels on the hooks. I still leave my tools all over. We tend to have a lot of skunks and gophers around here which look similar to your groundhogs but I think they are smaller. Such nuisances, especially when the skunks are on my doorstep....yikes!
ReplyDeleteIf I was your neighbor I would be sitting in your garden every morning with my coffee!! You so clever!! Sharing and pinning, my Friend!!
ReplyDeleteOh a marmotte...lucky you. Check out this site Suzan. Just make sure it is out of its hole and then it is all legal...I imagine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Groundhogs
Ground hogs AND skunks? Yikes! You need a dog. Sorry, you need a bigger, aggressive, more eager terrier. Even blind Misty, when I take her out on a lead, is getting so excited these days because she can smell the moles under the ground. yeah, we have moles. They're such a nuisance! Or maybe they're voles. Don't remember.
ReplyDeleteLOVE your basil cutting board. I plant tons of basil and make tons of pesto and freeze it. You won't be sorry. :-)
P.S. And let me know when you want the recipe for getting skunk smell out of your new terrier's hair. LOL
ReplyDeleteCute sign. Perfect to hang on a fence or anywhere in the garden for that matter.
ReplyDeleteOhh, a picket fence behind the bed would lend a cottagy feel to the guest bedroom. John is brilliant. ;)
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to get rid of them...we've got moles, groundhogs, squirrels (that STILL nest in my SUV engine), woodpeckers (not good in a wood house), and now bull ants. Soon the thousands of lady bugs and potato bugs (I don't know what they're really called) will plaster our window screens. I guess when you build a house in the woods the critters rejoice because they have a chance to terrorize the humans. And they're good at it too. ;)
I'll be watching to see if people know how to get rid of groundhogs. I've tried pellets (not poison, I won't kill them, I just want them to leave, not die). No good here. I think they're the ones that make the holes in the yard where I fall if I'm walking and not paying attention to where I'm going...grrr.
Oh, you think just like I do, Suzan! Just tell me "can't" and I will dig my heels in! I think we are living parallel lives with our garden decor, and husbands, who just don't get our amazing talent to display headboards, ladders and other collectibles in the backyard! I can't help with how to get rid of your groundhog, though. We've got them around here , too.
ReplyDeleteI love the sign, the kitchen sink unit and the headboard by the fence. And I love the corner with the ladder across it. It's going to look pretty when the plants start growing and blooming and in the evening with candles lit. I was going to suggest the mothballs for the groundhog too. We did that last spring - just sprinkled them under the shed - and they never came back (there were 2). And we live in the country where there could be lots of them. Google it and you will find other methods to be rid of them. How about a live trap and removal?? lol
ReplyDeleteNot sure how to get rid of those critters lol! I do love your garden art though.Looks very fun back there and conversational. Enjoy your weekend. XO
ReplyDeleteI love that you are outside landscaping Suzan! (And crafting!) I have done neither yet and now I'm jealous. We kept losing tape measurers when we were doing this reno...we bought like 5 of them. Of course, now we've found them all.
ReplyDeleteHello Suzan, I saw your link over at Monday Funday and come over to see your outdoor decorating. Your corner is looking fabulous! I'm in the midst of doing some similar decorating in our garden, but it is taking FOREVER because it has been so hot here lately. We do not have groundhogs where I live so i can't give you a suggestion. But I sure do like your tool sign!
ReplyDeleteThese are some really beautiful and original ideas, Suzan! Love!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Kristi !!!
DeleteXXX
Oh I love your garden and your signs are fabulous. How fun. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me.
ReplyDeleteYou need to borrow my kitty kat...she's a hunter and would get it for you :)
ReplyDeleteLove the yard!! I'm working on mine..hopefully to look as good as yours! Pinning it for inspiration!
Would love it if you would link this up at my party - http://3glol.net/2014/05/26/teach-me-tuesday-5/
Thanks for sharing!
cute idea. i wish the boyfriend would quit rolling his eyes when i run for my camera, lol. sorry, no idea about groundhogs. good luck!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I have no suggestions to get rid of your pet ground hog, but I'm rolling over with laughter at your post!!! Love the garden too! :)
ReplyDeletelol - welcome to my world !!!
DeleteXOX
I love your fence, and the headboard is perfect there. Love the signs, the ladder, NOT the groundhog. We USED to have lots of them, until a "bigger" dog saw them, and that was that! Sad, but true!
ReplyDeleteLove your new sign, and really love what you used the ladder for! Oh Suzan, don't get me started on critters...especially raccoons...we lost 3 of our chickens to a raccoon this month before Larry finally got him. They are tricky, they will not go in cages...at least this one didn't. I hope you don't have problems with the critters in your new home! (critters...sounding like Elly May now. lol) Debbie :)
ReplyDeleteYou have such a way of adding fun and whimsy to your garden Suzan. ;) I love how "can't" makes us dig our heels in. TeeHee!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your trowel holder and garden adventures with us at Project Inspire{d}!!