Hellebores blooming, first signs of Spring

I noticed today that my hellebores were beginning to bloom. Spring is almost here. Yayy!!!!

Vole Control

Lately I have been having problems with voles in my garden. They have veracious appetites and have destroyed and killed several of my hardy palms, yuccas, and other plants. Voles are small rodents that burrow underground and eat bulbs, roots, and seeds. They usually eat landscape plants at there roots leaving the leaves and stems for you to find wilted and dead. They look like a short tailed mouse or a small grey hamster. I have set up mouse traps to kill these pesky critters before they cause anymore damage. There are holes all in my yard from there burrows. The most effective way to control voles I have found is with the good old fashioned snap mouse trap. Set several traps outside an active burrow entrance and bate them with peanut butter, diced apple or oats mixed with peanut butter. I use chunky peanut butter and it is pretty effective. To keep Squirrels from stealing the bate of your trap cover the trap with a large bucket or flower pot and place a rock or brick on top of it to keep it from blowing over with the wind.

New Cold Frame

I got this new cedar cold frame from Menards yesterday It was on clearance for $40. Pretty good deal I think originally it was like $60. What a steal now time to winter sow some seeds.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful. ~Abram L. Urban

Amaryllis Hercules, Bogota, La Paz, Chico, Aphrodite, Papilio

I thought I would Share with you more of my Amaryllis's in blooms in order Hercules, La Paz, Aphrodite, Papilio, Bogota, and Chico.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! here is a Garden quote. "Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness" - Letter from Thomas Jefferson to George Washington (1787)

Amaryllis, La Paz & Hercules

Two more Amaryllis(Hippeastrum)have bloomed today the large pink one is "Hercules" and the small star shaped Cybister amaryllis is "Laz Paz".