Category: Home & Garden

My garden sings its own song. It starts after the dawn chorus with the honeybees, followed by the heavier buzz of the bumbles, punctuated by the hoverflies’ higher pitch. You can even sometimes hear the rustle and creak of beetles as evening comes. To lie among it, eyes closed, is to hear something exquisite.

My garden sings this song because it is allowed to. I have long been a proponent of neglecting lawns to nurture nature, as Margaret Renkl recently made the case for in the New York Times – and there isn’t a manicured strip of green that doesn’t ache to do the same.

Most lawns have been silenced by the regime of a lawnmower, leaving just a few species of grass. They are biodiversity deserts, barren of beetle and bee, contributing to a vanishing insect population – and worse still, we pursue this. There are aisles in garden centres promising ever-greener sward, with no moss and weeds. Let there be no misunderstanding: these are chemicals that silence the soil.

There is another way. Your lawn is already a wildflower meadow – every inch of soil is waiting for its moment to burst forth. Those weeds are some of the best insect food, growing despite the weather, endlessly repeat blooming, rich in nectar and pollen. A seed bank is already there – it might even contain orchids. Oh, and perhaps plenty of moss, essential stuff for nests and nature of all sorts.

The simplest route to this is not to abandon your lawn and mower but to learn how to move the mower’s blades up, so the cut is higher than 10cm. Hold out for your first cut until the end of June, then leave a month between each cut until autumn. If you need a route to the washing line or shed, mow just a path. The wildflowers will adapt and bloom under your blades, the bees will dance and the birds will sing in praise of it all.

As you walk onto your carefully manicured lawn, an unsightly raised pattern of grass and broken earth catches your attention. Curiosity gets the better of you. You step on the raised ground, and it suddenly gives way. Has this ever happened to you?

Or maybe this: You’re surprised to find mounds of dirt ranging from the size of a baseball to a basketball that have appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

If these scenes sound familiar, Alan Huot has some disheartening news for you. Sorry, you have moles in your yard.

“Tunneling and mounds of dirt thrown onto the lawn are classic signs of mole activity,” said Huot, who lives in East Granby, Connecticut, and has more than 30 years of experience in controlling wildlife pests and nuisances ranging from moles to beavers to coyotes.

Don’t despair, though, said Huot, a National Wildlife Control Operators Association certified wildlife control professional. “There are some practical things homeowners can do to get rid of moles.”

Mole traps

The most effective method, he said, is trapping. When shopping for a mole trap, Huot advises homeowners to consider several important factors. These include:

There are three common types of traps, Huot said. They are:

There are two primary reasons homeowners fail to catch moles with traps, Huot said. The first is that they invariably place the trap in the wrong spot. “To be effective, traps have to be placed in the traveling tunnels, which are the longest and straightest tunnels,” Huot said. The second, he said, is that homeowners typically only set out one trap, whereas professional wildlife control specialists will set out many.

Moles’ food sources

Believe it or not, if you’ve got moles it’s because you’ve got something good going on underground in your lawn: earthworms. “Earthworms are the No. 1 source of food for moles,” Huot said. “As long as there is an abundance of earthworms in a lawn, it is a target for moles. But, since earthworms are beneficial to a lawn, you should never try to eradicate them.”

Moles love to eat earthworms, but their diet may include lots of grubs, too. (Photo: Cezary Korkosz/Shutterstock)

Moles, which are insectivores, will also eat insects such as ants and certain beetle larvae, commonly known as grubs. Huot believes this has led to a misconception among homeowners that can lead do-it-yourself mole control to fail. “There is a widely held notion among consumers that a grub control treatment for their lawn will resolve or mitigate their mole problem,” Huot said. “The assumption is that if you get rid of the grubs the moles will leave. My contention is that while a grub control treatment or program will perhaps benefit the lawn, the moles will still live happy and fat because their No. 1 food source is earthworms!”

In other words, trying to control the moles’ food source is a difficult strategy, thanks to moles’ varied diets. Aside from traps, the only other options for removing moles are unacceptable to many people — poisons and chemicals. Poisons could potentially harm children and pets, as well as predators that eat moles, and chemicals could kill or drive off beneficial wildlife such as earthworms.

Traps are the best DIY option for getting rid of moles, Huot said — unless you live in a state that bans mole traps. Most states consider mole traps to be pest control devices, so they aren’t necessarily regulated like other traps. he said. However, he pointed out that some states such as Massachusetts do not allow any trap that grips an animal’s body. “Hence, there isn’t a mole trap on the market that is legal in Massachusetts,” he said.

Mole repellents

A solar-powered mole-repellent spike defends a bed of onions. (Photo: Irina Borsuchenko/Shutterstock)

Repellents may not be a good way to rid your yard of moles, but they can help prevent moles from moving in to begin with. Or, if you already have moles in part of your property, repellents might at least help you protect a prized section of your lawn or garden from becoming riddled with mole hills or mole tunnels.

Castor oil is one common mole repellent, although there is some dispute about its efficacy. Tests have shown some benefits from castor oil with eastern moles, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Home Guides, although evidence is lacking for western moles. You can buy castor oil repellents in stores, typically pellets or liquids, that are designed to drive moles away with a mixture of castor oil and other offensive ingredients. You could also make your own version; Home Guides recommends mixing 6 ounces of castor oil into 2 gallons of water, along with 2 tablespoons of detergent. Use about one-sixth of this solution for every 1,000 square feet of soil, spraying before it rains or watering the soil afterward to help it soak in.

Sonic repellents are another option for preventing moles from infiltrating an area. These often take the form of spikes that are slid into the soil, where their sonic vibrations can scare away moles. The frequency isn’t audible to humans, and should pose no danger to children, pets or non-target wildlife. As with castor oil, however, this is more about prevention than getting rid of moles that are already in your yard.

Facts about moles in your yard

The star-nosed moles is easily recognized by the unique ‘star’ of 22 tentacles on its face. (Photo: Agnieszka Bacal/Shutterstock)

Now that you know how to trap and repel moles, here are a few facts about moles that might help your efforts:

Editor’s note: This story has been updated since it was first published in April 2015.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, cross-pollination from bees and other pollinators assist at least 30 percent of the world’s crops and 90 percent of wild plants. Without bees to pollinate plants, many would perish (food crops included).  If we’d like to keep berries, apples, onion, carrots, avocados, and many other foods, we need to start caring about bees. Bees are magnificent creatures, who not only pollinate food for

Bees are magnificent creatures that not only pollinate food for all but also serve as a main indicator of the state of the environment on whole. Declining populations should be a huge indication that something is unbalanced and wrong. Between humans spraying pesticides on crops to habitat loss and climate change, bees are at risk. If bees go extinct, so will humans, along with just about every other species on the planet.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we try to be as kind to bees as possible and give them an opportunity to visit our yards. Along with all of the other things you can do to help the bees, planting a garden is a great place to start. Even if you only have enough space for a container garden, you can “plant for the bees” by making it as organic as possible! Try planting these flowers and herbs this spring to not only add beauty to your home but attract our buzzing friends!

1. Borage 

Known as the “starflower” and the “bee bush,” bees love this medicinal herb! Borage is a bright blue, star-shaped flower that will bring beauty to any garden (and the bees along with it). This super plant is sure to have the bees buzzing!

In the spring, catnip grows around to be around two to four feet tall and sports white or lavender colored flowers, attracting cats and bees alike! If you grow this around your garden, it’ll be likely that you will not only attract bees but butterflies and other pollinators.

4. Flowering Currant

These bright pink flowers draw in bees and butterflies. They are not only gorgeous, but their fragrance entices the bees to stay a while and take its pollen. This flower will bloom in early spring, which is perfect to help the bees rejuvenate after the winter months.

Maleo/Shutterstock

Crocuses are early bloomers which are perfect for bees that visit your yard! These purple/blue beauties, tend to come up at the end of winter when the weather is still a tad on the colder side. Bulbs for these flowers are usually planted in the fall and the flowers grace us with their presence come March, depending on where you live of course. These flowers are super easy to maintain, so this is a great flower if you don’t necessarily have the green-ist of thumbs yet!

Pussy Willows are also great for bees thanks to the fact they are early bloomers and have pollen ready for the bees at the very beginning of spring.

7. Echinacea

These lovely flowers come in all different colors and are known as, “the cone flower,” due to their shape. These flowers are perennials and unfortunately bloom later in the season.

Sunflowers are one of the best flowers to plant for bees. They provide quality pollen and nectar for bees and seeds for birds, squirrels, and other wildlife. After the chance of frost is gone, go ahead and plant these seeds directly into the soil. You can also start the seeds indoors and wait until after the chance of frost is past to plant them outside.

9. Lilacs

fotolotos/Shutterstock

Lilacs are a great treat for bees as they produce both pollen and nectar. Lilacs have bright purple flowers that grow in bunches, making it easier for bees to graze from one blossom to the next. The nectar provides the bee with much-needed energy, while the mixture with the pollen is a necessity for growing larvae back at the hive.

10. Hyacinth 

Hyacinths come in all different colors (i.e. pink, purple, white, etc.) and are especially bright colored and fragrant. These flowers provide nourishing nectar, which is why these flowers are a win for the bees.

Remember, when planting the above plants, stay away from hybrid varieties and keep your garden organic, i.e. don’t spray chemicals. Besides planting a garden, there are actually a ton of different ways to get active for bees! Try setting up a bee hotel, creating a bee bath, and planting wildflowers in your yard rather than grass lawns  to keep the bees coming back! Don’t have a yard? Simply try to buy organic and local as much as you can and spread the word about how important bees are to the planet around your community. Education and kind action can change the world, especially for bees.

Looking for more information on how to help save the bees? Check out how the Bumblebee Conservation Trust is changing the world for bees!

For more Life, Animal, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter!

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As full sun-loving bedding plants that produce flowers in abundance, Lantanas are made to order.  Plant them in your outdoor garden when all danger of frost pasts.  In warm areas of the south where frost seldom if ever occurs, colorful lantanas can be grown all year in the garden.  There they will bloom constantly, needing only occasional trimming to keep them in shape.  I particularly like growing Lantana as trees or standards to show off their flowers.

Lantanas The Verbena Relatives

Lantana plants are members of the verbena plant family. The popular annual Verbena does not grow as tall as Lantana bushes and trees.  However, their free blooming habits and small tubular clusters of flowers look very similar.  Lantana flowers come in red, orange, pink, lavender and yellow.  One variety has yellow blossoms that turn to orange as they age. This bicolor effect is striking Lantana foliage is rough to the touch, but as a whole produces a bank of pleasing deep green.  Many new lantana flower colors and combinations have been developed over the years. Start your lantana collection by ordering new varieties in the spring.  Not only does lantana produce flowers all summer long but they solve a common problem in the landscape – the space between a sidewalk and foundation, facing south.  It is not only hot but often dry and they are drought tolerant. After a few weeks in late spring and early summer, when the young lantanas are getting established, they thrive in this difficult situation.  Lantanas withstand the first light frosts of fall. If you want to carry over old plants to the next season, dig them.  Prune the roots and tops back severely and pot in a moist mixture of equal parts sand, peat moss, and garden loam.  Lantanas can be wintered in a cool, sunny window by keeping the soil on the dry side (but never completely dry).

Take Lantana Cuttings in August

During the outdoor season, lantanas may grow into small shrubs as tall as four feet and sometimes more.  When this is the case, taking cuttings will be easier. It is not easy to “downsize” and pot oversized plants.  To root the cuttings, first fill a pot or other container with moist, clean, gritty sand or perlite.  Two parts sand (or perlite) and one peat moss make a good starter soil mix. NOTE: Less danger of fungus troubles if sand or perlite is used.  Seed or root starter kits help you to get started.

Lantana Flowers Attract Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Butterflies and hummingbirds show their approval of lantana flowers at certain seasons by coming regularly during the early morning and late afternoon for nectar from the flowers.  For a thrill, note the hours they come and sit quietly near the lantanas.

The grass lawn’s glory days are over – here’s why we love a clover lawn instead. In the etymological timeline of the word lawn , we have laune from the 1540s, meaning “glade, open space in a forest or between woods.” I can picture that; meadow-like clearings in the trees where low wild plants are growing, replete with messy little blossoms and scampering woodland creatures. Today’s lawn does not look like that. No, today’s lawn is a strange construction that is not very natural at all. It’s more of a rampant carpet that is ravenous for water, demands an array of synthetic chemicals, and requires constant taming by means of a lawnmower. How did this become the ideal? The birth of the modern lawn may have more to do with the sales of lawn-maintenance products (think herbicides) than common sense – a point we’ve been kvetching about for years here on TreeHugger. In the U.S., we have 40.5 million acres of lawn; according to NASA, all that lawn uses 60 million acre-feet (the volume of one acre of surface area with a depth of one foot) of mostly drinkable water a year. (See how to cure lawn lust in 6 minutes for more on that.) And for what? We can’t even eat it! Lat year we wrote about planting clover instead of grass (see related stories below) and since it’s getting to be lawn season, I figured it was time to fire up the clover cheerleading section again. So without further ado, why you should consider kicking grass to the curb and try planting (or mixing in) lovely clover instead. 1. It is drought-resistant Because of clover’s deep roots, it needs much less water than does grass. As the Farmer’s Almanac notes, “Clover is an extremely drought-resistant plant and will keep its cool-green color even during the hottest and driest parts of summer.” 2. It is inexpensive Clover seed is cheap; the average cost is about $4.00 per 4000 square feet. You will also spend a lot less on water, products, and maintenance. And for those who have been fighting clover all along: Stop fighting, let it grow, and it’s yours for free. 3. It requires no fertilization Clover is a legume, and as such, takes nitrogen from the air and sinks it into the ground as a useful fertilizer. If you are adding clover to a lawn, it will work to fertilize the existing lawn; on its own, it requites no additional fertilizer. 4. It blooms! Who would want a monochromatic carpet of grass when you could have one sprinkled with a starscape of flowers? 5. It attracts pollinating insects Those blooms bring bees, and heaven knows the bees need our help. Honeybees love clover (does “clover blossom honey” ring a bell?); planting clover is a nice assist. 6. But It can be bee-free too That said, if you are worried about bee stings, there are options. Even though honeybees rarely sting when unprovoked and away from the hive, you can opt for a micro clover or simply mow the clover when it’s in bloom. 7. It grows in poor soil Poor soil is no problem for clover, much due to the fact that it supplies its own nutrients with that nifty nitrogen trick. 8. It resists pet urine While grass lawns are susceptible to brown spots from pet urine, clover is not effected by it. 9. It resists blight and mildew Mildew, fungus, blights … these things hurt grass lawns. making them unsightly and in need of treatment. Clover is not subject to these troubles. 10. It doesn’t need herbicides Since clover out-competes broadleaf weeds, you won’t need to douse the soil with toxic weed-killing things, hurray! 11. It doesn’t need pesticides Clover also stands up well to insect pests, so no need to to douse the soil with toxic insect-killing things as well, hurray! 12. It rarely has to be mowed Depending on what kind of clover you plant and what look you like, clover can be mowed very infrequently – by some accounts, as little as twice a season. I mean, maybe you like spending your weekends pushing a loud, exhaust-sputtering machine around, but if not, clover has your back. (And your feet too, see photo below.)

Who hasn’t dreamt of having their pool in the backyard to relax in and get a tan after work? It’s the best way of de-stressing after a busy day at work and a great excuse for gathering the family on weekends. You’ll thank yourself for having one during summer when it’s hot and you want to cool off by swimming laps.

Installing a swimming pool in your property will not only increase the price of your home but will also improve you and your family’s lifestyle. It’s an excellent way to entertain young kids and keep them busy during school holidays, and also effective in keeping you healthy and fit with the opportunity to do laps whenever you feel like it. But before finding a contractor to build it for you, you need to be sure of your property boundaries. You can get a party wall surveyor to do it for you to make sure that the excavation is within your property limits so you’re sure that you won’t upset your neighbours by invading their property.

If you’ve finally decided that it’s time to build one, below are some of the things that you might start asking yourself.

How long will it take to build a pool?

It doesn’t take one night to finish a pool. It’s a big job to dig the lot up, install tiles and install the water system. The best way to make it efficient is to hire a contractor that can make the job a breeze for you. With them to rely on, they can make planning easy by designing your chosen pool, taking care of the licences and permission from the council, and coordinating with other contractors involved in the job.

How is planning done?

The labour itself is a long process, and planning is a lengthier one. Building a pool is a big investment, and you’ll want to make sure that you do it once and do it right. This is why you need to take the time to plan it properly so that once construction starts, it’ll go smoothly and without issues. From deciding on the size and type of pool to the tile placement, these factors should be determined early on so that building your pool will be completed as soon as possible.

How much budget should I allocate?

Building a pool isn’t cheap and before everything else, you need to decide how much you’re willing to spend to have one. Talk to your contractor so they can give recommendations that will fit your budget.

Take your time when deciding because a pool will be a permanent part of your property and it’s a significant investment to get one built. While some people already have a design and type in mind, there are homeowners who take a longer time to make up their minds before proceeding with the construction.

A swimming pool is an excellent addition to any home because it’s the perfect spot for the family to spend quality time together. If you have the extra money and space to build a pool, rest assured it’s a decision you won’t regret.