--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00000 Date: 04/16/97 From: DOREEN CLANCY Time: 09:46am \/To: JOE ZIMMERMAN (Read 3 times) Subj: Humming Bird sighting JZ> I have seen our first humming birds in our area. This is West of JZ> Austin, Texas, in the hill country. Put your humming bird feeders JZ> out. Nice to hear they still exist Joe. I'm still shovelling snow off my deck, I'm up near the Rocky Mtns. in western Canada. Planted peas last week & thought that day would never come, but now the daffodils, crocus, onion & garlic all have their heads up & out of the soil - a sure sign to get my own head up & out & get to work outside. Boy, that snow sure hid a lot of undone chores . ... OFFLINE 1.51 "If it walks out of your refrigerator, let it go!" --- Maximus/2 3.01 * Origin: William's, Vernon B.C. 28.8 604-549-2409 24hrs free (1:353/385) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00001 Date: 04/17/97 From: LINDA TAYLOR Time: 08:17am \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 3 times) Subj: squirrels -n- bird feeders Down here in Florida we only put out feeders, at least some of us do, during the coldest part of the year. Usually about December through February. We don't have squirrels in our neighborhood because we have too many cats roaming around, and the area is isolated out into the water. Still my grandmother did live up around Gainsville, and she had a bird feeder out all year long as she was a bird watcher. She also had squirrels. She was told by this old man who lived out there in their area in an old camper with his dog that if she would put cayenne pepper in with the bird seed that this would drive the squirrels off. My grandmother tried that, and it worked. Didn't seem to bother the birds at all, but the squirrels sure didn't like it. Years later I found out why by reading a gardening book. Birds don't have the taste bud that would let them taste the cayenne. Almost all mammals do. Which means that while the birds don't taste it the squirrel finds the seeds too hot to handle because they do taste it. One of those little miracles of nature. Bright Blessings Kat I.D.I.C.--- Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. (i.e. Star Trek and Vulcan ideology. Paramount TM) --- GEcho/32 1.20/Pro * Origin: VETLink #60 - 554CES(HR) (1:374/37) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00002 Date: 04/15/97 From: SANDRA PEAKE Time: 10:54pm \/To: LANE E. BONHAM (Read 3 times) Subj: African Violets LEB>sooo much easier to avoid water rooting entirely. I use regular A. iolet LEB>potting soil lightened with Perlite and get 3 or more plants from each leaf That, to me, is a problem. I'd prefer one single plantlet from each cutting, because no matter how careful I am, I usually end up with several extra plants that bud from the ones I want to keep. This either necessitates more "surgery," or else I end up with multiple crowns in the same pot. LEB> Interestingly enough, I recently attended an A. violet show here, and LEB>the only method of rooting displayed was via the water method! Made me LEB>wonder if they just *didn't want 'others'* to be successful!!! Maybe they just didn't know any better, or maybe they've told people ad nauseum to spend the couple dollars on good rooting medium, only to learn they still tried using ordinary garden soil, to their dismay. LEB> SP> Not me - I have cut my houseplants down to mainly a few LEB> SP> orchids, herbs, and A. Violets. My windowsills are already LEB> SP> full with seed pots of mainly peppers and tomatoes, with a LEB> SP> few herbs and flowers tossed in. :-) LEB>Congrats on the orchids indoors! That's where I have troubles! LEB>With my New Orleans climate, I do my *seedling thing* outdoors! I have lost some due to my illness last year, but a couple of old faithfuls have just finished blooming again. :-) I have lettuce and spinach growing outdoors. Peas go in shortly. ...Sandra... --- QMPro 1.52 Regulating the Internet would be like herding cats. --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Excalibar Police BBS, (519) 758-1173 (1:221/1500.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00003 Date: 04/15/97 From: SANDRA PEAKE Time: 08:52am \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 3 times) Subj: snails _@/" JF> Hey! I just put some bits of eggshells around each plant JF>tonight... For a very different reason... But I guess it's even better or JF>the plants than I thought... To snails, eggshells may as well be razorblades. :-) JF> > Dogs also like yeasts; so they aren't apt to be harmed or made drunk JF> > by the yeast mixture. (Tell us if they are! I knew one beer-slurping JF> > dog. :-)) JF> Well I don't know about getting dogs drunk... But you're right JF>about beer drinking dogs... One of our dogs loves beer... she's quite a JF>little character! '-) Keep her away from the pretzels. :-) JF>How'd ya like my little snail-ish drawing up at the top of this message? JF>It's a wanna-be snail! :) I missed it completely till you mentioned it. It's cute. Maybe I should snitch it. ...Sandra... --- QMPro 1.52 Make it idiot proof, and someone will make a better idiot --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Excalibar Police BBS, (519) 758-1173 (1:221/1500.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00004 Date: 04/15/97 From: SANDRA PEAKE Time: 08:59am \/To: LIZ MORRIS (Read 3 times) Subj: Chicks and Clocks LM> SP> I've heard a ticking clock works for lonely puppies, too. :-) Sounds LM> SP> like you have the situation under control. Just keep them from LM> SP> draughts and predators for a few more weeks, and you'll be able to LM> SP> put them outside. LM>Thing is, i guess i'll have to seperate them from the adult chickens ight? LM>Hummm... Liz, all the books say to separate chicks for health reasons. So what happens when broody hens hatch a bunch of chicks? The babies are exposed to their mothers' diseases, and yes, some may die. But I have found the majority thrive quite well. Since I wasn't a commercial egg farmer, I could afford to lose a couple percentages of production and not even notice it, while losing 2% of the production of 50,000 layers daily would hurt. That is also why I could keep chickens for several years, instead of one intense 6 month laying period, then off to the soup factories. An egg or two less per day was no big deal with a dozen hens. (And I raised Araucanas, whose multi-coloured eggshells brought me more as hatching eggs than eating eggs.) ...Sandra... --- QMPro 1.52 Cigarettes are killers that travel in packs! --- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 * Origin: Excalibar Police BBS, (519) 758-1173 (1:221/1500.0) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00005 Date: 04/17/97 From: LISA PENNER Time: 05:24pm \/To: KATHLEEN WEBER (Read 3 times) Subj: Hi again KW> Raised beds are an immediate solution without too KW> much work. But if you KW> decide to stay in your present home for anything more than 5 years it KW> might be worth the work to mix fertilizer and mulch into the top 6 KW> inches of soil in your yard. If I knew how long we were going to be here, I might do it, but not unless we were going to be here for a while. KW> What are you going to grow this year? Well, here we go! Bleeding hearts, purple coneflowers, lots of marigolds,sweet peas,shasta daisy,digitalis,gaillardia,delphiniums,lobelia,liatris,nicotania,ageratum,nast urtium,portulaca,iceland poppy,tomatoes (sandwich,paste and cherry), sweet peppers (lilac,chocolate and pimento), LOTS of peas, hot peppers,onions and cucumbers for pickling,radishes,carrots,mesclum,patchouli(can't have too much!), plus a whole pile of other herbs and perennials that will be direct seeded where they're going to grow or in a nursery bed (raised, of course!). We'll se though, the weather has to cooperate a bit first! What are you going to plant? Lisa --- Maximus/2 2.02 * Origin: Five Guys BBS (1:221/1050) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00006 Date: 04/17/97 From: JACOB EAGLE EYES Time: 06:24pm \/To: JANIS FOLEY (Read 3 times) Subj: fleas 16 Apr 97, Janis Foley was caught writing the following grafitti: >> sale for a quarter) and I fill it with sudsy ammonia. There >> are no mix settings on it. JF> Oh! And where do I get this stuff? At the local home and JF> garden center or some place like that? I get mine at the grocery store in the laudry soap section. I buy the cheapest, generic brand I can find. ... It's not the woman in my life, it's the life in my woman. --- GoldED 2.50 UNREG * Origin: The Eagle's Nest Trading Post, St. Petersburg, Fla (1:3603/263) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00007 Date: 04/18/97 From: JANIS FOLEY Time: 02:21pm \/To: TIMOTHY DUEHRING (Rcvd) (Read 3 times) Subj: squirrels -n- bird feeder > JF>I didn't see an oppossum until I was about 23 years > JF>old... I was beginning to think that they were some kind of mythical > JF>creature! > Prepare yourself for a whole new adventure. And don't > label someone nutty when they start talking about dragons, for remember > thou art crunchy and go well with brie. I'd like to think that I go well with herb flavored cream cheese too! Ha ha! --- System Support BBS * Origin: System Support BBS (1:202/1609) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4N00008 Date: 04/18/97 From: JANIS FOLEY Time: 02:34pm \/To: LINDA TAYLOR (Read 3 times) Subj: squirrels -n- bird feeders > my grandmother had a > bird feeder out all year long as she was a bird watcher. She > also had squirrels. She was told by this old man who lived > out there in their area in an old camper with his dog that if > she would put cayenne pepper in with the bird seed that this > would drive the squirrels off. > Which means that while the birds don't taste it the squirrel > finds the seeds too hot to handle because they do taste it. > One of those little miracles of nature. That's good to know that it doesn't hurt them but just bugs them a little! '-) Thanks! Janis :) --- System Support BBS * Origin: System Support BBS (1:202/1609) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 208 HOME & GARDEN Ref: E4Q00000 Date: 04/18/97 From: MICHELE MAURO Time: 09:55am \/To: MARILYN BOISSONEAULT (Read 3 times) Subj: Composting MB> MM> The grasshoppers are still hopping and I want to put my warm weather MB> MM> veggies in but don't want them all eaten either... MB> MB> That is a dilemna...the grasshoppers are there to get them now, MB> but if you wait too long the heat will get them! Hot weather is MB> just around the corner. I didn't get too much warm weathr MB> veggies in yet. Got the tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants in and MB> they're doing well. Though I've noticed the worms have found the MB> vines. I've picked several cherry tomatoes but planted those MB> earlier than the others. They still have a ways to go. I also MB> have some jalapeno's about ready. Well, I'm hoping the grasshoppers will be gone by time my seeds sprout, so I planted tomatoes, beans and peppers the other day. Now it's time to get back to the flower garden in the front yard. Hubby has most of it dug out so I've got to amend the soil a bit and put in my seeds, tubers and bulbs! Have fun, Michele Internet: chaos@ao.net FIDO: 1:363/340 * No matter where you go - there you are RoseReader 2.52T P001948 Entered at [COMPLICATIONS] --- * Origin: Complications, Altamonte Spgs, FL 407-297-8298 (1:363/340)