Iris Garden Country Manor Garden

develop) and, of all things, the raspberry plants. They do this even during the height of summer when everything is growing and they are surrounded by dinner elsewhere. Is forbidden fruit more delectable even in the animal kingdom? In various years I have doused the plants with crushed garlic, hung on chunks of Irish Spring soap, spread crushed red pepper about and pronounced black incantations against them to some limited but brief success. Nothing worked for long. This past year has been particularly unfortunate. What garden produce the deer missed, the raccoons and woodchucks delighted in. Some critter even ate the flowers off a number of plants.

This fall I planted numerous bulbs and corms, no tulips. It seems that deer despise tulip flowers and nip off the buds before they can open. I planted a hundred more crocus and so far the squirrels have only dug up two, but give them more time to find the rest. Squirrels let the tulip plants that the deer missed flower, and then they nip off the stems to bring the flowers closer to the ground where they can admire them. My main plantings last month were daffodils and narcissus. I expect the majority of them to survive the depredations of the local wildlife but one never knows.

We now have a subject on Suite101 devoted to beautiful British Columbia. While Kay and I live on the other side of the continent, in New York State, some few hours south of Ottawa, we are contemplating a family vacation in British Columbia next summer. I heartedly recommend it before more clear cutting logging despoils it.

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