October rains have no doubt dampened enthusiasm for gardening this fall.
As we enter the darkness of winter, we can use our shortened days to learn about some new tricks and tools to make our sunny summer days easier and more fun.
I have a few old favourites, and some new ideas learned from friends to pass on.
I was excited to learn of a cat collar that reduced a friend’s cat’s hummingbird catch from about one per day during the summer season to zero birds caught this past summer.
She had tried everything she could think of, including keeping the cat inside during daylight hours without success. It is called a Birdsbesafe collar cover, and this is what a new friend in Powell River had to say about it: “In July, I ordered a clown-like collar from an American company called Birdsbesafe. It’s an open-ended sleeve, brightly coloured, with reflective piping on its edge. It slips over an existing cat collar and is totally safe for the cat. What it does do, which bells will not do, is alert the colour-sensitive birds to the predator. They do not equate the sound of bells with danger. But they can see a camouflaging cat when it’s wearing this collar. To date, our pet has not caught a single bird since donning the collar!”
I have an old Japanese farmer’s knife (which I am not sure are still available locally) that is very similar to a Hori-Hori knife, a cross between a knife and a trowel with one side serrated. This tool is very handy for dividing plants in tight spots like planters.
I also keep an old short blade dull saw for cutting roots of plants in all-season planters when they need dividing as the fragility of a pot prevents prying out the roots with a spade.
My tying needs are met with Knotty twine and Velcro tape. Knotty Garden Twine is a black nylon, weatherproof twine that is great for applications where the twine is intended to last several seasons. I use it with bamboo stakes to build peony supports. It was originally designed for repairing fishing nets and is made in British Columbia.
Velcro tape is easy to use, wraps onto itself so no tying is needed, and is reusable for several seasons, especially if put away for the winter. I grow indeterminate tomatoes that need support and this makes tying an easy task. I keep a roll on hand in the greenhouse to keep the tomatoes under control.
For early season growing I use Reemay nonwoven fabric stapled over old hanging moss pot frames to provide shelter from the weather and pests for my young plants.
The wire pot frames are large enough to cover a whole planting pot, hiding seedlings like peas from hungry birds that love to eat the tender shoots.
Another favourite for fall and winter growing is an old plexiglass sky-window mounted on a frame made of two-by-10s. I can raise or lower it as the weather dictates, and allows me to grow fresh greens all year long.
Heather Schamehorn is a certified residential landscape designer and consultant, educator, habitat and sustainability advocate and dog lover. perennialpleasures.ca
