looking good! what all do you have there?

Hi bougainvillea, How frustrating for you! I've got squirrels, too, but (so far) all they've done is bury hundreds of acorns from the oak trees. I get to pull the seedlings, but at least I still have my flowers. Here's a link that discusses your problem. I didn't know that squirrels had a keen sense of smell, but I guess it makes sense since that's how they find the nuts they've buried, isn't it? I can tell you that traps are not effective. I tried that when squirrels got into my attic. Even if I had caught them, I expect that others would have taken their place. Maybe making your plants unappealing, while distracting them with something they like, will be the best you can hope for. Good luck. I hope you're able to find a solution to your rodent problem. Here is a link that might be useful: keeping squirrels from your garden

All, thanks, I like that root waterer/feeder for my trees and roses except the huge one where roots extend all over the back yard. Anyhoo, my trees are partly responsible for sucking water and nutrients from my beds plus hot sun so they dry out fast, so that could be a real help to me. I don't see how you can deliver nutrients with it, better look at that again, yes I do, don't want to have to spend more on theirs, will skip their fertilizer. Another useful gadget to budget for lol. Let's see, need a spreader, grub control, other lawn control (big bags), it does add up so I try to spread out out the costs. Yes, we've had a terrific rain last Mon, it's all dried up now except and even where mulched. Been supposed to rain last 3 nights, I decided phooey, I'm watering, so just got in from that, have a lot to water, did the front last night, I have to water when it's cooler. No rain yet heh. I have used the milk jugs, but they won't be practical at all on that slope, that's why I was happy to see those spikes, if not there can sure use them beaucoup places. I may have to give those particular hostas a boost now and then when they get going, specially in the dog days of Aug & Sep, also the ones I planted last year I do water now and then (easy), seem to appreciate it, but haven't had time to water once the ones behind the garage, have to haul all the water back there, they are still ok, it's a mess there and soil not so good. Another chore demanding covering just a few plants and roundup. Plus right now I'm saving my jugs for winter sowing and takes me awhile to go through a gal of milk. But when I get more than I need or pick the neighbors' trash which I'm not above doing, I could use those in another bed and cut off the tops more so I can fill faster with the hose, I'm constantly filling too many containers & sprinkling cans. I need a longer hose but am making do for now, and would love to get a good hose reel. There is one xtra 50-footer in the basement but lugging hoses is even hard on me at times when I'm tired, fed up the the one in front but so thankful I finally had the faucet fixed there. 5 gal buckets, yes, that would really ooze a lot of water, but I AM sick of looking at the ugly things especially since my yard is starting to shape up and on the corner so visible from the streets and sidewalks. I have a serious drainage problem where I need every 5 gal bucket which I trash picked now until I can afford/get to getting that fixed right. Plus I need a nice composter where I don't have to turn it by hand, never ends. A lot of that awful grass has gone to seed, I've got a lot of it pulled, but don't want it in my compost that I'm doing a crude way for now. But I sure appreciate the ideas, wonder if there's another fertilizer I could get somewhere locally for that hose attachment. Saw some tree spikes at HD but held off on those because it looks to me like it would take awhile to leach down deep...

In re my points about no TV in the MBR 1. I've read that for maximum restfulness, the BR should be used only for sleeping and, not sleeping. I think that makes sense and try to adhere to it. 2. We have a no-TV-no-tech lakehouse and we found that when we stayed there we talked more, read more, and slept more. All things I value 3. Human nature is "path of least resistance". I try to configure my house to encourage behaviors I value most. 4. I personally have a very high sloth quotient. I could easily while away much of a sunny spring day watching really bad TV, like "The Learning Channel". When I am away, my DH has been known to stay up till odd hours watching old PBS documentaries. 5. That said, I forgot about news in the morning. I am now in the habit of going into my office to check the web for news and weather. I miss all of the morning news nonsense and popular culture though! 6. We need the Daily Show, daily, and it's followup. I really miss that at the lake. In re seating areas 1. In this home and the last, we never sat in the MBR. I still don't get that (though I love the lunch date someone described!). If our kids are up, I would want to be near them. If they are asleep, I would probably want to enjoy my house in solitude! 2. That said, right now there are 2 chairs and a settee in my MBR. Frankly more as storage than anything else.