Can we just talk about raccoons for a minute? Yes, they are cute, but boy are they evil in my garden. We have always had them. Tons of them. Each year they play havoc. Last week they were over the top in their regardening and ungardening efforts.. Actually threw plants out of the ground.
A bit about raccoons …
In the animal kingdom raccoons are the leading carrier of rabies. So don’t get too close. They are not cute, cuddly pets. As my dad would say, they are varmints. Indeed.
I know they hate cayenne pepper, but how much would I have to spread to make them “uncomfortable”.
🌶🔥🌶🔥🌶
I may need to find out.
As I walk the garden in the mornings assessing their damage, I hear the voice of Mark Windham ringing in my ear… “Raccoons: Cute but evil / Possoms: Ugly but helpful. Did you know that possums consume a ton of ticks. YUK! And, THANK YOU.
How do I know raccoons are the culprits? My handy Bushnell Critter Cam (thanks Connie for the tip) catches them red handed. And those little hands of theirs are rototillers! Sigh.
This could be in their future … bon appetit varmints.
OTHER VARMINTS I’M DEALING WITH…
With the high temps (mostly in the high 80s & 90s) many roses are taking a nap and I am encouraging that since the Japanese Beetles are still about. The Japanese Beetles came in slowly this year, but as of this morning, they are at a fever pitch.
Many blooms are just covered like poor “Lady Ashe” … they just love her.
However, Lady Ashe’s neighbor ‘At Last,’ did not have one JB on any blooms. #notetoself
If you are local, Frazee Gardens has an absolute wonderful collection of David Austin roses right now and they have several ‘At Last’ roses that are blooming like crazyl! I took a video while I was there last night. Aren’t they fabulous!?! Go grab them up!
BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK…
If I had to pick my favorite bloomer this week, it would be the lilies.
The temperatures today are so pleasant — topping out at 82 and I see little wrens playing in the bird bath. All’s good here. I pray all is good in your world too.
Happy BLOOM THYME FRIDAY, friends!
What’s your favorite bloomer this week?
So sorry for all your “varmints”. Lucky for me, I have no mammals in my garden, but plenty of fungus, even though I spray religiously. Thanks for your lovely web site. It’s always the highlight of my Fridays. What are the roses in your first picture and name of daisy in the second picture? Thanks.
Hello Cheryl, Lovely to hear from you. The rose in the first picture is a real fav … David Austin’s Lady of Shallot. The daisy-like flower in the second picture is Creme Brulee Coreopsis. A prolific bloomer as most coreopsis are! It is lovely to “garden” with you! Teresa
Some of our daylilies are a bit behind schedule. Some are doing quite nicely. Roses are at an in between phase at the moment. One of my favorite bloomers was not even something that blooms significantly out in the landscape, but the epiphyllums that, although showy individually, are grown only as a few potted individuals. https://tonytomeo.com/2019/07/07/epiphyllum-surprise/