How to Expel Squirrels, Gophers, and Raccoons from Gardens

A friend of mine was complaining about her dog who was constantly digging in one of her flower beds. I discovered a big mess. A closer look showed that there was a kind of cave underneath the roots of a nearby cedar tree. No wonder - the dog was smelling a gopher or groundhog! But that was not all, squirrels played havoc, and a neighbor told me about raccoons that have been seen in the area.

What these critters do: they chomp on flower bulbs, dig up your favorite plants, eat the roots, might try to open garbage cans, and otherwise love to wreck your garden. I studied tips on the Internet and found the following tips


How You Can Shoo These Animals Away:

Irish Spring Soap
Protect plants by grating some Irish Spring soap around your plants. Squirrels can't stand the smell of it and will stay away.
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Coffee Grounds
While you might find the scent of coffee delicious, squirrels don't... Just sprinkle some fresh grounds on the soil surrounding the plants to keep squirrels away. Every week, add a new layer of coffee grounds. More tips:
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Garlic
Another smell that gophers, squirrels and other critters dislike is that of garlic. Cut it in pieces and sprinkle them into the flower bed
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Dogs
Dogs that spend a lot of time in the garden may be able to scare at least squirrels off. While your pet may not actually catch the squirrels, their presence alone will encourage the critters eventually to dine elsewhere.
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Cayenne Pepper
Sprinkle cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, or other combinations of spicy seasonings around the base of the plants. Almost all animals despise it.
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Plant Lots of Mint
Squirrels tend to avoid the strong smell of peppermint plants. Try planting mint pots at the edges of your vegetable garden to keep most thieves away. However, you need to plant mint into pots to avoid they are taking over your garden. Place some newspaper sheets and/or wire screen at the bottom of the planting pot to avoid that roots are sneaking through the watering hole and multiply in your garden beds.
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Don’t Plant Tulips
Instead plant daffodils, snowdrops, allium, and hyacinth. Daffodils contain a toxin that makes their bulbs inedible, and squirrels appear not to like the taste of them. After planting place a flat stone on top of the bulbs, but don’t forget to remove them in early spring.
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Netting and Fencing
Protecting your vegetables and edible plants with netting will help curb squirrels' (and birds') snacking. Protect ripening fruit by swaddling it with plastic bird netting. It will keep nibbling rodents (squirrels, chipmunks, mice) at bay,
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Spices, coffee grounds, and garlic need to be re-applied after rain or snow. Happy Gardening.

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What to Plant Between Pavers & Stepping Stones

Many pathway gaps are neglected and will become a home for weeds. But where some may see awkward spaces between stepping stones, others see potential. Plants between pavers can soften hard lines, adding a lush, living element to the design.

It’s relatively easy to fill the cracks between pavers with creeping plants that will stay low, won’t mind being squashed a bit, and may even be fragrant.  But how to prepare and which plants to choose?

Requirements:

The plants should be low growing, ranging in height from basically flat to 2 inches tall. Anything taller could be trip pedestrians and make the pavers look as if they are sinking, even drowning.

A plant that grows between pavers should be tough and durable to withstand occasional trampling by foot or paw and must require as little maintenance as possible.  Not all creeping perennials will handle lots of foot traffic.  A rule of thumb is this: The more delicate the leaf structure, the less traffic they’ll be able to withstand. 

How much sunlight? Does the area receive full or mostly direct sun, morning sun with afternoon shade, morning shade with afternoon sun, or shade, or mostly shade?
There are creeping plants for any amount of sunlight or lack thereof.

Don't forget the hardiness zones!  Not every plant thrives in tough winters.

Before You Plant
The key to ground cover success is to add enough loose, nutrient-rich soil between the stones, preferably at least 5 inches deep for roots to grow and with gaps at least two inches wide.

Use scissors to cut apart 2-to-3-inch-wide chunks that contain several plants and their roots.  Space the chunks 6 to 8 inches apart in the ground.  Cover the bare spots with some light soil or compost that will help retain surface moisture until the plants fill in.

Which Plants to Choose:

- Plants for Sunny Areas:

Creeping Thyme

Blue star creeper 

Corsican mint

Irish moss

Hen and Chicken

- Plants for Shade Areas:

Sweet woodruff

Baby’s tears

Mondo grass

Creeping Jenny

Water the soil between pavers well before you start planting.  During the hottest and dryest months, sprinkle the area during early morning hours, before the sun rises.  

Brilliant sunshine is great for established plants, but young ones don't like it much. So,
try to plant on dull or rainy days or in the late hours of the day. For a couple of days, a

kind of make-shift "tent" also helps to save the young plants from too much sunlight.

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