Any amature landscape designers out there? **UPDATE - PICS ADDED**

[mom'sfolly]

Adding to my list as I remember things, anemones which never repeat but I love anyway, zinnias, gerber daisies, freesia, grape hyachinth, some purple thing my neighbor planted, (a lovely man but of the "if it looks good plop it in school") privit which I didn't plant, and more stuff I don't remember. I also have a heavily treed lot, with 5 cedar elms and about ten live oaks. The back yard is shaded by a huge live oak that is just off the property line. It makes gardening difficult with all the shade, but it is a blessing here in Texas. The huge live oak is on the south side and shades a good portion of the yard.

Last year I added a veggie garden for the first time in years. I was about ready to get planting the early stuff and found that the neighbors cats had been using my carefully prepared raised beds as litter boxes.

Any ideas to keep them out?

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

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I'm going to have to check out that almond tree!!

I really have to agree with BirdMan regarding the Aspen trees. They may look great from a distance - up close, not so good. The weather has to be just PERFECT for the leaves to not get black spot. Then there's aspen gall. And they are actually very messy trees, depending on whether you have a male or female. And they are VERY INVASIVE! Did you know that the world's largest living organism is a grove of Aspen trees - it's here in Colorado, and if I remember correctly, up by Steamboat Springs.

halls hardy almonds are the best

if you plant a aspen you got to plant in in a concrete vault thats a foot think. lol. and coopa cabana is correct about the largest organism on earth but i am sure its located in utah up by fish lake near richfield utah, or at least that is what the forest service signs say

I remember reading a newspaper article about 20 or 25 years ago about the world's largest organism being some sort of mushroom--that the "roots" spread for miles. Somewhere in the NW. Like I said, 20+ years ago--don't recall the details.

 

[SunnyDawn]

Quote:
Great link and great advice.

mom'sfolly :

Adding to my list as I remember things, anemones which never repeat but I love anyway, zinnias, gerber daisies, freesia, grape hyachinth, some purple thing my neighbor planted, (a lovely man but of the "if it looks good plop it in school") privit which I didn't plant, and more stuff I don't remember. I also have a heavily treed lot, with 5 cedar elms and about ten live oaks. The back yard is shaded by a huge live oak that is just off the property line. It makes gardening difficult with all the shade, but it is a blessing here in Texas. The huge live oak is on the south side and shades a good portion of the yard.

Last year I added a veggie garden for the first time in years. I was about ready to get planting the early stuff and found that the neighbors cats had been using my carefully prepared raised beds as litter boxes.

Any ideas to keep them out?

Oh I love live oaks! I lived on a farm for a few years as a kid and the farm had 3 HUGE live oaks. I miss those trees so much!
Boards with spikes (nails sharp side out) will keep the kitties out. Until you plant just cover the area with a tarp. After that put these spikes in around your plants (especially around the edges to 2 feet in). They sell them at most garden centers but you can make your own very cheaply. Just take pieces of 1/4" plywood set them on the lawn and start hammering thin, ~2" long, finishing nails into the boards fairly close together. Hammer them all the way in and when you turn over your board you've got a spike strip.

I like to make mine small enough to move around easily so as the plants grow I can rearrange them and move some out as necessary.

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That's what I had thought too but that Wikipedia article, that I linked a few posts back, covers that too.

 

[mom'sfolly]

I should just tarp it now, but I'm kinda grossed out by the whole idea of planting where they've been pooing. Rotten things, one of them even chases the chickens, and the buff orp rooster, who out weighs the cat, doesn't do anything.

OMG, run on sentence alert!

 

[SunnyDawn]

mom'sfolly :

I should just tarp it now, but I'm kinda grossed out by the whole idea of planting where they've been pooing. Rotten things, one of them even chases the chickens, and the buff orp rooster, who out weighs the cat, doesn't do anything.

OMG, run on sentence alert!