Coyote Eating Apples

“Coyotes don’t eat apples!” That’s the usually response when we tell anyone about the coyote eating apples in our small orchard. Finally, after a year of fruitless stalking, pure serendipity landed us in the right place at the right time to photograph the coyote eating our windfall apples.

Over a year ago the Farmer told me about “a dog eating apples” in our orchard. We have had gourmet dogs who picked asparagus, or strawberries, but never apples. Later, we stumbled across an article in a respected Nature magazine where the author mentioned that coyotes are omnivorous and will regularly be seen eating apples in the fall and winter.

After that initial encounter, the hunt was on! Last winter the Farmer would catch fleeting glimpses of our quarry, but never enough to clearly identify it as dog, wolf or coyote. I personally never saw a thing, except the dog-like tracks and signs of intense digging in the snow. Every fresh snowfall brought new tracks but never a clear sign of the animal.

About a week ago, we noticed fresh tracks around the apple trees. The tracks circled our trees, reminiscent of some animal on a scouting expedition. The coyote was back and by pure chance we managed to photograph him through the hazy breezeway windows at the back of the house.

The day these photographs were taken was sunny and cold with temperatures of -13 °C (8.6 ºF). The coyote quickly and warily crunched on a couple of apples, and then less than a minute later, trotted off and disappeared behind the barn. Yes, it is a coyote and coyotes eat apples.

Annie Rose

P.S. Our coyote is not the only one who eats fruit. Here’s an interesting video called Coyotes don't climb trees, of a coyote actually climbing a tree to access the fruit.

Growing Your Own Christmas Trees

“It looks very bare” said my aunt when she first viewed our four acre property. Though we had a surplus of out-buildings, trees were practically non-existent. A few scrawny 20 foot cedars grew to the west of the house and they kept company with four sad lonely maple trees. Besides seven out-buildings and the house, all we really had were fields of grass.

That first spring, with the help of a close friend, the three of us planted 600 spindly little 6 inch trees. We planted the trees about 4 to 6 feet apart as we’d been assured that most would not survive the year. The following year we planted another 400 evergreen seedlings on the east and west sides of the property as wind buffers.

Now 12 years later, we can tell you with confidence that the predications on tree survival were wrong. Most of the trees survived. There is now a small forest in the northeast corner of our property, which is flanked by small evergreens to the east and to the west.

For the last couple of years now we have been cutting our evergreens and have used them as Christmas trees and decorations. Throughout the year, we trim the trees using our hedge trimmer. Trimming them makes the trees bushier and more compact. Its also a way to keep the trees down to a useable size, as trimming tends to cut back on the tree height. Outside the trees always seem to look small and narrow. Once we bring our chosen tree in, it is usually much wider and taller than it seemed to be outdoors. Branches for the stairwell and mantel are cut from low hanging pine branches. You cannot beat the price of using your own trees. Our trees are also super fresh; as they’re only cut on the day we plan to use them. Better yet, we can regularly replant little seedlings, insuring an almost free supply of trees for years to come.

Happy New Year to one and all!

Annie Rose

What’s Up : Spring Flowers in the May Garden

With the mild winter up here in Ottawa, Ontario, it seems that most of our plants have survived this year. The current dry spell is a bit of a challenge to new growth. Seedlings, with their shallow root systems, are really struggling. Here in the valley, it keeps looking like rain, but at the end of the day our accumulation is less than 1/8 inch of water over the last week. Time to connect the hoses and start watering, me thinks.

One of my favorite flowers, the Virginia Bluebell, is now out in all its glory. Most spring flowers tend to be yellow, which contrasts beautifully with the blue of these flowers. We split the main plant apart last fall. Because of the mild winter, the new Bluebell plants have really taken off. I’m just fascinated with how the flowers start off as a delicate pink, and then change to a delightful shade of blue as they mature. I’ve seen this transformation a thousand times, and it still captivates me every spring.

A plant that never ceases to amaze me, Corydalis Noblilis, is now in full bloom. With delicate stems,

fragile foliage and delightful yellow flowers, speckled with black, this plant is one of the first bloomers every spring. This delicate plant is a lady of iron, pushing through layers of leaves that would choke and stifle lesser plants (and hopefully weeds). We acquired the moist packed seeds from Gardens North about 8 years ago, and managed to get three plants to grow. Now, with an abundance of seeds and wet summers, I have another dozen baby plants pushing up all over my shade garden. The lovely golden blossoms brighten up a normally dark corner of the yard.
Sadly, the cherry bushes are just about finished blooming. Delicate pink flowers fill our two bushes late each April. The larger of the two bushes is now about 6 feet or two meters high and provides a nice landscape impact when fully in bloom. The branches make lovely and elegant cut-flowers that I usually place in a tall dark colored vase. The pink flowers also work well with my Ikebana arrangements by providing structure for delicate white daffodils.

The shade is keeping the flowers blooming a bit longer than usual. The daffodils and tulips are both up, and I’ll cover those in the next article.

Happy Spring to you all!
Annie Rose

Indoor Gardening

Aside from the aesthetic value plants provide your home with, there are also health benefits – grade school science class tells us that plants cleanse the air through utilizing the carbon dioxide and producing more oxygen. Here is some important information on how to care for your indoor plants to gain the optimum health and aesthetic benefits.

Lighting

Most indoor plants need good lighting. You can provide this through natural lighting in the room of your choice or there must be electric lighting. Darker leaved plants usually don’t need as much light as others.

Here are the varieties of plants (usually those that only require medium to low light) that are known to be suitable for indoor gardening:

a. Philodendrons

b. Boston ferns

c. African violets

d. Cyclamens

e. Creeping Fig

Watering

A common mistake most people make in indoor gardening is they tend to over-water the plants, which may lead to rotting roots. Make sure to research the type of plant you have, because each kind of plant varies on their watering needs.

Potting

Choose good quality and attractive containers for your indoor plants. Make sure that the pot is clean before placing your new plant into it to prevent infection and to encourage healthy growth.

Humidity

In indoor gardening, humidity is a big issue. The amount of moisture in the air has an effect on the growth of your plants. During mornings, you could spray the plants with water for their much-needed moisture. Make sure the leaves don’t get covered in dust.

Fertilization

Just like watering, fertilizing depends on the type of plant. If you have managed to supply your indoor garden with the right amount of light, water and humidity, fertilization may not need much attention. A good indoor fertilizer can be bought from most home depot or hardware stores. Orchids need the special fertilizer available.

 

Hydroponic Gardening

Due changes in technology, this article on Hydroponic Gardening is being rewritten.

Modern Gardening Tools

Defective tools could cause damage to your plants, but it is worse if they are so uncomfortable to use that they give you blisters or a bad back. To avoid this, look for gardening equipment that will do the best job for your type of gardening. It must have the right amount of power to be energy efficient while also being able to do the job without causing you any more strain than necessary.

Here is a review of gardening equipment from the gardening experts themselves.

1. Garden Shredders

JCB SS2400 received five stars out of five from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has a 2400 watt motor and comes with a silent gear crushing system. It is one promising tool to improve and hasten your shredding activity.

Ryobi ESR – 2240 Electric Shredder is an easy to assemble garden shredder suitable for prunings up to 40mm. It comes with built-in wheels and a plunger for increased portability.

2. Hedge Trimmer

Bosch AHS42-16 Electric Hedge Trimmer also received five stars out of five rating from the gardening equipment reviewers from recommendedbuys.co.uk. It has 420 watt output.

3. Cultivators

Mantis Tiller Cultivator comes with patented tines to aid in cutting smoothly through hard, compacted soil. It is perfect for preparing vegetable plots, flower beds, etc. It also helps in thatching, aerating and cleaning moss. It also comes with a free border edger.

4. Lawnmowers

Brill 78370 Luxus Push Reel Mower rated 4.5 out of 5 stars Tools-hills.com customers. It has a large top cover that protects shrubs and overhanging flowers.

American Lawnmower Deluxe Light Reel Mower 1815-16 received 4.5 stars out of 5 from Epinions.com buyers. A push-mower, it does not cause pollution, but is not suitable for tall grass.

5. Leaf Sweeper

Agri-fab 26 Push Leaf Sweeper is for smaller lawns and is available with 200 litre collector. It also comes with an infinite height adjustment feature.

As a final word when you are looking at purchasing gardening tools, first thoroughly investigate the different sorts available, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well made machine will be giving you satisfactory use for a long time. A poor tool can be a source of constant discomfort. Get good tools, and take good care of them.

 

Fighting Plant Enemies

(1) those used to afford mechanical protection to the plants;

(2) those used to apply Insecticides and Fungicides.

Of the first the most useful is the covered frame. It consists usually of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and about eight high, covered with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito netting or mosquito wire. The first two coverings have, of course, the additional advantage of retaining heat and protecting from cold, making it possible by their use to plant earlier than is otherwise safe. They are used extensively in getting an extra early and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other vine vegetables.

Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants, such as tomatoes or cabbage, from the cut-worm, are stiff, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are made several inches high and large enough to be put around the stem and penetrate an inch or so into the soil.

For applying Insecticides and fungicides, the home gardener should use a spray bottle for small gardens. For larger gardens get a small tank sprayer, as this throws a continuous stream or spray and holds a much larger amount of the spraying solution. Whatever type you use, they do succumbs very quickly to corroding action so do rinse them out after each use.