The Critters Are Eating Well

By SKEETER What do we have here on top of the fence by our driveway?
A closer look reveals a half eaten apple!
Excuse the quality of this photo but it was humid out there and I did not spend too much time snapping pics. I am showing you this one though, due to you being able to see how strategically this apple was placed in between the fence diamond shapes. Perfectly balanced don't ya think? Now just how did this apple get on top of our fence? I know exactly how that apple got to the top of the fence. One of these little critters put it there and had a great snack. This squirrel is getting a drink from a birdbath in my Georgia Gardens. With a drought, they have been utilizing our birdbaths.
The apple tree does not belong to us but rather our neighbors. These are the neighbors which I tolerate living next door to me. They don't properly tend to their pets, fence or yard and they allow junk to pile up outside in sight of my eyes. They have planted an "Orchard" as they call it. Their orchard consist of about a dozen fruit bearing trees. I am not sure what all they have (I try to not look over there much) but apples and pears for sure. They do not take care of the trees and lose at least one, if not more each year due to our summer droughts. They never water the trees and I am surprised they have lasted this long. Look in the background and you can see one that looks as though it is dying if not already dead.
The trees are loaded with apples and pears and they are not picking them. I am not even sure they know the trees are full of fruit as they are never in this area of their yard.
They are ripe for the pickings' and the squirrels are the only ones picking them.
While snapping these pictures, I spotted this pear on the ground. Half eaten by the squirrels and now being nibbled by Ants.
And nearby, I spotted another apple! If you look closely you can see ants and a wasp taking advantage of the fruit. The Saint and I spotted one squirrel running up a tree with an apple in his mouth. We got a chuckle from that sight. I found another one in the middle of the driveway today while mowing. I find it funny how they grab a piece of the fruit then come into our yard to indulge in the spoils. The Saint and I are plotting a Night Maneuver over the fence. But until then, THE CRITTERS ARE EATING WELL, In the Garden...
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Corn

By SKEETERLook what is growing in a planter by the house here in my Georgia Gardens.
I did not plant this stalk of corn. It is growing well in this spot and I cannot wait to see what happens with the lone ear of corn.I do believe this little stinker planted the CORN, In the Garden...

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Grackles

By SKEETER I love birds and have provided a happy yard for them here in my Georgia Gardens. But these guys are not welcomed by me.
Grackles are beautiful birds but they show up in flocks and take over the feeders. They run off all the song birds and even the squirrels don't have a chance nibbling fallen seed under the feeders.
We usually have a few here and there but never a large flock until this year. I suspect when we cut down the 90 foot oak tree, it opened the view of the feeder to the grackles. I ran them off with loud claps but they would return within a few minutes once seeing the song birds back at the feeders. I had to resort to drastic measures. I removed the bird feeders in hopes they would go elsewhere. I will install the feeders in time and there is plenty of goodies around for the birds to eat for now. I do miss my feeders as they are always so busy with activity.
The squirrels miss the fallen treats from the feeders so they are capitalizing on the sunflowers in the area. I get the biggest kick out of watching them pull down the long stems of the sunflowers and trying to remove the entire sun flower bloom. I have yet to see one in action removing the bloom but have seen them nibbling on the bloom and running into the woods with a big bloom in their mouth.



This video shows one running with his treat. I cannot help but laugh as the blooms are as big as their heads but they are not letting go of their treasure. Too cute but not so cute when they move on from the sunflowers to my beloved garden flowers. Grackles GO AWAY, I do not want GRACKLES, In the Garden.

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Crabapple Dilemma

I have one squirrel in my Georgia Garden which I adore. Meet my little friend Squirrely! This little guy stays on his swing blowing in the wind and does not bother one thing in my Garden. Such a sweet and good squirrel my little pal Squirrely is to me. Too bad that squirrely is not the only squirrel in my life. We have nut trees, we feed the birds and I have flowers, therefore, we have tons of squirrels in our yard. On any given morning, I can usually count a dozen or so scampering about looking for trouble.

The Saint had wanted us to get a Crabapple tree from the time we moved into this house. I did not think that was a good idea due to the deer in our yard. One day as a surprise, I brought home a Robinson Crabapple for the Saint. He was so proud of his new tree and gladly posed with it shortly after planting her back in April of 2005.

She was in full bloom and pretty in no time at all. That has been the only time we have seen such beautiful blossoms on her.

She is much larger being 4 years old but I have been a bad mommy to the Saint's Crabapple. I don't have any updated pictures of her in her full green clothing. Here she stands naked as a Jay Bird but much taller. If you look closely, you can see the branches all the way to the top of the picture. I know, difficult to see but use your imagination today.... Even though this tree is in the main pathway for the deer to get to their corn we provide them, they do not bother this tree. I hung Dial Soap on it the first two years of its life with us and I assume it worked. The issue we are having with our little tree is the squirrels.

When the tree starts to bloom, the squirrels climb it and eat all the blossoms. When the blossoms are gone, they start to chew on the trunk! As if to say, "more, more, we want more blossoms"This little tree is tough and keep on healing its wounds but we don't know how much longer this tree will survive at this rate. Every spring there is a new wound from the pesky critters.

We had some warm temps so the tree popped out a few blossoms and the squirrels found them right away. Here is this years new wound on the poor Crabapple. I was thinking of putting a mesh wire fence around it as we did to the little dogwood tree. Click HERE to see that process. That seems to be keeping the deer and squirrels at bay for the little dogwood tree. Or maybe a slick stovepipe such as on our bird feeders.

The squirrels are slowly destroying our little Crabapple and we need help. Any suggestions on how to keep the squirrels off a tree?

We have another issue with the wonderful wildlife which surrounds us. This time, the squirrels are causing a CRABAPPLE DILEMMA, In the Garden...