Spring so far has been chilly, which has not put a damper on the wildlife in my garden. Two weeks ago I found three buxom female turkeys strutting around the back garden, as bold as brass. There was no male in sight, so I assume they were having a girls’ morning out. They looked mildly interested in my presence, but nothing—including the sound of the car starting up—scared them. I guess I am lucky they didn’t want to come into the house.
The she-turkeys haven’t been back, as far as I know. They were probably miffed when I didn’t offer them any coffee. However, the ground hog is up and about. The big tunnel-entry hole by the garage side of my raised bed had been undisturbed since the end of last summer when I filled it with a large amount of used cat litter. Now it is nicely opened once more and yesterday I saw the groundhog, in all of his fast-moving spring slimness, hurdling across the street in front of the house. I am fortunate that in this household we have an endless supply of used litter. Since our cats are not in a position to chase off the groundhog—largely because they spend most of each day in a sleeping position—I think of the used cat litter as their contribution to garden betterment.
Last year Mr. Antlers, a large deer, made this neighborhood his stomping ground. Like any good alpha male, Mr. Antlers rarely ventured forth without his posse of three somewhat smaller males. I haven’t seen Mr. Antlers and the boys yet this spring, but my garden is now a frequent stopping point for a female member of his clan, whom I have christened Jane Doe. Jane clearly likes the quiet of my back garden. She is lucky that the groundhog makes so little noise.
Jane flees if I get within six feet of her, but overall, she is not intimidated. I don’t wish Jane Doe any harm, but I do wish she would find another quiet refuge. In the meantime, I have sprayed noxious deer repellent on everything that is not a hellebore.
The deer repellant is stinky and has to be reapplied after every rainstorm. Deer fencing is not an option in my suburban lot, so I comb the garden media in search of better solutions. Not long ago I came across one that was new to me—Vick’s Vapo-Rub. Since Vick’s is cheap and better smelling than the spray repellant, I decided to try it. According to the person who wrote the tip, you apply dabs of Vick’s here and there to branches or stalks of vulnerable plants. The strong odor is not pleasant to Jane Doe and her peers, making them eager to avoid the treated plants.
I take all of these deer proofing tips with a grain of salt, but decided that Vick’s was worth a try. I bought a large jar and dabbed it on all the roses, hydrangeas and other vulnerable plants in the lower back garden. I can see the advantages. Vick’s is so greasy that it sticks to the plants and judging by the struggle I had to wash it off my hands, it will hold up through a rainstorm or two. The aroma will also become more pronounced as the sun heats the garden.
Maybe if I rub some on my legs and arms before I go out, it will also act as a deer tick repellant.
The jury is still out, but yesterday Jane Doe was browsing in the untreated upper back garden, rather than the Vapo-Rubbed lower back garden. I am hoping for the best, but I figure even if the Vapo-Rub doesn’t work, it will save Jane from nasal congestion during the spring allergy season.
The presence of the wild kingdom in my backyard, which is only twelve miles west of New York City, is discouraging, but I refuse to give up on my garden. It means too much to me. To that end, I have finally righted the garden arch that was toppled by Hurricane Sandy and forged ahead with the spring clean-up. Going forward, I will keep both deer repellant spray and Vapo-Rub in my garden basket and apply them continuously.
Now I am looking through the catalogs in search of additional spring blooming shrubs. I am fixated on fragrant daphnes because they bloom early and produce extraordinary fragrance. I am sure Jane Doe, the groundhog and all three of the she-turkeys will appreciate my efforts.