Every now and then, it may be time for me to surrender. Simply give it up. I’ve done everything to win the battle.
This is not to say that all my gardening struggles should be abandoned, but when all my efforts are thwarted, it may be time to call it quits.
No, this isn’t about my persistent weeds or ever chewing insects, but those foraging four-legged invaders that take special relish in finding, digging, and nibbling on whatever they find in my garden.
Yes, it’s those cute, furry-tailed, squirrels (Scurius carolinensus).
No matter what I have tried, they can’t be deterred from slaughtering my tulips (Tulipa).
Not all is in despair, as I’ve had tremendous success when I planted groups of bulbs that were wrapped in chicken wire cages.
But, once the bulbs grew, squirrels nipped off the flower buds.
Any repellents I tried worked for a few days but it didn’t take long for those bushy-tailed wonders to become aware that the repugnant deterrent had worn off and was no longer effective.
Even those “sure fire” scent-based remedies seem to evaporate after a rain, so they have to be re-applied or an umbrella has to cover them.
Dousing cayenne pepper, sprinkling coyote urine, scattering human hair cuttings or hanging up mesh bags of Irish Spring Soap are not viable.
But in the whole process, I proved that squirrels do not target daffodils (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) or alliums (Allium flavum).
Ironically, even intermingling only worked marginally to protect the tulips.
The logical answer is to simply let the squirrels win and plant daffodils or alliums. Although, there is no comparison to the vibrancy and brilliance of tulips, choosing daffodils will suffice as an introduction to spring.
The common and wild daffodil, Easter lily, Lentlily and downdilly are readily seen in gardens, woodlands, meadows and on grassy slopes.
Daffodils are a member of the Amaryllidaceae family.
Somehow, wildlife (squirrels, rabbits, deer, mice, moles, voles) have an innate sense that the bulb, foliage, and seed are poisonous. They contain toxic alkaloids that cause diarrhea, dizziness or abdominal pain.
Also, if daffodil foliage is picked from the garden, a poisonous sticky sap will extrude from the bottom of the stem. It has been especially troublesome to florists as the sap has been known to cause dermatitis.
The sap is also very toxic to other cut flowers unless the daffodils have been allowed to let stand in water for 24 hours.
The botanical name for daffodil is Narcissus, which also is a Greek mythological figure. Ironically, ever nodding of the daffodil bloom is said to represent Narcissus bending down and gazing at his reflection in a pool of water.
There are numerous species of Narcissus.
The Narcissus is native to Western Europe. The Netherlands, Great Britain, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia are large commercial growers of bulbs and flowers.
During March and April, a blossom grows at the tip of a flattened stalk. Flowers resemble a ‘trumpet’ (corona) surrounded by a ring of 3 sepals and 3 petals (perianth). The flowers are up to 6 cm (2”) long and the ‘trumpet’ and ring of petals are roughly the same length.
Traditional full yellow blossoms are now complemented with numerous hybrid variations of shades and combinations of yellow, white and pink.
Narcissus is a bulbous perennial with upright, flattened strap-like, grey-green leaves. Leaves grow from the stem base to 35 cm (14”) long and 1cm (.4”) wide.
Gardeners should choose bulbs that are large, heavy and dense. Remember, the larger the bulb, the larger the blossom.
Like all fall bulbs, they should be planted during autumn, in well-drained soil. Choose a sunny location, although they can be planted under a deciduous tree that leafs out later during spring.
The bulb must to be planted with tip pointing upward at a depth that is three times deeper than the size of the bulb, as the plant needs to be firmly anchored when it is full-grown.
Deadheading is very beneficial to the plant but, the leaves must not be cut back until they have faded. They provide energy (food) for the bulb for next spring.
Ron Stevenson is a member of the Fergus Horticultural Society.
