Scarecrow Construction!

Kevin wanted to make a scarecrow last year to keep the birds from our fruit. We did not get around to it but this year we are organising a family day to do it.My son in law Rob is in charge of planning,the kids are in charge of getting the stuffing and 'bits' together. We still were not sure of how to actually put one together so Kevin's Mom, Aisling volunteered to go online and 'Google' scarecrow! I might add Aisling is 8 months pregnant so this her contribution. Lo and behold she found Scarecrow instructions on a New Zealand website! http://www.bestgardening.com/
I have been on the site and even though it is mainly for the climate in New Zealand there is a wealth of general information which can be used by any gardener ie;


A Caffeine Fix for Slugs and Snails In one of the best pieces of gardening news in recent years scientists have discovered that slugs and snails detest caffeine. Pouring the dregs of your morning coffee on the ground will drive them away. Even better, add coffee grounds to your mulch or potting mix. Ask your local coffee shop if you can recycle their leftovers and mulch your hostas, lettuce seedlings and more. That morning cuppa will never be the same again!

Aphids can be eliminated with Rhubarb spray. Boil 5 rhubarb leaves in a large pot of water for approximately 10 mins. When cooled add a squirt of dishwashing detergent to fix the spray to the leaves. Set to and spray. Note that rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid and should not be eaten.

Just 2 relevant pieces of information which can be applied anywhere. They have the most comprehensive advice on Asparagus I have seen yet! I will be adding this site to my favourites and visiting on a regulare basis.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Well it looks like my self-imposed, pregnancy induced house imprisonment has done some good! Didnt realise there was so much involved in scarecrow making though....maybe we should just get the kids to stay on the allotment in a tent to shoo away any hungry birds instead!
Aisling xxx
June 9, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Callum's Blog said…
Hi Mam,
Another way of getting rid of Aphids is to introduce Ladybirds onto your site. Ladybirds seek out and consume vast amounts of Aphids. When you think that 10 Aphids can produce close on 1 million in a year it could be worth it.
This was on Springwatch the other night.
Talk soon
Billy
June 18, 2008 at 5:19 PM
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