Garden chat & photos for torts and people ♫ ♫

[Tyanna]

LOVE IT. That is so cute! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Rick's Sullivan]

A little post going back to my Garden Biodiversity theme...

I know that I've shared my love for squirrels and have done some rehabbing (both successful and sadly "Un" --I have a little imprinted guy that is stuck with me forever)
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a little older than two weeks

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look at that "happy tummy" --someone's about to be weened!

And now i'm just showing off...
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FYI: The kids certainly don't mind, but this photo actually shows that I was UNSUCCESSFUL here. I truly believe Wild animals should be returned to the wild if possible and would never advocate for keeping squirrels as pets. Happily, we love this guy dearly and he has done a good job showing other squirrels a little bit about being a squirrel.
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ANYWAY!!...SORRY FOR THE DISTRACTION...

I've been trying to make the squirrels tough it out and learn to forage etc. I try to plant in my yard in such a way to encourage natural foraging (where I want it! Leave me some corn, PLEASE!) I haven't been doing much for the squirrels in the winter. A few years ago, the winter was particularly cold and extremely harsh. By the end of the winter, I was saddened to find old, wind blown, fallen down nests with sad starved curled up dead squirrels inside. Most squirrels die their first year of starvation. It kind of drives me crazy when people put up bird feeders intended to baffle squirrels. Why should one animal starve watching other animals eat your seed? I know that's pretty debatable, but it is how I feel.

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Here's a photo of 1 of my 5 squirrel nests. Squirrels Do NOT hibernate. They are one of the few animals that use their nests year round. These guys really have tough lives during the winter.

Really tough in the winter, but not so bad in the summer...They just need to find water, keep foraging, watch out for bigger Males AND STAY OUT OF THE FRICKIN' STREET!

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I hope this guy lounging in the shade is one of mine!

Before I left town this Christmas, I put out some fruit that would go bad in my empty house and added a bunch of nuts. I hid them among the trees outside.

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Apparently, the squirrels are doing SO GREAT this year that they decided to be picky AND NOT EAT THEIR VEGETABLES!

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NAUGHTY SQUIRRELS!!!

huh. that's actually a really good idea. I never seem to eat grapes before they go bad. I'll try tossing them outside and see if the birds will eat them. it will compost if they don't. Also, those are some crazy photos!

 

[puffy137]

Amazing Chrissy thank you . love squirrels.

 

[Prairie Mom]

@phebe121 The Rose of Sharon seeds you sent me are now in some warm dirt I'm crossing my fingers for them and will keep you posted. Wish me luck!



Getting tucked in Sleep tight little buddies! Grow big and strong!

 

[Prairie Mom]

Amazing Chrissy thank you . love squirrels.

You're always so nice, Puffy I adore you! Thanks

 

[Tyanna]

@phebe121 The Rose of Sharon seeds you sent me are now in some warm dirt I'm crossing my fingers for them and will keep you posted. Wish me luck!
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Getting tucked in Sleep tight little buddies! Grow big and strong!

Should I start mine in zone 5 now?

 

[phebe121]

@phebe121 The Rose of Sharon seeds you sent me are now in some warm dirt I'm crossing my fingers for them and will keep you posted. Wish me luck!
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Getting tucked in Sleep tight little buddies! Grow big and strong!

Awesome good luck im sure it will work oit they just multiply when planted

 

[Prairie Mom]

So, I'm beginning A LOT of seeds right now. A-LOT!

We're getting ready for our summer food garden. We have to start really early on some things (Tomatoes are going in today).

Also, we're doing a little work on Mavis's enclosure... We put her enclosure together pretty quickly using construction materials we had at home (we always have lots of building projects). Our Sulcata arrived in our home unexpectedly, so we weren't able to make things how we would prefer. We didn't take time to stain the wood and just used an old shower curtain and mattress cover. Now poor Mavis is stuck in her Tupperware again--SORRY! I LOVE YOU! And my husband is putting in some vinyl kitchen-type flooring all over the inside. We're splurging a little to make it look nice. He's going to dress up the outside of the enclosure for me too with some spare wainscoting that matches the room her enclosure is in.

The photo doesn't do it justice. I really love how the "fake" tile looks in there. He's finishing it up today and the kids & cats think Daddy is hilarious behind glass!

The reason I'm talking about Mavis's enclosure here is that I FINALLY GET TO PLANT FOR HER!!! YAY! I've had a few small things growing just to help her diet this winter, but I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do all along and will be placing grass/weed trays in the substrate and various edible flowers and weeds through out her chamber. I'm going to put plants in there to look nice and also for her to eat and DESTROY. It's her room after all, I want her to enjoy it since she's stuck inside this winter.
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I'll post a list of everything I'm growing for her soon. As I was getting my stuff ready, I thought of this thread and laughed because I'm guessing that I'll finally KILL OFF THIS THREAD when I post nothing but photos of dirt (with seeds inside) for the next few months...ha ha ha

 

[Prairie Mom]

Should I start mine in zone 5 now?

This is the first time I've ever done Rose of Sharon. So, I'm not sure. It certainly wouldn't hurt to try. I think the larger the plants are the better your chances of hardening them off successfully in the Spring will be. Plus, Spring will come EARLIER to you in Zone 5 than it will to me in Zone 4. Why not get an early start? I have a few vegetables that I'm not sure when exactly I want to start. So, I'm doing a few now and saving a few seeds for later incase I decide it was a mistake to begin too early.

 

[Prairie Mom]

Awesome good luck im sure it will work oit they just multiply when planted

Thanks! I'll post photos for you as they grow. Hopefully, I can keep the cats away. They've already gotten to a couple seedlings I got from someone else...grrr

 

[phebe121]

Thanks! I'll post photos for you as they grow. Hopefully, I can keep the cats away. They've already gotten to a couple seedlings I got from someone else...grrr

I know my one cat is the same way all my plants are up high lol the other cat eats plastic of any kind shower curtain,candy wrappers,tolit paper papper towels lol plastic and paper products

 

[Jacqui]

Thanks! I'll post photos for you as they grow. Hopefully, I can keep the cats away. They've already gotten to a couple seedlings I got from someone else...grrr

Cats are why I have such bad luck with plants inside and such limited areas to even try keeping them.

 

[Jacqui]

Wait did you say pineapple flavored?!

lol that is what they say.

 

[Jacqui]

I wonder how you would know when they are ripe?

Maybe they become whiter?

 

[Jacqui]

I just mention squirrels the other day on another thread. I am amazed they become extinct with the vast numbers I see roadkilled.

 

[Prairie Mom]

I just mention squirrels the other day on another thread. I am amazed they become extinct with the vast numbers I see roadkilled.

I know! It's amazing! They usually die their first year from starvation or cars. I don't mean to go on and on about squirrels, but something interesting... Scientists who study the science of aging are doing tons of tests on squirrel genetics, because rats and squirrels are SO SIMILAR, but while rats only live between two and very occasionally 4 years in captivity...SQUIRRELS CAN LIVE UP TO 25!!! -I find that so interesting. NPR did a segment about it last year.

 

[Jacqui]

I know my Mom had a "pet" squirrel (a wild one who just became pretty tame) that lived for many years. It had a short tail and that;s how she knew for sure it was the same animal.

 

[Prairie Mom]

I know my Mom had a "pet" squirrel (a wild one who just became pretty tame) that lived for many years. It had a short tail and that;s how she knew for sure it was the same animal.

oh...that's so cool

 

[phebe121]

I used to have this squirrel that we called mama shed come up to the front door for peanuts and she would put her babies on the steps sometimes for us to see them

 

[Prairie Mom]

I used to have this squirrel that we called mama shed come up to the front door for peanuts and she would put her babies on the steps sometimes for us to see them

Wow! That's amazing!