Christmas in July: Tinsel for Tomato Plants to Ward off Birds
My little, green tomatoes are starting to blush and I still have some ever-bearing strawberries ripening. That means it’s time to fend off the interests of birds before they begin to target my fruit. Since I love having the birds in my yard – I’ve gone to great effort to lay out a wonderful birdfeeder buffet, birdhouses and birdbath – I needed to find a way to keep them happily eating their food and away from mine.
So, to keep the birds from the red fruit dripping from my greenery, I’ve decided to deck the garden with tinsel. I raided my Christmas decorations box and pulled out the bag of tinsel. I spent a wonderful morning tying strands of shiny silver to my plant cages where they will catch in the breeze and glitter in the sun. This has been very effective in keeping the birds at bay and it’s quite lovely to see my garden sparkle in the sun.
Note to those with squirrels: Though the birds have kept clear from the tinsel on my strawberries, the squirrels have not been so kind. I’ve not harvested a single strawberry this year despite the tinsel, the triple layer of netting and a vigilant – well, a sometimes vigilant – guard dog. The squirrels use their dexterous little fingers to find their way past the netting and grab the fruit while it’s still pink. Next year, I plan to incarcerate the strawberry planter in a cage. Poor strawberries, imprisoned for the crimes of others. Is there no justice in the world?
Breathe deeply,
Laugh with abandon,
Love wholly,
Eat well.
MiLady Carol
www.GreenTeaLady.com
http://miladycarol.com
Dazzling jewelry that reflects sparkling personalities!
Poor strawberries, but your tomatoes look beautiful!
I really like my squirrel friends/thieves, so I’m a lot more relaxed about it than I probably should be. *smiles* Next year, I’ll guard against the little rogues. You’d think my daily tribute of nuts to them would be enough, eh?
Not a single strawberry harvested? Oh, the woes of gardening!
I know! There’s still hope, though. My strawberry pot contains both June-bearing and ever-bearing strawberries. I currently have a few green ones and some flowers under two layers of netting. My optimism knows no bounds.
MiLady Carol