GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden–get FREE access right now!
Gardens appeal to animals as much as they appeal to us. This FREEBIE shares stories of animal adventures in the garden.
Dear Gardener,
Some animals enjoy our gardens as much as we do. Our FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, shares the joy, humor, and occasional hazards of gardening with animals.
Our animal friends are part of nature, after all. And it’s in their nature to roam in the garden — sometimes in surprising ways.
Our FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, shares stories of humans and animals together in the garden. Here’s a look at what you can expect.
Tinkerbell’s Tale: A cat’s-eye view of gardening
Ever wonder what cats think about gardening? Get a feline’s perspective on all things plants:
I just can’t stand to be bored, and I love to visit people. One of my favorite places is Eva’s garden …
You know how it goes: The sun is up, the sky is blue, and the lady of the house (who fancies herself my owner) is off to work, so out the cat door I go. I love this neighborhood — especially the leash laws for dogs (smirk-chuckle) …
She’s going to go to the garden! If I run really fast, I can beat her there—see? Now she’s digging holes! Let’s get my head in there to see what’s what. Hey, watch where you put that trowel—I’m looking here!
Nothing interesting in this hole. Maybe the next one … nope.
I think I’ll go over to the curbstones, they are so nice and warm in the sun. I can just sit here and watch as she takes the plants from their trays, one after the other, and puts them in the holes she dug. I love garden work. I could watch her do it all day …
Every garden could use a garden cat, don’t you think? Check out the FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden to read more about Tinkerbell’s adventures in the garden.
Is That a Rabbit on Your Head?
When Beth moved from Hawaii to Massachusetts, she learned about a whole new style of gardening. She joined her town’s garden club — and that’s when the fun started. She volunteered to be on the plant collecting committee, gathering unwanted plants from neighbors whose gardens could use a little thinning.
On one house call, Beth made a new gardening buddy:
At the first garden, an adorable white bunny hopped along with us, as the owner, cocktail in hand, toured us around her yard. Pointing to a choked mass of irises, she said, “Those roses need thinning.” Liz glanced at me—and shook her head. We were there to dig up free plants, not give botanical lessons. The owner toddled off to refresh her drink, and we set to our task.
We finished, grimy and sweaty, and Liz went to find the owner. I lay back on the grass, eyes closed, listening to birdsong. The bunny, pink-nosed and fluffy as a character from a children’s story, had stayed within sight, so when I felt it behind me snuffling my hair, I stayed still, keeping my eyes closed and thinking, “How sweet, how Alice in Wonderland.” But then…
It was just a sweet little bunny…right?
Read the FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, to read the rest of this story of making friends in the garden.
Dancing with Beetles
We’ve all had that one garden experience that changes our view on how to handle garden pests.
In this story by Emily Edwards, there’s a life lesson in how to approach pest control in the garden. Here’s a peek:
I had planted the first of my roses and just finished mowing the lawn when I spied the first of the invaders.
Japanese beetles.
Their tell-tale, iridescent green, hard shells blanketed my lush grape arbor as they greedily feasted on newly opened leaves. How dare they treat my arbor as if it were an all-you-can-eat buffet?!
My poor baby grapes didn’t stand a chance! And my roses! How could they survive? My maternal instincts kicked into overdrive.
But I had just the solution waiting in my barn: two Japanese beetle traps. I slipped the potent lures into their slots, knowing it was only a matter of time before the invaders would be trapped in these hanging coffins. But hold on. Would one lure really be enough to pull in all the beetles? Just to be safe, I added an extra lure to each trap. I marched toward the grape arbor to give the pests a whiff of their upcoming doom. Then I would stake the bags way back behind our small orchard, where two shepherd’s hooks stood waiting.
My plan was coming together perfectly.
Almost …
What happens next will either curl your hair or leave you in stitches.
Read our FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, to see how Emily’s beetle-busting plan worked out.
There’s no time like time in the garden. And having our animal friends around can certainly be … interesting.
In our FREEBIE, GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, you’ll find stories that highlight the hijinks of the animals among us.
This GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden, is our gift to you.
I hope this freebie makes you smile as you prepare for your next trip to the garden. Enjoy GreenPrints Sampler: Animals in the Garden — where adventure awaits.
Sincerely,
Amanda MacArthur
Daily Editor
GreenPrints
