By Michelle Portesi
This will be the first in a series of articles dealing with getting your yard ready for summer: controlling garden pests (today), planning a drought tolerant yard for our current water restrictions, putting in some inexpensive curb appeal to wow potential buyers and growing plants in shade and vegetables in sun in your high country garden.
Spring is a relative term here in the mountains. Teasingly warm, sunny days quickly followed by snow and sleet. I suddenly have hail in my yard even as I write this. (Where was this in February when we actually wanted it???) But hey, we need the water, so we’ll take it!
That being said, our growing season is precariously short, and if we want a glorious summer garden, we have to start preparing those areas now.
Today, we’re focused on controlling garden pests while still being good stewards of our fragile forest environment.
For the first time ever, I’m battling moles/voles. They’ve managed to eat almost everything I’ve planted in the last two years. A thriving potted plant from the nursery would be a wilted mass once in the ground. Close inspection revealed a new series of tunnels in the entire planter and the roots of everything completely eaten away, leaving behind dieing, shriveled, soon to be brown tufts above ground. Being not too wild about providing an expensive outdoor buffet for the little beasts, this year I declared war!
Most suggestions however on how to combat moles, voles and gophers involved poisons, but in our wildlife rich environment, using them has some tragic and unexpected consequences:
This is from Dave Rees’ post on Facebook~
I died today.
I was found by a kind, sweet woman who does wildlife rescue.
I was so sick, I could barely open my eyes.
She took me inside, cradling me in her warm arms, and made me warm and comfortable.
I opened my eyes and looked at her and thanked her for making my last few minutes as comfortable as possible.
But i was too sick to keep fighting anymore.
I had eaten a mouse that was poisoned, and it made me very sick.
I closed my yellow eyes for the last time and went somewhere else.
Please, all I ask is never use poison to kill the mice.
Poison kills owls, like me.
All I wanted was a mouse for dinner.
I died today….
Please SHARE this for poison awareness.
Stop the use of poison for rats or mice. Live traps are the best to use. Catch and release. Please.
Save a precious life today, because all life is precious.
* * *
While using poisons my seem expedient, it’s important to keep in mind what else along the food chain you’re also killing once the poisoned critter is ingested. In addition to owls, the list includes bald eagles and hawks, the rarely seen red fox, coyotes and even your own feline pets. In addition, these poisons can seep into the ground water and wash into creeks, rivers and lakes. Bad idea all around.
So I was thrilled to find this suggestion. Lining your plants or even whole planters with hardware wire. Your plants get protected, the environment is safe from poisons, and the critters we share this lovely area with get to live another day to hunt your garden pests. Win, Win all around!
Hardware wire. Try chewing through this vermin!
.
In short order, I had dug out the planter and boxed it in with the hardware wire. In addition, this allowed me to mix in some much needed compost with the excavated dirt as I filled the planter back in. (Most of our soil is decomposed pine needles and is way too acidic, nutrient deficient and has very poor drainage and/or water retention ability.) The area is now ready for new plants to thrive in once our weather becomes more consistently warm.
Be aware. Be kind. There are almost always better solutions to combat common garden pests than using poisons.
.
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
www.lynnrichardson.net
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
By Michelle Portesi
We’ve talked about this subject before, but as pictures say a thousand words, we thought we’d show you what we’re talking about! So many folks, especially second homeowners, just want to sell and be done with it, preferably without sinking any time or money into the property to do it. To be appealing to potential buyers and to sell your home quickly, a little elbow grease and a few well spent dollars can make a world of difference. The home below sold in a matter of days!
Staging your home can take a mediocre property from ok to Wow! … and a nicer property from Wow! to Spectacular!!!
BEFORE
Living Room – BEFORE
Living Room – BEFORE
.
.
AFTER
Living Room – After
.
As we’ve written previously, a house with too much furniture and clutter not only is uninviting, but makes a house seem smaller than it actually is. Inversely, a house with rundown furnishings or no furnishings makes a home feel cold and unappealing as well. Buyers often have a hard time envisioning themselves living in what is currently someone else’s home. Do them (and yourself) a favor and help them see themselves in the home you are selling. There are a number of Lake Tahoe and Truckee local Interior Design businesses and retail shops that specialize in staging, often drawing from some of their showroom pieces as temporary rentals.
Think of it like choosing a restaurant. You certainly want to be there for the quality of the food, but ambiance can play a big part in your enjoyment of the meal. In fact, ambiance can turn a restaurant with OK fare into something special. And so it is with a house. Staging can make it appear better than it may actually be. Playing up your home’s strengths will help distract from some of its shortcomings.
Kitchen – BEFORE
Kitchen – AFTER
Not only does adding accessories and little pops of color add visual interest to a drab, lifeless room, don’t negate the power of good, professional photography to bring a space to life. Note that the only thing done to the dated kitchen above is the addition of tasteful and current yellow accessories and great lighting.
For more tips and tricks on getting your home ready to sell, read our previous article on preparing your home to enter the real estate market:
https://yourfriendinhighplaces.net/2014/09/16/setting-the-stage-for-selling-your-lake-tahoe-or-truckee-house/
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
www.lynnrichardson.net
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
By Michelle Portesi
The Pier at Sugar Pine Point State Park
There are a few places around the lake that are very near and dear to my heart, and Sugar Pine Point is one of them. That’s why I am so pleased to tell you that they are hosting a free locals day on Sunday, May 31st from 10am-3pm, which includes free parking and a free tour of the Hellman-Ehrman Mansion.
If you’ve never done this wonderful tour, it’s a must do for any Tahoe/Truckee local and visitor alike. You will be treated to not only a viewing of the mansions well appointed rooms as they would have been during their heyday, but your very knowledgeable guides will take you on a heady historical journey of the various homes occupants and how they lived. (Think an ‘American Mountain Style’ version of Downton Abbey’…)
Front porch of the Hellman Ehrman Mansion
After you’re done with the tour, sit a spell on the the expansive and shady porch, or peruse the out buildings, including General Phipps Cabin, one of the oldest structures still existing at Lake Tahoe. Wander down to the pier and its inviting white sand beach and crystal aqua waters.
The grounds of the estate is fairly large and includes a nature trail that can take you all the way to the highway and on to General Creek Campground. For more information, visit: www.parks.ca.gov
Starling on the pier at Sugar Pine Point State Park
THINK OF ME, LYNN RICHARDSON, FOR ALL OF YOUR LAKE TAHOE AND TRUCKEE REAL ESTATE NEEDS!
lynnrichardson.net
Share this: Lynn Richardson, Your Friend in High Places
YOUR FRIEND IN HIGH PLACES 