Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers-Gardening
Gift Ideas for Bird Lovers
Some of the best gifts you can give to a bird lover are those that have to do with birds! 
Here are a few favorites of all bird lovers:* Bird HousesYou can find a wide variety of bird house designs and styles. Usually anyone that really loves birds also really loves different types of bird houses too. Also, when shopping for a bird house, keep in mind that some bird houses are made for specific types of birds, and others can be used by multiple types and sizes.* Bird Baths and FountainsThese also make wonderful gifts for bird lovers because they tend to attract more birds to the yard. Birds love to play in water as well as drink and bathe in it. So these make fantastic gifts for bird lovers. Something to know when buying bird baths and fountains though: Birds are easily scared. So try to avoid any bright colors - especially red - and try to avoid shiny things that reflect the sun.* Bird FeedersAnother nice gift for bird lovers because this also tends to draw birds in from miles around. Birds also remember their feeding spots over the winter... and when they come back to their feeding spot the following spring they're likely to bring more birds with them.
Mole Traps: Can You Use Them?-Gardening
Mole Traps: Can You Use Them?
Mole control is one of the most complicated problems that
can face a gardening enthusiast.It is not from lack of information. Plenty of information is
available. University research and white papers, government
brochures, and plenty of expert opinions.It is not from a lack of products either. At any time there
are 10 or more different varieties of mole trap on sale,
plus various poisons and repellants.The experts, university professors and even the government,
when they express an opinion, even come close to a
concensus. Mole traps are probably the most effective method
of mole control, if set correctly, checked on a regular
basis etc.Most reports however take a very simplistic view:-A single plot of land
No regard to whether neighbouring plots are residential, farmland or wooded.
No recommendations on how to co-ordinate efforts with
neighbours.
If one neighbour has a huge infestation of moles, but
refuses to take action, can they be force to do so? If you
used fumigation in such a case, could they hold you liable
for killing their moles?
Rules apply to specific localityThere are states in the US where the use of mole traps are
restricted. There are areas of Canada where both the Eastern
Mole and the Townsend mole are a protected species. The
bordering states in the US have no restrictions, yet species
conservation is meant to be a global concern.Lethal methods of mole control can only be used in Germany where the moles are a confirmed hazard.
The use of traps in many US States currently falls under
hunting regulations which can require a license, and
specific measures to be taken. This is often not enforced.To research solutions to your mole problem, don't just grab the first offer with a guaranteed solution. Factor in the time administering the solution will consume on a daily basis, heed local legislation, and be aware of environmental issues.Andy Beard is researching mole control to combat the moles
in his garden. More information can be found at
Getting Rid of Ground Moles
Fuchsia procumbens-Gardening
Fuchsia procumbens
Fuchsia (named after Leonhard Fuchs, a 16th century German botanist) is a genus of over 100 species of shrubs and small trees. Although there are four New Zealand native species (colensoi, excorticata, perscandens and procumbens) and one from Tahiti, the vast bulk of the genus occurs in Central and South America.
Think of fuchsias and chances are the fancy garden hybrids come to mind first. Showy as they are, it is not difficult to see they are related to wild species such as Fuchsia magellanica, Fuchsia denticulata and Fuchsia triphylla.
Some species, however, are less easy to distinguish. Our common native tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) has fuchsia-like flowers, though it can be hard to see the connection with the garden plants when it is not in bloom. But the likes of Fuchsia arborescens from Central America, with its panicles of tiny flowers, scarcely matches the common idea of a fuchsia.
The most widely grown of New Zealand's native species is Fuchsia procumbens and it too is quite unlike the garden cultivars. It is a low spreading plant with small rounded leaves and can be very hard to pick as a fuchsia until it flowers. Indeed, my initial experience of the plant was with cultivated specimens and I have to admit that I didn't immediately recognise wild plants when I first saw them.
This species was discovered in Northland in 1834 by Richard Cunningham. (some authorities call him Robert; in any case he should not be confused with his better known brother Allan.) However, it wasn't introduced into Europe until 40 years later in 1874. It has at times also been known as Fuchsia prostrata and Fuchsia kirkii.
The species occurs naturally in the north of the North Island down to northern Coromandel, often in coastal areas, and is now endangered in the wild. Though wild specimens can spread to several metres wide, cultivated plants are usually quite compact.
The flowers, which appear from mid to late spring are sometimes hard to see among the dense, sprawling foliage. The blooms are not the usual fuchsia colours - green and yellow, not red and purple