| Nursery folk are fond
of saying "the best spring flower gardens begin
in the fall," but try telling that to the squirrels
and other wild things foraging in your yard.
Squirrels are Public Enemy No. 1 to many flower
bulb growers. That includes Scott Kunst, head
gardener and owner of Old House Gardens in Ann
Arbor, Mich. Kunst specializes in the sale of
rare and unusual heirloom bulbs.
"Squirrels are the bane of my existence,"
he says. "All wildlife increasingly are a
problem for gardeners."
The leaves of certain flowers are delectable
to animals. Given a choice, they'll seek those
out first.
Daffodils are naturally protected because they
contain compounds that irritate the mouths of
hungry animals. But that doesn't mean freshly
planted daffodil bulbs are immune to wildlife
damage.
"One things squirrels do is just dig things
up," Kunst says. "They'll dig up daffodils,
too. They won't eat them, they'll just dig them
up."
Gardeners are learning to cover their bulbs immediately
after planting because many animals -- including
your favorite housecat -- are attracted to freshly
turned earth. Plastic netting or chicken wire
placed just below the ground's surface is an effective
remedy. "It's virtually invisible on the
ground," Kunst says. "After two weeks
or so, the flowerbed kind of goes back to what
it was and they'll leave it alone."
Some other nontoxic remedies for use against
squirrels, rabbits, deer and similar garden grazers:
• Try planting bulbs animals don't like.
That includes the Crocus Tommasinianus. It's one
of the earliest crocuses, blooming in late winter
and early spring, says Sally Ferguson. Animals
rarely bother narcissus bulbs.
Other seldom eaten bulbs include crown imperials,
snowdrops, Spanish bluebells, grape hyacinths,
silver bells and Scilla, Kunst says.
• Clean up loose bulb tunics and other planting
debris when you've finished. Their scent is a
guide to where the new bulbs lie, Ferguson says.
• Many gardeners advise feeding squirrels
peanuts or corn in tree feeders during the fall
nut-gathering and bulb-planting period. In theory,
this offers squirrels some easy pickings and discourages
them from digging for harder-to-find nourishment,
like bulbs.
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