That is pretty!

Looks sort of like mine, zebra grass. That doesn't spread by rhizomes (not that I've seen anyway). But it gets 9 feet tall. We have a wall of it - 18 plants - for privacy around the pool.

Some of it is not doing well this year - the rocks in the bed, not enough soil, poor soil, etc. We added compost and spagnum moss, so we'll see if that helps.

According to my sources, Miscanthus sinesis 'Zebrinus,' commonly knows as Zebra grass, grows in tight clumps that expand via short, underground rhizomes. Fortunately, they retain their round, clump shape and tidy appearance.

I just planted two Zebra grasses in my planter box over the weekend. They do get to be 7-9 feet tall and because of their coloring lend themselves to showing off plant material in their immediate surroundings! I use this particular grass a lot in my designs.

Give it a shot of fertilizer and make sure you cut it back. It likes to be pruned!

We cut ours mid spring every year, within a few inches of the ground (that's as low as we can get). It will not grow until we do that, and it does grow as soon as we do - it's as if the pruning triggers the new growth.

You could almost watch it and hear it grow. A little rain, a little het and it takes off - it's almost scary.



We only fertilize it at the beginning of the year. Too much growth and later the wind will knock it down. We selected this one because of the size, and we were hoping it wouldn't invade the yard and it has not. Some do and as big as this is, that could get dangerous.

They are cool in the fall when they bloom - they birds like the seeds. And in the winter, covered in snow.

What about chipmunks! I have holes all over my lawn. Will they do any damage? Or should I try and get rid of them? My veggie garden has been planted for a week and half and no one has touched it yet....fingers crossed.

Chipmunks will dig up your bulbs and eat them. They will also plant things for themselves for winter storage.

Check with your local garden center for a chipmunk/squirrel repellent.

Here's a couple of ideas that I have in my book from class

• bloodmeal sprinkled on the soil surface
• Hot pepper sprays and as a bonus they deter most insect pests

Awesome! Thanks! I have some tulips etc that have sprouted in random places. Must be from the chippies.

Watch with the bloodmeal. Dogs (and fox if you have them) will dig the livin' tar out of the spot where you put that.



They think there must be a carcass buried there.

Bunnies ate one of my pepper plants and a couple of my snapdragons.



Stoopid me, I forgot to move my fake snake over to the new veggie bed. That worked like a charm last year. It's looking kind of rough though. I'm going to see if they still have them and get a couple more.


I purposely plant stuff for the bunnies to munch - johnny jump ups - because that helps keep them away from things I'd rather they didn't eat. JJU's are full of vitamin C and one of their faves. The rabbits are pretty snmart about just munching so much off them that the plant will be okay - mostly the blooms.

You can eat them too ( in salads and such), or sugar coat them and use them decoratively on cakes and stuff. Sometimes I'll drop one in my iced tea. Hmmm, they'd be pretty in a mohito.

That happened to me too. I thought I was losing me marbles. Then one day I sat and watched a squirrel pulling up baby oaks, just sprouting in my front bed. (So that's how they find them!) There are NO oak trees on my end of town. I'd been wondering why they kept coming up there.

The next fall, I watched as a squirrel planted acorns where he'd been pulling them up that spring.

My question is, isn't there some animal that eats the seeds off those maples? Gads, I have gazillions of those! Sounds like my patio roof is being sandblasted.

All holiday weekend we had to move things out of my front garden,
for the street reconstruction (water main + sewer)

Today they lowered the street 14 inches, to prepare for the new curbs
and paving. This picture was taken today after work, and shows what they
have done so far. The black edging in the foreground shows where the curb used to be....the edging ended about 4 in from the curb. (which is now gone)
The place I am standing on and taking this picture is our neighbor's driveway.

I moved:
yellow daylillies
ribbon grass
sedums both upright and creeping
2 siberian iris

The previous plants were moved before this step.
coreopsis
creeping phlox
2 types of creeping sedums

So far they are all living...and the coreopsis is blooming in its temp flat! (surprise).

This is the 4th week, and I have sure had enough! Yesterday they were smashing up concrete in front, and it shook the whole house like an earthquake. I had to turn the computer OFF. Today the shaking was less, but the NOISE and dust were terrible.
What is gone are about 30 inches of garden, at this point. But I have to say, they did not damage anything else!
I am very grateful!

I sure am glad I live in an area where they would never have to widen our street! What a mess!!! Do they have to repair anything they damage? Trees for instance or did they condemn the right of way? I bet you'll be happy when the work is done!

I think Coreposis would bloom, or grow for that matter, almost anywhere!! My neighbor has been digging it up all over the place.

I got my 12' planter box planted over the weekend and it's been raining ever since. Happy plants!!

Yep, Brain you are right about planting bunny food, and the comment about bloodmeal. Although I've used it and had no problem with my dog or the local foxes digging in or around it, I can see that it could be cause for concern.

We have a pair of Red Foxes that live just behind us (they had 10 kits this year) and I have used it in the past to keep the darn squirrels out of my garden and haven't noticed any digging. Maybe I've just been lucky! Lots of other food for the animals!

And you can eat JJUs in your salad, I will let the bunnies eat them!! LOL!

As for what will eat the Maple tree "wings"...LOL! You have to do like I do...pick them out of the ground! I have a huge Norway Maple in my back yard that throws them out and I am picking up little maple trees in my flower bed in the fall! I just mow them down in the grass.