creative blossoms

Hello Everyone -

I have installed over 50 dog runs and involved in setting up numerous others, so when a young lady came to me on the advice of another concerning doggie damage on her landscape I wasn't caught off surprised. Her problem – holes in the lawn and flower beds – was an easy one and told her not to worry soon she will have a beautiful yard and be happy about her dog again!

I have found that a dog will naturally dig where he thinks a bone can be found… and often, as in this instance, I've been right; all due to the fact that most people/companies include bonemeal for use during planting holes in their fertilizer; although, not in large amounts dogs sense of smell is 300-400 times as sharp as ours. To stop them from digging you have use my 'Dog Disapearing Mix', which is made up of a chili powder mixed in fresh soil with some other items – list is available here, upon request or at Creative Blossoms – after a few tries your dog won't even try to dig in those areas he will associate with a burning nose.

So you have to be proactive and switch to another phosphorus-rich fertilizer – seaweed/fish emulsion/rock phosphate – if you have a dog. A  similar problem is when your dog  camps out in an area that you wish he wouldn't. Well, dogs find the scent of bananas disgusting so just divide your peeling between the compost pile and spots where you don't want him to lay around – oh yeah, the potassium richness of the peels feeds the plants/grass and especially roses. The peels can be introduced in various ways, just be creative or I will give you some ideas.

If he insists on sleeping atop of your flowers then get a little rough with him by placing the pruned branches from roses or other thorny plants over the area where you don't want him to sleep.

Doggie yellow spots (burns from the excess nitrogen and salts in urine)in the lawn can be repaired easily if you place some gypsum lighty over the area then oversprsy with 1 cup of baby shampoo to 20 gallons of water. Then a week later take 1/2 can of beer (cheapest), 1/2 can of any regular cola (not diet) and 1/2 cup of ammonia; mix together in your 20 gallon hose-end sprayer and spray the area(s) to the point of super soaking.

And remember to remove asap your dogs waste from the lawn/yard there are parasites in it that  can make you sick – even if dried up!

So long for now, and remember my gardening (?) books review will begin this week!