Every novice gardener can tell you that it isn't just as easy as sun and water to make a garden grow. Unfortunately, there's a certain level of sun and water needed, as well as proper drainage, good soil and sometimes in the city, a small miracle!
City gardens are challenges for a number of reasons but the fact that we have stray cats walking around as well as dogs, birds, squirrels and even opossums makes growing stuff way more challenging.
I recently attended a class on container gardening with Alice Edgerton at the NKCDC's Garden Center on Berks Street in Fishtown, a great little resource for the Fishtown neighborhood here in Philadelphia. Alice suggested many solutions to common problems in the garden.
Is your problem birds or cats? You can apply netting around the garden area/containers that comes in a roll from a garden store. Neither like to snag themselves in the webbing so they'll quickly become disinterested.
Dog and cat repellents work wonderfully but since they wash off when it rains, you have to remember to coat the plants and soil again after a heavy rain. This would be particularly helpful for any plants that line the city streets or in your own backyard with your dogs.
Growing Lavender, Geraniums or Rue apparently deters cats as well. I have noticed since I have planted Geraniums and Lavender, I have seen no cats digging through and/or pooping in my plants or flowers. Keeping soil moist as it should be deters cats as well. They do not like moist soil...apparently my dog is not the only one that doesn't like to get his paws wet!
Marigolds work to keep bugs away from tomatoes and peppers. Plant some in the middle of a container and for some unknown reason, protect from multiple types of bugs. Marigolds are annuals so they need to be replanted every year. They may self-seed and come up again, but nevertheless are cheap and could potentially add a shot of color to your vegetable garden.
Just because the leaves on your plant on brown or yellow, don't assume you're not giving them too little water. Check to see if the soil is draining properly. Pots without drainage holes need them drilled or hammered in (see my last post on how to drill holes into clay pots) and pots with single holes can sometimes clog up! The first sign a hole is clogged is one I just noticed in my Azalea plant: the water is still sitting on top long after I have watered it. My next step in remediating this problem is digging up the root ball, obviously being careful not to disturb it, and making sure something isn't blocking the drainage.
A great way to insure that soil doesn't drain out the bottom is by putting a piece of newspaper or coffee filter on the bottom on the pot or container.
Let me know your successes and failures in keeping pests and pets out of your yard.
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