(no subject)
3 June 2021 11:12The number of common plants that will poison a dog! Daffodil, bluebell, nettle; ragworts and foxgloves, of course; and apples and cherries and box; hollies and horse chestnut; rosebay willow herb. Privet.
There's definitely a perverse witchy pleasure in learning off all the plants that will kill an animal; but I've been depressed too, because my garden is my small haven and I let it run over with the dearest weeds. I love my ragworts. Big, floppy-haired mops that are covered with caterpillars and then moths - there's a particular species that feeds on the ragworts, and thats how they become poisonous moths. The poison they eat from the plant stays in their bodies, and if birds do not pay attention to their red-winged "stay away", they'll get a sore tummy.
My husband and I have compromised; I've dug up many of the ragwort and re-bedded them in hanging baskets, but some are still there and we're supervising doglet closely when outside. The internet says most animals are repelled by its smell, and won't eat it unless dried. He seems to be past the puppy stage of "try out everything with my mouth" too.
But the privet. We have a privet hedge, and I'm already quite desperate to rip it out and replace it with native hedging; but that'll take time to grow, and I'm looking uneasily at the financial investment as we rent here. But I'm trying to justify it on the basis that - even if we do move, the hedges will still give pleasure to our sparrows.
There's definitely a perverse witchy pleasure in learning off all the plants that will kill an animal; but I've been depressed too, because my garden is my small haven and I let it run over with the dearest weeds. I love my ragworts. Big, floppy-haired mops that are covered with caterpillars and then moths - there's a particular species that feeds on the ragworts, and thats how they become poisonous moths. The poison they eat from the plant stays in their bodies, and if birds do not pay attention to their red-winged "stay away", they'll get a sore tummy.
My husband and I have compromised; I've dug up many of the ragwort and re-bedded them in hanging baskets, but some are still there and we're supervising doglet closely when outside. The internet says most animals are repelled by its smell, and won't eat it unless dried. He seems to be past the puppy stage of "try out everything with my mouth" too.
But the privet. We have a privet hedge, and I'm already quite desperate to rip it out and replace it with native hedging; but that'll take time to grow, and I'm looking uneasily at the financial investment as we rent here. But I'm trying to justify it on the basis that - even if we do move, the hedges will still give pleasure to our sparrows.