A/t Herb Garden ?

[cybercat]

Do not know about that with coffe grounds as i always had cats. But is do know that they are good for the garden just don't use to much. When we had a veggie garden in FL I remember that I never had a cat problem with it. I had the whole garden edge planted in marigolds to help keep out nematodes. Those work on many bugs maybe even the cats do not like their order.

 

[HearthCricket]

I found this while surfing!

"In the beds you don't want him (the cat) in, plant herbs such as lavender, rue, geranium, absinthe or lemon thyme. A German gardener has come up with a plant, coleus canin, which he has found keeps cats at bay. It can be ordered from various garden catalog services in Germany or perhaps your local garden center can obtain it for you. He has also come up with a mixture that is easily made and will keep away just about anything on four paws. It’s two parts cayenne pepper, three parts dry mustard and five parts flour. Mix together and sprinkle on areas where you don’t want cats. Cats don’t care much for tea leaves, so save the tea bags and sprinkle the leaves over the beds you want to keep him out of. You can try laying large, flat river stones around the digging areas of your bed. Cats love freshly prepared soil (and fresh laundry too!), so putting the stones around would keep kitty from doing as much digging."

I also know most cats do not like the smell of mint-real mints, like peppermint or spearmint. Just have them sniff a Lifesaver of one of these and watch them run away!

 

[Sonic]

I was talking with someone at work today about
planning my herb garden...

I voiced concern that all the local cats seem to like
...er...frolicking!...in our backyard, and I'm afraid my
herb garden will become their new fave box...

She recommended working used coffee grounds into
the soil around the plants...she said the cats don't like
the smell of coffee....Well, goodness knows we have
PLENTY of coffee grounds...(A pot of Peet's French
Roast gets brewed every morning in our kitchen!! Yumm!!)

Any one know from experience if the coffee grounds would
deter cats from using my herb garden as a cat box??
cara

I have heard the same about cats and coffee grounds. Time to do some internet searching! myth or magic anyone know?

 

[Milfoil]

I also know most cats do not like the smell of mint-real mints, like peppermint or spearmint. Just have them sniff a Lifesaver of one of these and watch them run away!

I used to buy mint cremes with menthol for our old cat. She would sit there licking, sniffing and drooling over one. Literally, a trail of drool where she'd been sat . . . . . euughh! But she loved it.

 

[HearthCricket]

I used to buy mint cremes with menthol for our old cat. She would sit there licking, sniffing and drooling over one. Literally, a trail of drool where she'd been sat . . . . . euughh! But she loved it.

Goodness! LOL My cats both hated it. Our last cat chewed on wires, so we rubbed menthol on them to prevent her, which worked, but was so gross! I guess every cat has their own taste!!!

There are these mats that have pricklies sticking up that you can put in the garden, but you have to put enough around the edge and beyond so they can't jump over them. I have tried about everything, and our neighbourhood cat constantly came over, hid in our brush and attacked our birds. I am so glad they just moved. In the 16 years we have been here, that was the only cat that bothered them. Everyone else now has a dog in their own yard/house or a cat kept inside, so I am excited about this year. The first in which I can really do whatever I want (not counting nibbling bunnies and deere) to it. I plan to plant like a maniac!

 

[mingbop]

my big orange stray sleeps in my lemon balm Spring & herbs seem an awful long way off today, we have winds from the north pole, frozen hail, and its like Scott of the bloody Antartic in the kitchen with the wind keening round the tent !

 

[HearthCricket]

my big orange stray sleeps in my lemon balm Spring & herbs seem an awful long way off today, we have winds from the north pole, frozen hail, and its like Scott of the bloody Antartic in the kitchen with the wind keening round the tent !

Everyone's cats must smell really good with all this sleeping and eating of herbs! lol

 

[Sonic]

I used to buy mint cremes with menthol for our old cat. She would sit there licking, sniffing and drooling over one. Literally, a trail of drool where she'd been sat . . . . . euughh! But she loved it.

Now that I wish we had a picture of lol. That would make for a delightful friday visual lol.

 

[Blackbird]

Hi all
Do any of you know anything about Borage, and how it grows, I have been given some seeds, but no instructions on how when and where, My soil is a bit on the clay side, i live in the north west of England, so any info would be of great help, thanks

 

[Teacups]

Hi all
Do any of you know anything about Borage, and how it grows, I have been given some seeds, but no instructions on how when and where, My soil is a bit on the clay side, i live in the north west of England, so any info would be of great help, thanks

Hi there! I live in Oregon, USA in the interior mountains--climate is arid and soil is clay. We're a zone 5b (don't know if that means anything at all in UK)

I grew borage last year, and it did just fine in my clay soil. I have loads of rose buses, each with it's own drip irrigator. I put the borage in front of the roses, so it only got marginal water. I don't usually use a sprinkler because of the water waste (I live in the land of juniper--long hot dry summers with hot blowing wind)

My borage got 3 feet tall or more (95 centimeters or better). It had a thick central stalk aprox 12-13 centimeter diameter. It is hairy/prickley all over, which means if when you want to yank it out, use gloves. It flowered all summer long, and got large umbels of spent blossoms and just kept on blooming. The bees went NUTS over it. So, I would tell you this:

Clay soil was not problem at all, but our soil starts out soggy in spring and continues to dry all summer until it's baked pretty hard by autumn. I put the seed in the ground about this time of year and just let nature take it's course. That is assuming that the seed won't rot. However, I'm guessing --based on the amout of bloom this plant puts out--that it will self sow freely and so the seeds probably fend for themselves quite well. I just pushed the seed into the ground about 1/2 inch (2 cm?) and never gave it a second thought. It lived off the water seepage from the drip system at abut 132 +/- centimeters away from the rose bushes' drip with the occasional sprinkler overlap from the lawn--meaning that I made no special effort to water the Borage at all. It's my experience that herbs like it a bit on the hot and dry side. I would guess if you can grow oregano and the like, that you'll have no problem with borage. Bugs don't mess with it. I do not believe that it hosts slugs, due to the hairy-prickles. It smells like cucumber when you crush a leaf, the flowers are edible, and you KNOW I had to try one, but I will tell you that I didn't come back for seconds. .. hope that helps