Isn't this pretty? It's one of those ingenious hanging berry pots, I bought from Cynthia's organic farm stand a few weeks ago. This is how it looked right after I brought it home. I love it and have been fussing over it since, moving it around to various sunny spots on the patio, perhaps hanging it a little too low at times, but I was keeping a close eye on it. Or, um, I thought I was. Yesterday it was really loaded with juicy ripe strawberries and as I passed by it, I was gleefully thinking to myself that I would finally pick them. Unfortunately, I got busy with a few things first and put it off just a few moments too long. Big mistake. Every berry was gone, (along with half the plant) when I went back. Yep, you guessed it. We had visitors when my back was turned. The deer, (two bucks) even had the gall to lounge around on the grass after wards gloating, patting their bellies and licking their chops and would not leave. (And why should they? We hand out free strawberries here afterall.) Talk about wearing out your welcome. First the purple lupine, then the strawberries. Boo-Hoo-h--o-oo. If it sounds like I'm whining, I SO am. (You should hear the pitiful sad sounds I'm making behind the scenes here just re-living this in the telling.) pooh.
But, (sniff), there's still a bit of GOOD NEWS: the roses have not been touched. Not a single bud or flower has been munched. So it's not all bad. And that can only be attributed to the Mister's Magic Concoction. I truly hope so anyway, because several folks have been asking for the recipe, which we are happy to share, I just don't want to make any wild claims. Ya know, just in case.
Deer Repellent Mixture
To 1 quart spray bottle add:
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup milk
1/4 teas. dish soap liquid
1/4 teas. vegetable oil
5 drops clove oil (available at craft or health food store)
Water to fill container after all ingredients have been added.
It's recommended to spray this mixture once a month, but I have been misting a few times a week, because I'm still not totally convinced this is all it takes. So far it does seem to be working though. Just for fun, I'd love for anyone else to give it a try and tell us what your experience is with repelling deer, bugs, slugs, aphids, or whatever you discover it's good or bad for.
So dear ones, that concludes our garden tour for this week. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for coming along. I'll be back tomorrow with another FAQ Friday, which includes a sneak peak at my latest mini-quilt WIP.
