Have you ever had what seemed like an endless battle with your yard? I mentioned before about the yardwork we did in the front yard. Victoria shoveled wheelbarrow loads of dirt as we attempted to level out the multiple gopher mounds and fill in the holes they made.
Well, after all that they moved to the backyard and really went tunnel crazy! So much so that we can feel the ground shift slightly when we step in an area around their tunnels. I started the same process as in the front yard collapsing all the tunnels and filling in the holes.
The folks at the nursery recommended onion, lavender and garlic plants to deter the pests from our yard. The lavender and onions are working well along the house so I bought more of both to plant along the fence line. No more tunnels for a few days! Very exciting to have a sort of level yard again.
Then the other day I went to the side yard to dispose of yard waste, there they were. The tunnels, the holes. I cannot imagine what these animals are eating. We do not have a lawn, my plants are in pots, and there is no greenery for them to munch on. This is a very narrow area that is not good for planting. I collapsed the tunnels, filled in the holes and they have not been by. I think the noise from the neighbor replacing our fence might have scared them away.
Meanwhile, in the backyard…. the squirrels crushed the onion plants by the house and a new tunnel showed up. Back to the nursey. They recommended a sound emitting spike to repel the gophers. Since I was already shopping I decided to purchase a humming bird feeder. May as well dress up the yard a little bit more. The gophers made one more effort and now it seems our backyard is gopher free.
In all of this I have to add that I am happy with the end result of the effort. The onions add a decorative touch and the lavender attracts bees. For now I am ready to take a pause in the battle, sit outside with a book and a glass of iced tea and watch the birds at the humming bird feeder.
