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General

5 Stylish Ways To Create A More Inviting Backyard

Karen · Leave a Comment

It’s the perfect time of year to start dining and entertaining outside, so why not transform your backyard? With a few new additions and a little TLC, you can create a more inviting, multipurpose space. You can host a BBQ or garden party with family and friends, and showcase your new outdoor decor. Whether you’ve only got a small balcony or patio to work with or a large backyard, there are plenty of ways you can make it more inviting. Here are a five tips to help you create a more stylish backyard.

create a more stylish backyard
pixabay

Replace patio furniture

 You could consider upgrading your patio furniture. Create a cosy setting with cushioned benches and chairs. If you have space, you could fit in an outdoor corner sofa. Alternatively, for a more modest yard, use benches with storage inside. Shop around for the style that matches your needs. Check out luxury brands such as COSIEST Outdoor Furniture, or even second-hand options. Find a solution to suit your budget and personal style.

 Increase privacy

 If you don’t want your neighbors peering in as you host family and friends, there are several stylish ways you can create privacy. Look into getting an elegant privacy screen to separate your dining area. You could also consider over the top cover with a gazebo or pergola. These will allow sunlight through while blocking the view into your yard. You could even prune tall trees and bushes for privacy while still letting light in.

 Use the vertical space

 To make the most of a smaller yard, use the vertical space. This is also a great way to add a stylish feature piece. You could put up hanging baskets, lanterns, or other lighting features. If you’re naturally green-thumbed, plant a vertical garden. This is simple to do with trellis and climber planters. For a more original design, make your own shelves using recycled materials. Here are a few DIY vertical garden ideas to give you inspiration.

 Add a feature piece

 There are plenty of other options if you want to impress your guests. You could choose from a range of water features, for example. Another popular option is to install a fire pit for a bit of warmth in the evening. You can then enjoy entertaining in your yard throughout the winter as well. You could even update your grill or have a modern outdoor chimney installed. It all depends on the budget and space you’re working with.

 Create a multipurpose space

 However big your backyard is, it’s essential to make the most of your outdoor living space. If you’re creative enough, you can use it for multiple purposes. Use a mix of seating that can be moved to transform a living space into a dining area. Play around with lighting options so you can stay outside for longer. Plan how you’d like to use your backyard and choose your decor accordingly. This way, you can make it more inviting for a variety of occasions. Now that you know more ways to improve your outdoor living space, get out there and create a more stylish backyard.

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Filed Under: General, The Yard & Garden

8 Gifts for the Student in Your Life

Karen · Leave a Comment

It’s almost summer, but many students will be making up for lost time and studying over the break.  And students with birthdays or other occasions to celebrate in spring will appreciate your thinking ahead if they are going back to school in the fall.  These eight great gift ideas will work for students who have decided to stick with remote learning, as well as those who are going back in person. 

8 gifts for the student
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels. 

Broadband

In-person or remote, your student needs to be online with a reliable connection and decent speeds.  Taking care of this vital expense for your student eliminates a bill for them and lets them study, watch movies, participate in social media, and have Zoom calls and meetings stress-free.  Check out this article on latestdeals.co.uk for the best student broadband deals. 

A Media Streamer

Students at University probably can’t afford cable bills, and most of the good stuff is streaming now, anyway.  Get your student a Roku or an Amazon Fire Stick so they can keep up with their favorite shows on their favorite streaming service. 

Noise Cancelling Headphones

If your student lives in a noisy dorm with roommates, they need noise-cancelling headphones to study effectively.  The same thing is true if they live off-campus with roommates or at home with siblings, or even just mom and/or dad.  These are a must-have for buckling down in a study session. 

Coffee

Nearly every student needs to be caffeinated to work effectively.  Consider a subscription coffee service for your student so they never run out. 

A Weighted Blanket

Being a student is stressful, especially during times like finals week.  Help your student manage their anxiety and get the best sleep possible with a comforting and warm weighted blanket.  Even when sleep is scarce, this soothing accessory will help your student feel rested. 

A Blazer

8 gifts for students
Photo by Marcus Aurelius from Pexels. 

Your student probably doesn’t have a closet full of professional clothes, but they will face interviews and internships and need a professional look.  A good blazer can sharpen up many outfits and is a must-have online and in person. 

Amazon Prime Membership

The world of online shopping became essential over the pandemic, and it is here to stay.  Free two-day shipping can be a lifesaver for a busy student, and they will get Prime Video into the bargain. 

Battery Pack

Even if your student is studying from home, there will be times when they will run out of battery on their phone when they are out and about or simply need to charge their phone more quickly than a standard wall outlet.  A fast-charging, reliable battery pack is a must-have. 

For More Ideas…

Check out Grandma’s Gift Guides section on the blog.  Looking over gift guides can help you think creatively and come up with something truly unique and special for your student or other loved one.  Most of these ideas are great for any student, but they are even better if you can pair them with something personally meaningful. 

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Filed Under: General

Selling Your House? Here’s Why You Should Consider Selling To A Property Developer

Karen · Leave a Comment

Selling your home and buying a new one can be a very difficult and expensive process. You need to hire a real estate agent, take lots of pictures of the house to advertise it, then keep showing potential buyers around in the hope that they will make an offer. You can get started on your preparations before buying a new house, but until you’ve sold your old one, you can’t move forward. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and somebody will put an offer in right away. But most of the time, it takes a long time to sell your house and it’s incredibly stressful. The thing is, you could make life easier if you sold your home to a property developer instead. A property developer buys up properties and then renovates them with the aim of selling them on or renting them out. A lot of people don’t consider selling to a developer but there are actually a lot of great benefits. Here’s why you should think about selling your property to a property developer.

selling your house to a propertydeveloper
Source – Pixabay CCO License

They Can Make A Quick Offer

When you sell to a developer, you don’t need to worry about showing them around multiple times while they decide if they want to make an offer or not. A successful developer like Armand Candea, for example, has the capital to make a quick offer on a house and developers won’t worry if the house isn’t in perfect condition because they are going to renovate it anyway. Often, there is a lot of back and forth on price and people struggle to make an offer because they are having financial difficulties. When you sell to a developer, you don’t have to worry about any of that and things are a lot more straightforward.

There Is No Chain

People don’t always think about the chain when they are buying and selling properties but it can cause a lot of problems. Say, for example, somebody puts an offer in on your home but then the buyer for their home pulls out, they’re likely to pull out of buying your home too. A developer isn’t waiting to sell a home before they can buy yours, so there is no risk of a failed sale because somebody further down the line pulled out.

You Can Part Exchange

When you sell to a developer, you may have the option to do a part exchange. If they are selling properties that you are interested in, you can sell your current home and pay the difference to move into a new home. Buying your new house from the same development company that you are selling your old one to makes the whole process so much quicker and easier. The price you get from your home may be slightly lower than market value but you will also make savings on real estate agent fees etc. and the whole buying and selling process will be a breeze, so it’s worth it.

If you are about to put your home on the market, you should definitely consider selling to a developer.

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Filed Under: General

Outdoor Maintenance Tasks You Can’t Afford To Ignore

Karen · Leave a Comment

Compared to indoor maintenance tasks, doing work outdoors can seem like a rough deal. After all, you have to battle the weather, do them at the right time of day, and often work at height. However, while outdoor maintenance tasks may not be your most favorite, they must get completed regularly. Indeed, if they are not done often, it can end up costing you a fortune. Luckily, by completing the tasks below you can keep the outside of your property in the best shape and save some money too. Keep reading to see the outdoor maintenance tasks you can’t afford to ignore.

Outdoor woodwork

The woodwork that is on the exterior of your home has an important and challenging job. In particular, it often seals the inside of your property, protecting it from the elements, as well as forming structures such as fences and decks. Of course, any wood left out of doors will be vulnerable to weathering and eventually rot. That is why you need to check your outdoor woodwork regularly, resealing where necessary. Indeed, doing this just before the beginning of the colder and wetter season each year is the best approach to keeping your woodwork looking tip-top all year round and saving precious resources replacing wood that has become too rotten to save.

Clean your guttering

Gutters play an important role in making sure any excess water is whisked away from your property, where it could cause damage and leaks. Unfortunately, if your gutters are clogged with old leaves and debris they will not be effective and this can lead to issues of damp, leaks, and even rot.

That is why it is also essential to remove gutter blockages before the colder and wetter weather comes around. You can even get a specialist company to come in and do this for you, something that means you won’t have to work at height and can expect a professional and totally safe job, each and every time. One that can prevent the need for costly repairs to your home and property later on.

Sharpen your grasscutters

They say a workman is only as good as his tools, and this is especially the case when it comes to outside maintenance jobs. Indeed, trimming bushes, mowing lawns, and otherwise taking care of the flora in your garden is always a great deal more challenging if the tools you are using are blunt. With that in mind, be sure to take your lawnmower, sheers, and clippers to your local specialist to get their blades sharpened. This will save you precious resources such as time and money in the long run.

Maintain your sprinkler system

A sprinkler system can be the key to a healthy, green garden, especially when you live in an arid area, or aren’t at home enough to water your lawn and plants manually. However, a faulty sprinkler or irrigation system can end up costing you a great deal more than it should, if there are leaks that go unrepaired.

To that end, making sure that, just like any other piece of home technology, your sprinkler system is well maintained is crucial. You can even find out about how to do this yourself and save even more money in the video above.

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Filed Under: General

How You Can Use House Flipping To Become A Better Real Estate Investor

Karen · Leave a Comment

House flipping is a popular real estate investment that’s been around for over forty years. In the 1980s, real estate investors saw a chance to snatch up foreclosed houses for low prices. Once they had the houses, they improved them and waited for the economy to rebound to sell them. Those investors made quite the profit from their quick thinking, and others soon followed suit. House flipping has continued ever since, coming and going from the public eye. Its newest phase of popularity came from reality shows about professional house flippers. At present, house flipping has reached its highest financial peak in 20 years. The average profit for a flipped house is about $73,000 and lots of people want to cash in on that. That makes house flipping a great investment for your real estate portfolio. If you’re ready to cash in on the peak, here’s how you can use house flipping to become a better real estate investor.

Start With One House

The first step is to find your first flipper. Research areas near you to find the best place to look for houses. The ideal house is in a decent area, is close to lots of amenities, and has a reduced buying price. A house that’s too expensive will lower your profits, but a house that’s cheap, because of the area it’s in, will have a hard time selling. There’s a delicate balance you have to keep to ensure you stay on budget while also being able to resell quickly.

This is where the 70% rule comes into play. The 70% rule states that you should buy a property at 70% of the after repair value, minus the repair costs. To explain further, let’s say the max price you can resell the house for is $200,000. 70% of $200,000 is $140,000. So, if no repairs were needed, you could buy the house at $140,000 and make a 70% profit.

If repairs are needed, you have to subtract them from the $240,000. So, if you need $65,000 worth of repairs, you end up with $175,000. To maintain your 70% profit margin, you would need to lower the offer on the house to $75,000. 

If you aren’t sure if you’ve found the right house, ask yourself these questions. Can the 70% rule be applied? Is the house in an area people are moving to? Are there any factors that will be scary to potential buyers? As a general rule, if you wouldn’t consider living in the house once it’s updated, other people probably won’t either. Spend some time going over all the details of the property before you make a decision. You don’t want your first flip to turn into your first flop.

Learn How To Upgrade

To maximize your profit, you need to learn how to handle basic upgrades yourself. Putting in new cabinets, replacing tile, and painting, are all basic improvements you can make yourself. While you should call in professionals when you need them, you want to avoid doing it too often to save your budget.

Build Over Time

If you want to become a better real estate investor, you’ll need to build over time. This means that when you sell your first flip, you should put some of the profit into finding another. As you continue to flip, you build up expertise, allowing you to make more money over time. The process will get easier each time you repeat it. After a while, you may even consider branching out into other areas of real estate.

Someone Has To Invest In You First

You know the risks, you’ve done your research, and you’re ready to make an offer on your first flip. But before you can invest, someone has to invest in you. If you’re ready to start buying now, you can seek a flipper’s loan. A flipper’s loan covers the cost of your house and the repairs. You get the loan, buy the house, remodel it, sell it, and then repay the loan. It’s a straightforward process, and getting started is easy, so there’s no need to wait.

House flipping is an excellent way to get started in real estate and gain the skills to become a better investor. Take the time to see if house flipping will be a profitable investment for you.

 

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Filed Under: General, The House

Tips for Planning a Family Reunion Post COVID

Karen · Leave a Comment

If there was ever a time when you had felt distanced between you and your family, it likely pales in comparison to what we are all experiencing now, during the pandemic. The quarantining, social distancing, lockdowns, and curfews have made many realize the meaning of the saying, “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Celebrating parties, baby showers, and holidays via Zoom is not the same as being there physically with your friends and family. Hopefully, this will be the year when you get together as a family and make up for the lost time. You might not be allowed to visit family for now, but there is no harm in planning how you will celebrate once the pandemic is over. Here are some tips for planning a family reunion post-isolation.

planning a family reunion

Narrow Down the Location

 When choosing a location for your family reunion, you need to look for a place that will be fun for everyone. Whether you are going to your grandmother’s house or a hotel, there should be activities that appeal to everyone’s interest, including kids. If you are going to a hotel, make sure that you get a suite of rooms, where you can still feel like you have the entire place to yourselves. Some of your top priorities should be privacy and seclusion. It’s also important to consider family members who will have to travel long distances to get to the location. Will they have to fly or drive?

When choosing the location, you should be considerate because some people might not be able to afford to pay for flights or stay in a hotel. For those driving, you can remind them to revise their auto insurance policy to ensure their safety and protect their valuables while on the road. It may have been a while since you evaluated car insurance, but this would be an excellent time to consider Freeway Insurance as they provide ample coverage with vastly affordable rates. There are so many things to consider when planning a family reunion.

Plan an Itinerary

 Whether you are a group of adults only or adults and kids, you must have a list of activities that the family will enjoy together. If you visit a new location, you might want to book the activities before getting there if they frequently get fully booked. Keep in mind that people are different, and some family members will just want to relax or chill as the days go by. 

Family reunion experts suggest that you find activities that are in between. For example, you can plan a spa day for the adults while the kids go swimming. Try not to overthink it. The first night is usually reserved for taking in the scenery and enjoying the food and drinks as you catch up. Remember to plan mealtime accordingly and leave some free time for spontaneity. 

 Budgeting

Hosting people can be expensive regardless of whether they are family or not. Knowing the place and number of people who will attend is key to creating the budget. The next question should be how many days will you spend at the hotel or your relative’s home? Are you bringing the kids? What are the essential things that you will need while you are there? The answers to these questions will give you an idea of how much you will need to spend. Be mindful of the fact that not everyone has the same financial capabilities. You can start by finding out how much people are willing to spend to make the reunion happen and work from there. Having a budget will help choose the location and menu for the whole event.

If one person usually pays for the whole event, they will plan more productively if they know where everyone wants to go and how many people are coming. The truth is that there is no standard financial structure when it comes to family reunions because money, interests, and often even health play a factor. The important thing is to make sure that everyone attends.

 Add Special Touches When Planning A Family Reunion

If you don’t have family gatherings often, it is a good idea to make it memorable, with a few special touches like family t-shirts, welcome kits, a framed group photo for people to take home with them, and much more. You can single out one person whose responsibility will be to take the photos during the event. Family reunions are a great idea, but they are not always easy to plan. Among your family members, there is always one person who is the planner and tends to be more organized than the others. It is always best to let this person arrange the event because they are good at it. 

Lastly, remember that the reunion is all about having fun, catching up, and being with each other. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is never to take family togetherness and traveling for granted.

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Filed Under: Family, General

What You Must Know Before Buying a Leather Jacket

Karen · Leave a Comment

Maintaining a quality wardrobe is undoubtedly expensive for the modern man. Most of the clothing we buy wears over time. Or we get weary about the old styles, and we want to get something new. However, investing in leather jackets is an exception to this. Getting a top-quality leather jacket means you have durable apparel that will last with you for a lifetime and still look good and feel like a fresh outfit. Leather jackets with customization also mean a lot of creativity going into their making. Premium jackets feature leather jacket embroidery, appliques, or other metal accessories for a greater appeal and as per the preferences of the wearer. The genuine men’s leather jacket procured from a reputable retailer will be a statement piece you can pass in legacy to the coming generations. Here are some tips for buying a leather jacket. 

buying a leather jacket

There are a plethora of reasons to choose a leather jacket. The most important reason to choose a leather jacket includes the durability of the jacket. Being derived from the animal hide, leather is rugged and can resist wear, and will form a more elegant product with higher usage. The tougher leather, like cowhide leather, will get softer and suppler with time! It requires minimal care like conditioning with saddle soap every few months. Leather is timeless and elegant, and it has a water-resistant character, and it also acts as a windbreaker. The leather jacket gives you a transformative and confident persona any man can ask for. You can also opt for leather jacket embroidery from retailers giving customization options. The best part about a leather jacket is that it looks fabulous with anything you pair it with.

The quality it renders and the versatility it offers are found only in a few garments in your wardrobe. And the appeal of the leather jacket just improves as time passes. However, you ought to know how to choose the perfect leather jacket.

Choosing the right leather jacket that suits your style and is an ideal complement for your attire requires due diligence. It also depends on the budget you have set for yourself to buy the right leather jacket. You need to have a clear knowledge about few aspects before you get the most perfectly suitable leather jacket.

Popular styles to choose from when buying a leather jacket

  • Motorcycle jackets: The motorcycle jacket is known as the double rider or rider jacket. It can be snapped or zippered. The original motorcycle jacket had wide lapels and flared collars that could be snapped for fastening them against the wind. It is a favorite type of leather jacket style with Harley riders and their gangs. This is also the jacket of the pop couture.
  • The flight jacket of the bomber: The official synonym for the bomber is A2. It was originally created for the Army Air Corps during the Second World War. Its initial design features a front zipper in the center, a pair of large flap pockets, ribbed hems, and cuffs. The jacket was cropped up to the hip to allow pilots to sit comfortably while carrying out operations for long hours, moreover, with a lined with shearling to keep the wearers snug at high altitudes. In the contemporary form, the leather bomber jacket is lined with fleece, flannel, and sometimes corduroy. Shearling is also used in the bomber, and it retains much of its original form, an example of stylish utilitarian apparel that has stood the test of time.
  • The field coat or the blazer: This leather jacket gives the most comfortable feel. It features two flap pockets, a turn-down collar among the best design variants. Most of the field jackets or blazers have all these characters, and they defy an actual style category.
  • Leather baseball jacket: The baseball leather jacket will get tapered at the cuffs and the waist. They also have a press stud fastening rendering an elegant and sophisticated piece of classic outerwear useful in all seasons. It is the perfect choice to sport on picnics, cycling, jogging, golfing, and hiking, and other kinds of outdoor activities.

Leather jackets can also be customized based on your preferences of color, style and storage requirements, accessories, or hardware embellishments. You can also go for the new and trendier option of a custom-made leather jacket with a hoodie for men.

The type of leather to choose

Leather jackets can be created from different types of leather.

  • Cowhide or bovine leather: This kind of leather is obtained from a cow’s or a steer’s skin, and it is generally used to make jackets. Cowhide is tough and durable, and it is a practical choice for durable and tough outerwear.
  • Deerskin: This is orange or yellow-tinted lightweight leather used for making warm weather jackets that can give you an adequate amount of protection. Deerskin is flexible and has a great deal of flexibility. It is durable but is not as damage resistant as thicker cowhide leather or horsehide leather.
  • Goatskin: It is lighter in weight than deerskin and shows a wear resistance. It has a characteristic pebbled appearance.
  • Sheepskin: It is top-rated leather, also referred to as a shearling, and comprises both the skin and the wool of the sheep. This is used to create leather jackets that can give an exceptionally warm and comfortable fit. This leather is known for its velvety and soft feel and is highly lightweight. When properly tanned and treated, sheepskin does not have any smell whatsoever. It generally has small grain and has a smooth enough texture to wear over the skin directly. It has great durability and will last with the wearer for a lifetime with little care and maintenance. It is primarily available in brown color, but other colors like red, blue, yellow, and white are also available on-demand.

The process of buying a leather jacket
buying a leather jacket

  • The first step: First of all, select the style of the leather jacket you want to get. Bombers are known to give a good deal of warmth. Simultaneously, the moto jackets are highly fitted and present with little space to accommodate layers beneath them. For warmer options, go for a long leather coat, trench coat, or leather jacket with a hoodie for men.

The leather jacket is casual apparel that works in most situations. It is even suitable for casual work environments. The businessmen’s minimalist sheepskin leather jacket is not only smooth to touch, but it is a perfect addition to your wardrobe.

  • Quality of Leather: The full-grain leathers are the best quality and therefore also the priciest ones. The full-grain leather does not show any natural irregularities like blemishes, scars, or scuffs.

The top grain is the most preferred leather for all the jackets. This leather is smoothed well to create a smooth surface. It forms a thinner, more pliable, and highly comfortable leather.

  • Lining: A leather lining with low-grade synthetics is useful for low-priced jackets. They are less breathable. You require high-quality and breathable lining that offers insulation and maintains an ambient temperature in the layer beneath the jacket.
  • Zipper: The zippers should be silver-plated or copper-plated, and they will retain their sheen and shine for years to come.
  • Other accessories: The hardware of the leather is the most important thing and it should be top quality hardware that retains its form, shape, and luster for years to come.

Conclusion

Buying a leather jacket for the first time will be a part of your adventure spree you want to go for. The best part is that leather jackets will get better and better with time. So, make sure that you choose the best leather jacket from a reputable seller so that you get complete value for your money.

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Filed Under: Fashion, General

Keeping Your Garden Safe? Say Bye-Bye to Plant Eating Animals

Karen · Leave a Comment

Maintaining a garden means looking at nature a little differently. In the past, deer sightings were certainly a marvelous moment. These elegant creatures embody calm and beauty in a way that no rodent could. However, once you clear the land for a garden, plant the seeds, and begin maintaining a vigilant watch, every plant eating wildlife creature becomes a possible, and very real, threat to that garden. Here are some tips to keeping your garden safe.

keeping your garden safe from plant eating wildlife

There are a number of ways to protect your garden from woodland creatures, including deer, but, by far, the most effective method is a deer fencing. Whether you erect it yourself, or have a professional install it, a deer fence should be at least 8 feet tall, as deer can easily jump over anything shorter than that height. You might also choose to select two fences of lower height, placed, one- behind-the-other, a few feet apart.  Deer do not like to get trapped within a space.

After the fence is installed, it is a good idea to place colorful ribbons, or anything that will flap in the wind, around the perimeter.  Deer have poor eyesight. Flagging your fencing will prevent these gentle animals from accidentally running into it. After a few months, the deer will have grown used to the fence, and the ribbons will no longer be needed.

Deer can easily maneuver their way through a vegetable garden and will do the same to a flower garden. They will devour the vegetables, and trample the flowers, which is their natural instinct. However, these two actions are not the only danger deer represent. Deer carry ticks which can drop from them, and onto your property, creating a risk to you, and your family, for catching Lyme disease. While pesticides are always an option, many people do not wish to take that route, when an edible garden is involved.

In addition to keeping deer and dangerous ticks off of your lawn, and acreage, deer fencing provides numerous other benefits; including keeping, not just your garden, but all of your other plants safe from a plethora of wildlife creatures. As a bonus, this fencing keeps your pets safely inside your yard.

Plants Deer Favor

Everyone has their favorite foods to eat, and deer are no exception. If you must plant deer favorites in your garden, you can plant certain flowers and vegetation which they avoid, such as anything strong-smelling, around the perimeter, to help ward them off. If at all possible, it might also be a good idea to plant deer favorites closer to your home, for easy observation, to thwart the invasion, and then scare them away. You can keep your garden safe by planting things deer don’t like. 

Some plants deer love to graze include:

  • Clematis
  • Azalea Bushes
  • Berries
  • Hosta
  • English Ivy
  • Roses
  • Peas
  • Beans
  • Impatiens
  • Chrysanthemums
  • Pansies
  • Tulips

Plants Deer Dislike

Clearly, deer have healthy appetites, and not much will stop them when their bellies are hungry. If you choose to plant deer favorites, you must also take some sort of precautionary steps to limit their ability to enter, and feast from your garden. Consider planting:

  • Marigolds
  • Lavender
  • Chives
  • Garlic
  • Ornamental salvias
  • Sage
  • Bearded irises
  • Peonies
  • Foxglove

Deer, of course, are not the only four-footed creatures that pose a risk to your outdoor garden. While deer are the largest predator, other animals can destroy your crop just as easily. Planting flowers and plants that deer dislike will assist with keeping them away. This prudent action, however, will do nothing to help prevent other furry invaders, such as rabbits, raccoons, voles, groundhogs, and squirrels from feasting on your vegetation. Good fencing, with a deep underground section, and overlapping, will help deter these smaller creatures from burrowing underneath.

Other Options

You might find it necessary to try different options, all at once, to see what the best combination of deterrents are for the wildlife in your location. Other possibilities include:

Dusting the garden with soap. Look for soap that contains tallow, not coconut oil. Most bar soaps on the market will deter deer. Simply grate the soap bars finely, and dust the soil, between seedlings, with the shavings.

Make your own spray. Mix one egg, a tablespoon of dish soap, a cup of milk, and hot peppers, and spray it on your garden’s periphery at sunset.

Use auditory and/or visual deterrents. Deer and birds are easily startled. The best way to unsettle them into moving along, without destroying your garden, is to create an auditory or visual deterrent. Examples include hanging old CD’s around your garden.  The reflective side will capture sunlight, and create confusion. Playing loud music, or hanging an aluminum can mobile, will frighten deer, and other creatures, away, when the wind or their movements causes the metal to collide. Wind chimes are more melodious for the human ears, more artful, and will also work well. Keeping your garden safe can be like music to your ears. 

Whatever method you choose for keeping your garden safe, remember, that the first step is to identify the creatures in your area that are posing the highest risk to it. From there you can determine what actions to take. Of all the solutions, captioned above, fencing is the effective, sustainable, and reliable solution. It is the easiest to install and maintain and can be designed at lower heights and in color hues which are nearly invisible. The use of repellents must be frequently repeated. Planting the appropriate crops, to detract one species of foraging creature, attracts others, and restricts what can be grown.

It is your vision for the garden, time and effort spent, and expectations for an edible feast of healthy foods, and beautiful flowers that must be determined. The solution to deterring these furry, four-footed, “plant-eaters,’ is yours to decide.

 

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