Six Handy Gardening Tips

Regular Weeding and Cultivation are Important for
Your Garden.  Squirrels Appreciate a Tidy Garden.

1. When putting in a garden, plant the border with marigolds.  This will discourage insects and give the squirrels something pretty to look at when they come to eat every last tomato off your vine.

2. This year, instead of "Big Boy" "Better Boy" and "Roma" tomatoes, why not plant heirloom seeds?  These come in many varieties and are available in most garden stores.  The squirrels will appreciate the change.

3. When tomatoes begin to appear, wrap the cages in netting, this will not block the sun, but the challenge of getting the tomatoes helps keep squirrels' brains active and engaged, preventing them from becoming bored and listless, which is all too common among suburban squirrels.

4. Try sprinkling tomatoes with cayenne pepper.  Squirrels will love it.

5. Squirrels avoid the smell of human urine.  Once a week, pee around the perimeter of your garden.  When the squad car takes you away for indecent exposure, the squirrels will get a good laugh.

6. Here's a fun idea!  Don't plant tomatoes at all.  Put in corn, wait until the plants are about a foot tall, then sow the ground with beans.  As the beans grow, they will climb up the corn plants, giving you beans and corn in one small space!  As far as squirrels are concerned, this is as good as succotash.