The Real Dirt
The Real Dirt: Daffodils deter squirrels
October 20, 2011
Sonia Day
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Squirrels. Just mention the word to most gardeners and they’re likely to go nuts with rage.
“Squirrels are sadists,” a despairing woman told me recently. “The moment I plant tulip bulbs, they dig them up. Then if any of my bulbs do survive until spring, they come along and nip off the flowers. Just for fun, I think.”
She has a point. The rats with fur coats clearly torment most of us. When I give gardening talks, more people ask “how to combat squirrels” than virtually anything else. And sorry, folks, I have no real solutions. Except, perhaps, two.
The first? Get yourself a dog. Ever since a funny-looking pooch called Ollie came into my life unexpectedly a couple of years ago, I’ve been bothered less by the bushy-tails. (It seems all dogs love chasing squirrels).
And the other? Plant daffodils. Lots and lots of daffodils. They are poisonous to squirrels and the annoying little critters obviously know it. In my garden, they never go near any kind of Narcissus, the collective name for these spring-blooming flowers which so delighted Wordsworth.
The objection some gardeners have to daffodils is that “they all look the same.” Yet they don’t. Not by a long shot. Just take a look in the glorious fall catalogue of Gardenimport (get one at flower@gardenimport.com or call 1-800-339-8314) and you’ll find more than 35 kinds on offer. What’s more, daffodils are easy to grow, they don’t die out in the garden and they multiply easily. Also, some varieties — unlike most tulips — have a lovely perfume.
My personal fave is still Poeticus Recurvus or Pheasant’s Eye Narcissus. I’ve grown this one for years and never get tired of its fascinating red and yellow centre (purported to resemble the eye of the game bird) plus the delicious scent that wafts everywhere in spring. Yet this daffodil’s petals deliver a spiritual lift too. They’re a pure, perfect white and positively shine in my dull and dreary-looking flower bed at a time when not much else is growing yet. Another plus for city gardeners is that they’re okay in shade.
The ideal time to plant daffodil bulbs is September. But it’s not too late now, thanks to our mild fall. At Gardenimport, my fave daffs are 10 for $14.50. You can also find them at many garden centres. Snap some up. Thumb your nose at the blasted bushy-tails!
Don’t Dig This
Oh dear, those Dutch bulb growers. What were they thinking? These folks have come up with an online advertising campaign that in my view is thoroughly insulting to women. It treats us like witless housewives, obsessed by cupcakes and nail polish. Men don’t get a fair shake, either, because the campaign acts like male gardeners don’t exist. Please take the time to look at this peculiar attempt at humour, whose purpose is to entice us to buy more bulbs and apparently cost millions of dollars to put together. To me, it misses the mark completely. But see for yourself — then complain if you don’t like it. It’s at www.digdropdone.com.
Sonia’s latest book, Incredible Edibles, has been shortlisted for a Canadian Cookbook Award. More at soniaday.com