Vole Hole

I planted this rock garden three years ago and have been fighting with a vole over it ever since. The rock garden is really more attractive than it looks in this photo - it's quite unphotogenic.



See the little holes the vole likes to make in the soil.



I wouldn't mind a little hole here and there, but he also eats the roots of my plants and tears the site to pieces. What does he do with all that soil? I have to replace 1/3 of it twice a year! Does he eat it? What a weird little critter.



I have tried vole repellent spray and granules, but neither have had any affect on his digging. If you've got a vole repellent suggestion that doesn't involve a cat, please do share. I actually had the opportunity to kill this little fellow one time, but he is just so darn cute I couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't mind him chilling in the yard, but he needs to work on his manners!

Rock Garden

I started this little rock garden down the side of the porch three years ago using rocks we found in the front yard while planting the roses. When we bought the house, this trench was about 1/3 full of gravel, so I decided to put the space to good use. It receives a full day's worth of sun, and stays really dry since it is shielded from rain by the overhang of the roof. Since I don't want to lug water to this bed every day, I chose plants that can handle extended periods of drought. The rock garden is really difficult to photograph since it is so long and slender. I like this photo though, because there is a Pug shadow in it! Guess who it is!



The rock garden has undergone numerous evolutions over the past three years, and is currently home to mainly hens and chicks. "Hens and chicks" is the common name for small succulents in the sempervivum family. The large central plant is the "hen" and the small plants attached to the exterior of the hen are called "chicks." I like collecting different types of hens and chicks since there are so many varieties of species in various colors and textures. They are very hardy, reproduce pretty quickly and don't mind dry roots.



I found this yellow specimen at the grocery store! What a place to find such a beauty... The "chicks" growing from the side of the "hen" can be easily popped off the main plant and transplanted. These plants are usually referred to as "offshoots" of the main plant.



This variety is named "cobweb" due to the cobweb like wisps connecting the tips of the plant. Hens and chicks are not only useful in dry areas of the yard, but thrive in container plantings.



These large green hens and chicks are from my grandpa's yard. He had a lot of hens and chicks and was so very proud of them. My grandmother offered me some of the plants when he passed away, and I was very happy to take them home to my own garden.



You can find a variety of these plants at your local garden center, and sometimes Lowes and Home Depot, though they do not carry them regularly. Bluestone Perennials offers a nice selection of some unusual varieties that you may not find locally, and Park Seeds offers a variety pack of seeds for home growing. I have never grown these plants from seed, but it would be fun to try some time!

The plants infrequently produce strange flowers from the central "hen" during the summer. I have had only two hens produce such flowers, and although they were unusual and interesting, I didn't much care for their appearance.

Rock Garden

For less than $30, we created a lovely little rock garden on the side of our deck this weekend. I have always admired the beauty of a natural looking rock garden, and hoped to create something that didn't seem too contrived. We bought succulents and herbs from Lowes, filled in the trench with light potting soil and assembled a collection of rocks we found around the yard.

My Mom always had hens and chicks in one of her flower beds, and I loved them as a kid, so I was sure to get a lot of those. They were overflowing in their little quart-sized containers and were so relieved to spread out in the lush soil. I popped a couple of them off to try and root them. I'm not sure if that's how it's supposed to be done, but that's how I'm doing it. I remember them reproducing very quickly when I was a kid.

This bluish-green plant is really pretty and feels neat to squeeze. I threw out the plant name tags, so the next time we go to Lowe's, I'll be sure to check on the names of all the plants we bought. Along with the succulents, we planted thyme, sweet basil, mint and greek oregano. I like to rub the herbs between my fingers to keep the scent with me throughout the day. Mmm ... spaghetti sauce ...