Flagstone....check!

That is one project I can check off my "to do" list! It is done...the project I started here. It took three trips to the "rock store" and two trips to Meek's for sand...and two trips to Lowe's for topsoil. But whatever...it is DONE!!!

Well, until it "settles." Seems no matter how well you pack the sand base, a few rocks always "sink" after a little rain and wear. No biggy...just pull it up, put a little sand under it and then reset it.

We had a 90% chance of rain Thursday (didn't happen!) so I wanted to get this project finished so the sand wouldn't wash away and the rock could begin "settling."

I had a bench sitting in one of my flower beds in the side yard...thought it would look great in the corner. The terracotta pot is one I bought at an auction last year and was just sitting around. I decided it would look better with a few plants!

This is another area that still needs a little "something." In time...for now, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!

Get ready for a BUNCH of pictures!!!

Again, there are hundreds of tutorials online for laying flagstone...it may seem laborious, but it really isn't that difficult and you won't regret it!

I will offer a few little "tips" for laying flagstone. Make sure you have a good sand base, well packed. After your rock is down, water the sand and rock well so the sand will wash down under the rock. After that, dump a mix of top soil and sand on top of the rock and sweep it into the joints. Then lightly water it again. Rain may wash it away a tad the first few times, so you may have to add a little more sand and soil over time....just dump the soil and sand on the rocks and sweep...eventually it will pack and stay put.

If a rock "sinks," lift it up (just pry it up with hammer), toss a little more sand under the rock to build it up and level it out, reset the rock and then fill the joint with the sand and soil mixture.

I have a tiny front porch and I love how this has opened up the front of the house a bit! It's still not that wrap around front porch I want, but it is a lot better than it was before! It eliminates an eye sore AND the need to crawl around every year filling it with plants! I just plant the pots and I'm done! Super simple to maintain!

I use to decorate the front of the house in the fall with hay bales, corn stalks, pumpkins and scarecrows. I quit doing it because I had to deal with mildewy hay bales after Thanksgiving...but I may have to start it again this year...this area would just be too cute with all the "harvest" decor!

Hum...guess we will see...fall will be here before you know it!

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Precious little metal "ice cream" chairs before and after!

I bought these pathetic little chairs at an auction last fall....

...neglected for who-knows how many years in an old outbuilding. Rusted, rotten...so sad.

Then they were neglected for months in my garage because of the "rust issue" I just had no desire to tackle. But I did...and truthfully, it is not that big of a deal (check out how to deal with rust here)....

Then they sat in my garage for ANOTHER month.

They are so darling and I knew I wanted to do something bright and fun with them...I just didn't know what. I get serious mental blocks on upholstery projects!

(I can always tell how long a "project" has been around just by the grass...in the "before" pictures my bermuda is dormant...now it is lush and green and needs to be mowed twice a week!)

So I went to the fabric store and found the brightest and most colorful fabric I could find!

Red for the frame...red is cheerful and fun and since the fabric had every color imaginable, it was perfect!

After dealing with the rust and giving them a good dose of primer (and of course the primer had to cure for a month while I mulled over colors), I sprayed the frames with red spray paint. I cut new seats and backs out of 3/8" plywood and covered them with new batting and the bright fabric .

Here is a little hint...if the "frame" where the back goes is 11", do not cut a new board 11", cover it with new fabric and batting, and expect it to fit. It won't.

The big button (almost) dead center in the flower was a fluke! The original back had a big button and I knew I wanted a button.

So this gives me the perfect opportunity to share how to make buttons for any project...chairs, pillows, headboards! Anything that has or needs a button...you can MAKE one out of any fabric!

Just buy a button kit...they have them at the fabric stores and most hobby stores. There is a template on the back for the fabric cutout and they come in all different sizes....

They are super easy to make! Just follow the directions on the back of the package!

TIP...put a dab of hot glue on the back of the front of the button before you hammer the back on and then put a dab of hot glue on the little U hook on the back of the button. A few times the back has separated from the front or the little U hook has come off the back...the glue just reinforces them a bit!

To attach the button, I measured and located the center of the board, drilled two small holes, threaded wax covered string on a large upholstery needle from back to front, through the front padding and fabric, slipped the button on the string, then threaded it back through and tied it off. Then I put a little dab of hot glue on the knot. Super simple!

I padded the back with a little batting and covered it with red fabric!

I love these little chairs...if I had somewhere to put them, I would keep them! Darling!

When I step outside my comfort zone and go with bright and colorful, I am never disappointed...maybe I should take that into consideration next time I makeover something I intend to keep!

And here is a little "upcycle" hint. I had an old outdoor chair cushion that was thrown in a pile of things I picked up at an auction. The fabric was crud but the batting inside was good. I took the fabric off and used the batting that was inside for this chair and saved the rest for future projects. Free padding!

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Growing Knock Out roses

Knock Out roses are hardy little plants and super easy to grow!!

Two years ago I built a flower bed in an area where I have trouble getting grass to grow because of the drainage in my side yard and planted 5 little rose bushes.

They get plenty of sun throughout the day and evening, and when they bloom...OMGosh...A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

I planted these two light pink bushes years ago next to two "real" rose bushes. They too were just tiny little "bushes" when I first planted them!

(This gate door is actually the neighbors...it bores me! I am searching Pinterest for some inspiration to doll it up...maybe a pergola kinda thing....someday!)

The "real" rose bushes died long ago...probably because I have NO idea (or interest) how to maintain a "real" rose bush. Just too tedious and fininicky for my gardening tastes. They did produce beautiful roses perfect for cutting. I always thought they were something I could manage until I read my grandmother's old letters to my great-grandmother and she wrote about all the pruning and fungus and pest control and special fertilizers and blah, blah, blah.... I wasn't real torn up when they finally bit the dust. Nor did I feel terribly guilty.

I want plants that need a little sun (or shade), water and occasional fertilizer....not prima donnas that have to be properly pruned and groomed and constantly attended to. (I have enough problems battling slugs, heat and crown rot just to get my hostas through the year!)

Knock Out roses fit the bill and have amazing blooms all spring, summer and fall! The flowers are not something you will cut and use in the house...I tried...they wilt pretty quickly, but they are beautiful plants in the yard.

One word of warning...they will NOT naturally climb...and as they get bigger they can get "leggy" so it is best to put them somewhere where you can tie them up. I use plain ole' string or burlap ribbon to stand them up along my fences. I do have to prune them back in the fall and remove the dead "wood." No biggy as long as you wear gloves. Unlike "real" roses, there really is no "murderous" way to prune them...one year I took a weedeater to a few (probably not advisable!)

This is one I rescued from my apartments last year...it was still in it's original pot and was pretty much dead....

I brought it home, planted it in my flower bed...some decent soil, lots of water and a little fertilizer and presto....beautiful!

(I thought Cleo was being sweet and smelling the roses....she wasn't...she was eating them!)

If you have a fence that needs "screening" or a full sun bed that needs a pop of color, this is a perfect plant! They can easily be pruned back if you want to keep the plant smaller and more compact!

I did lose a beautiful pink tea rose bush this year I had in my side bed. Not sure what got it...maybe old age, maybe disease or bugs, harsh winter...it was over 12 years old...who knows. No biggy...Katie got me a beautiful hydrangea for Mother's Day and it filled the spot perfectly!

As I have shared before, the BEST time to buy any perennial is in the early summer...usually after they have lost their "forced blooms" and aren't nearly as attractive. Most garden and home improvement centers will mark them down considerably...just plant them in a well composted spot, water well and watch them grow and bloom year after year!

When planting any flower or bush, whether it is an annual or perennial, make sure you pay close attention to what type of "sun" or "shade" they prefer. I have found that, more than anything, it makes the biggest difference on whether the plant with thrive or struggle long-term!

Get out and enjoy your yard...even if you have a small yard or just a little patio or porch area, get out and get your hands dirty. Even if you just start with one little container plant! Gardening is honestly something you LEARN to love. Truth be told, I don't have a live plant in my house, and I have even managed to toss most of the fake stuff!

For me, flower gardening is a natural "anti-depressant" and spending time tending to my plants is always time well spent!

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Sit and stay awhile....

I have a thing about chairs and sitting areas...even outdoors. In my yard I have two swing pergolas, two large chairs on the patio, a table and chairs and a wicker settee on the deck, a chair on the little deck outside my bedroom door, and chairs stacked and ready for company.

Funny thing is, I am constantly buzzing around doing something so I rarely just "sit" for long. And it's not like we entertain a lot....

Last month I scored 3 old metal lawn chairs at an auction...I love those things. I have one I bought at a flea market a few years ago and have always wanted a few more. Two of the three are in pretty good shape...minimal rust and still sturdy. One has some "issues" with rust so I didn't do anything with it. And naturally I didn't take "before" pictures of all of them, but this is a picture of the one that I didn't redo....

Even in good condition, these old metal chairs can be a booger to refinish properly. Usually they have been painted a time or two, so you have to sand them pretty aggressively to get rid of all the layers...and drips! They also have rust and that has to be delt with or it will destroy the chair.

I used my little mouse sander with a 40 grit paper, then hand sanded it with a 120 to strip as much old paint and rust as I could.

After sanding and wiping them down with tack cloth, I primed them with automotive primer. I figure if it is good enough for a metal car, it will be great for metal chairs. It is also specifically formulated to stop rust! May be overkill, but might as well use the best! You can buy cans of metal and automobile primer in the spray paint sections at Lowes.

After priming, I hit them again with 220 grit paper and tack cloth. Then I painted the arms and legs with a Rust-oleum satin white and the seats with a really pretty Valspar "peacock blue" color.

I really debated what color to paint the chairs. I love the different greens but my entire yard is green and I try to infuse as many annuals as possible to get color...so I knew I wanted "color."

I like the Peacock Blue. It's pretty....

And while I am showing off my yard, here is a before and after of the area I resodded AGAIN this year. The first two times I put down bermuda but it just didn't do well....too much shade!

It is a little difficult to tell from this photo (my stinking photography skills!) but this area is pretty much dirt with a few blades of grass here and there...and that is after I put down bermuda sod last spring! The rest of the yard is thick, lush grass! (Thanks to weed control and fertilizer by Fairways and lots of water)

So this year I decided to try something different. Zoysia sod. It is SUPPOSE to do better in partial shade areas. I have fescue in an area of my yard that doesn't get a lot of sun and I don't like it because it doesn't go dormant like bermuda...so I have this big green patch in my yard all winter. Zoysia is suppose to go dormant. It can't be any worse than it was. I've decided if this doesn't work I am going to paint the dirt green!

So for now, I have nice grass in our sitting area...and it is a perfect back drop for my pretty new peacock chairs!

This is Molly, my old kitty. She turned 16 this week too! She loves all the "lounging" areas in the yard and loves being outside...as long as it is above 75 degrees!

Someday I will post pictures of all my animals...I think I have already posted one of Simon, but I also have Ms. Kitty (she is a rather cranky, unfriendly calico) and Finley (he is my autistic kitty...another long haired Siamese mix) And then there is Ginger, my old black lab.

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What a beautiful spring day....

Yesterday was one of those days I just had to come home and ENJOY! I had a ton of work I could do (and should do) at the apartments, but I just had to take a day to enjoy! Lay in the swing and read a good book....cook my family a good meal (see here for today's simple but awesome dinner) and just soak in the wonderfulness of spring!

While I was laying in the swing reading I looked up and to my surprise there is the most beautiful cluster of lavender flowers on my wisteria.

I have written about the nightmare of wisteria before...but for all it's "pain" it really can be beautiful and provide an abundance of shade over the pergolas. But one of the reasons it is such a nightmare is because it grows soooo fast and just seems to take over! I have had to pull it out of my house siding and cut it out of the trees on several occasions. This is a picture of the porch pergola from a few years ago...and this is AFTER I thought I had really trimmed it back....ha! You trim a little, and the thing just goes mad!

My wisteria rarely blooms. The wisteria on the two swing pergolas just don't get enough sun but they create a nice little canopy, as long as I can keep it in check and out of the pine trees. I assumed the wisteria on the big pergola covering my back porch rarely bloomed because it was just too "lush." I have always heard that if they have lots of green foliage, they probably won't produce flowers.

But what I read today when I googled WHY I suddenly had a proliferation of blooms is that in order to get them to bloom, you have to prune them SEVERELY. Which, in a fit of frustration with the monster's manic growth, I just happened to do this year....to the point I was a tad worried I might have done some serious damage! But what I actually did was force it to bloom like crazy!

Who woulda thought!

I would seriously caution anyone who considers planting wisteria...it is HIGH maintenance! Be prepared to have to trim it twice a year and read up on it as much as you can BEFORE planting. There is a reason it is called "the bully of the garden." If not properly and regularly pruned, or planted in the wrong place, it can indeed become a nightmare!

And while the flowers won't last long, they are beautiful...and I can honestly say, I am grateful for the shade canopy the plant provides during the summer!

Simon the tabby was enjoying the lazy day with me! He is such a sweetie!

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Do not shop with men....

I love it when Brian will "flea shop" with me! Normally he won't go in the thrift stores ...says they smell funny...but he does like the little flea markets and antique stores. He keeps me from buying stuff I really don't need. But occasionally he stops me from buying something I really want AND is priced well.

Several weeks ago we went "flea shopping" at one of my favorite little shops in Rogers. One of the vendors was having a 50% off sale...so the ceramic crock I have been desperately wanting for outdoor planting, which was priced at $125, was only $62.50! No chips, no cracks, no flaws...exactly what I have been looking for!

I REALLY wanted one of these crocks. My mom has had one on her front porch for as long as I can remember. And as I told you, I am constantly on the hunt for perfect, unique planters...and this fit the bill.

But NOOOOOO, Brian talked me out of it...and being the kind and sweet person I am, I obliged. (This is were I will remind you we are not married and I have my own money...we just have one of those respectful relationships...the kind that makes us not do things we want to do when the other poopoos the idea...at least while the other is around!)

Last week when I was picking up my mega Brasilia find in Fayetteville, I found 2 of these crocks in their store...FOR TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH!!! I was rather annoyed that I didn't pick up the less expensive one, IN MINT CONDITION MIND YOU, weeks earlier!

So today, having a few minutes to spare, I went back up to the flea market in Rogers...I was certain the crock would be gone since the vendor was selling out weeks ago...but there it was...waiting on ME! I was sooooo thrilled!

I bought it and promptly called Brian and told him that the bitterness and hostility I was secretly harboring was gone. He is one lucky guy!

I also found this really cool mirror for $15.00...not sure what I am going to do with it...other than paint it! I have this blank wall next to my front door that is crying out for SOMETHING and I am thinking this mirror might be a good "anchor" for some kind of wall decor thingy bopper....who knows. I just liked it's "bones" and I know it will be nifty when I get it painted up!

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Mulch time!!!

It's getting closer to "spring" so there is soooo much to do before perennials wake from their winter slumber and it is time for the beautiful annuals.

Perennials are plants that return every year....annuals are just what it says...annual. You have to plant them every year. Over the years I filled my beds with perennials (hostas, liriope, vinca minor) and have plant most of my annual flowers into pots and containers.

But before they wake or I can plant, there is much to be done! This year I put compost in the beds. Many people don't realize that most cities actually sell or give away compost. It pays HUGE to check with your city and see if they provide compost soil. I bought a truck load for $20 just for showing proof that I am a resident. That is MAJOR cheap compared to buying it by the bag. I try to put compost in my beds about every other year...just to enrich the soil.

I also buy all my mulch in bulk, by the trailer or truck load. Today I paid $25 a yard for mulch. (A pickup will hold 1-2 yards)

Now here is where I will give gardening advise...skip the pretty red or black mulches. Years ago my impatiens would grow to 2-3' tall...absolutely beautiful. About 6 years ago they really started struggling and I started having trouble with "crown rot" on my beloved hostas. After a little research I found that many gardeners were pointing the finger at the "dyed" mulches that are so popular. Seems it MAY have an adverse affect on the soil, which in turn affects the smaller annual plants and possibly the tender perennials like hostas. So now I stick to straight up natural cedar mulch. To each his own, but honestly, I'm not taking any chances. And since I witnessed a significant problem with my plants since I started using red mulch, I decided not to risk it again.

It is still too early to put tender annuals in the ground, but it is NOT too early to start preparing your beds! Get busy!

And don't forget...pots and containers are a great way to add a little color to your yard, big or small, without a lot of work or maintenance!

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Swing into spring...

NOW is the time to do this project...too stinking hot in the summer and you will want to enjoy it during the lazy days of summer!

I have built 5 of these swing pergolas...two at my house, one at my daughter's first home, one at her current home and one for a neighbor. It is not a difficult project to built but one that requires two sets of hands and a little muscle! And with everything, patience!!!

I have posted a tutorial HERE. It is not a terribly difficult project and one I think most DIYers could easily manage.

This is the SUPER sized pergola I built onto my house about 11 years ago...I won't even begin to tell you how it is constructed...but I can promise you, if the house is blown away, it will probably still be standing! And notice the wisteria canopy...seriously, that stuff is CRAZY!

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Pathetic little shed no more....

Time flies... I didn't understand why my 4-5 year old shed looked so pathetic and was already showing signs of rot in places...then I realized that it was actually 9-10 years old and had never really had a makeover other than adding some little window planters!

I didn't want a "typical" storage building in my backyard. So when I bought the "kit" at Meek's originally and contracted them to build it, I had them put a higher pitch on the roof and use architectural shingles. I designed a cute little "cottage" style door for them to build and I also added two inexpensive windows and shutters. Cost a few pennies more, but is much more attractive than your typical storage building!!!

But now it is time to spruce up the little place.

I really just wanted to paint the shutters and door black, but as you can see, the door had a few issues....like a serious case of rot! As did the siding on the side...and I have always wanted to add little "scallops" above the door and paint the hinges black and add cute little lantern style light fixtures...

Even the simplest little projects turn in to complete "rehabs" around here!!!

But that is when you learn that doing this stuff is not THAT difficult! Sometimes the only thing stopping you from making a change is FEAR of it being too big....how do you eat an elephant...one bite at a time ;)

How do you start a project....just be willing to take the first bite!!!!

So we begin...I took down the shutters...marked them on the back so I would know where they go (remember...paint fumes cause memory issues...this has nothing to do with age!) Gave them a good little bath and then used good ole' spray paint! Beautiful!

I also took all the screws from the shutters and the hinges, stuck them in an old styrofoam lid, and sprayed them with black paint!! Easy way to paint screws to match!

I pre-primed and pre-painted all the trim I was going to be using on the building and door. I still have to caulk and do paint touchup after it is installed, but it makes that job a little easier!!!

I took the door off and left the hinges attached to the trim on the building...but I have always wanted the hinges black, so I taped them off and sprayed them with black spray paint as well. The siding on the side of the building had some "rot issues" from years of standing water, so I chipped away the rotted material and put a new piece of trim along the bottom of the building to "hide" the rot. (Before you do this, make sure the area is now VERY dry and there are NO termite issues...look for little ant creatures with wings or their little "tracks" in the wood. If you see ANYTHING that is remotely suspicious, call your termite company!)

On to the fun part....rebuilding the door. Unfortunately, I was so focused I didn't take pictures along the way. But I basically used the old door as a "pattern." Any time you need to replace or rebuild, examine closely what is there....what materials were used...how is it put together. Fortunately, this door was a pretty easy read for me...so I bought the materials, measured, cut, glued and nailed. And presto...I have a new door.

After cutting the door out of the wood siding material, I had enough left over to make the little scallop things I wanted to put above the door. This took a little creativity, but I had made a scallop fascia for a little cabinet I made for my daughter years ago, so I pretty much knew how to make it. I took 6" strips of the leftover wood siding material, used a coffee can to mark the scallops and then cut them out with a jig saw! I then installed them on the little building by overlapping one row on top of the other and painted them! No biggy!

I added some little lantern style fixtures! (they don't REALLY work....there is no electricity in the building...but they are kinda cute! But I think I need bigger ones)

I still need to repaint the little porch railings...and I can't wait to get the planting done in the beds...but all in do time!

For now, the MAJOR work is done! And my little garden shed has new life!

This may seem like a HUGE and daunting task for a novice DIYer. But seriously, if I can do this YOU CAN DO IT! Before you can complete any rehab or makeover, you just have to START IT! Take it slowly and examine what is already there...but conquer your fear and start!

My father did not teach me to rebuild a storage building door. He didn't teach me to make scallop siding...he didn't teach me to tile or sheetrock or install hardwood on my stairs. He taught me to DO....to think...to look at something you want to change and figure out what you have to do to change it! Really if you think about it, DIYing is kind of like life...if you don't like something change it...but you have to be willing to take the first bite! And honestly, if you get stuck, you have to be willing to ask for help when the going gets tough....but never quit or give up!

We are soooo fortunate to have the internet...you can Google just about anything and find a ton of places that will tell you how to do just about anything! They may differ in some respects, but that is where you have decide what you are comfortable doing....and what makes sense for the project you want to complete!

Dad didn't have internet...he just had a lifetime of experience and knowledge...I get very sad when I think of all he took with him. I am grateful for the knowledge he gave me...but more than anything I am grateful for the confidence he gave me to start any project and figure it out!

If I can give you just a "smidge" of that confidence, you will have received a tremendous gift!

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Curses on the moles....

Spring is almost here and the daffodils are blooming. I went to take pictures of a few beautiful blooms in my front flower bed, only to find the dreaded "mole runs" scattered about. I know the little creep is in there...I have seen evidence of him in the last few weeks...mole runs...even saw him "bumping" along one time but even with my well honed, quick mole reflexes, I somehow missed him. I believe there is a deep cavern under my front flower bed where they can quickly retreat. I expect my entire front porch to disappear into it one day.

If you are unlucky enough to have been cursed with moles, you completely understand my frustration, and subsequent obsession, with the little monsters! I spent years, and hundreds of dollars, pouring poison peanuts down mole runs, only to find out they are carnivorous and don't even eat that crap.

Myth buster #1...Nothing but a spade shovel (or pitch fork...I have both) and quick reflexes will kill the little monsters. I have tried every old wives tale out there, mole traps, and treatments for grubs...you name it, I've tried it. Forget it...you are wasting your time and money. And the more time you waste, the more time they have to construct an underground nation below your yard.

So I have found there is only ONE sure fire way of killing the little boogers. Mind you, you will NEVER rid yourself of the creatures...once runs are established, you won't get rid of them...kill one, another moves in. But on average, I kill 10-12 year.

This process requires a great deal of skill and patience. First, about an hour before you have an hour or two to spare (hahahaha!) smash down all the fresh mole runs.

Myth buster #2...moles are NOT nocturnal and basically run all day. So it doesn't matter when you do this.

I use to take my coffee, cigarettes and paper outside every morning...walk down the runs, grab a lawn chair and my spade shovel, and settle in...in my bathrobe...and watch...and watch...and watch. And when I saw the little booger "digging" I would pounce on him with my spade shovel, screaming and cursing at the ground. I wasn't aware of what a sight that must have been until my new neighbor cautiously mentioned my frightening ritual. She had NO idea what I was doing. She thought I was "watching my grass grow" but had no idea why I was spearing it violently with a shovel while cursing at it.

I use to just pounce, spear the area where I knew the mole was digging, and leave it be. The thought of digging up a bloodied corpse was more than I could stomach...but I discovered that sometimes even my best aim MISSED!!!! So I started digging to make sure it was infact dead...only to find that sometimes it was only injured or worse, completely unscathed. At first, I would humanely "relocate" the moles to large pastures where the only damage they could do would be to someone's livestock (JUST KIDDING! I took them out to the woods away from homes and livestock).

But honestly, after awhile I was so fed up with the creatures that it didn't bother me to pop them out of the ground alive and beat them to death with a shovel. Problem solved...until their friend moved in. But I was waiting for them! I was certain word would get out and they would stop coming to my yard. Obviously they don't communicate with one another.

Myth #3...Lots of "runs" means tons of moles. Nope. They are pretty much territorial and usually there is only 1-2 moles per acre. That means that one mole is tearing up your entire yard...seriously...one. They can dig 100 or more feet in a day...so they are fast and constantly on a hunt for food. As a matter of fact, the "runs" you actually see in your yard and flower beds are their "feeding runs." They actually have other runs deeper and entire little caves even deeper...which is where they hang out in the winter (told you, an entire underground nation). But they must eat a tremendous amount of food, thus the reason for their very active digging.

Myth #4...Get rid of the grubs and the moles will go away. WRONG. Moles love grubs but they also eat a lot of earthworms. And you DON'T want to rid your yard and beds of earthworms. Several years ago I put down Milky Spore in my yard....it has made a HUGE difference in how much the moles run in the yard...usually they stay in the flower beds. Well nourished soil, easy to dig. Lots of worms and grubs.

Myth #5....Moles kill your plants. Wrong...again, they are carnivorous. They eat meat, not plants. If something is eating your roots, it is probably a vole or other rodent, not a mole. Moles may inadvertently kill a plant by disturbing the roots, but most well established plants won't be bothered by them. If your hostas or bulb plant roots are being eaten, you have a completely different problem.

I have a friend who has a few little Jack Russell terriers...there are some dogs who will hunt and kill moles. I have a cat who I think is hunting them. And if you have an animal that is proficient at hunting and killing them, you probably won't have much of a problem. But then you have a problem with a dog who digs and big holes in your yard from that activity.

If you ask me I think you should just use the mole hunting ritual as a way to take time to relax while enjoying your coffee and quiet time, communicate with nature (your grass) and work off some serious frustration. After all, how often can you legitimately beat something to death without it being frowned upon by law enforcement.

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