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A Closer Look at Winter Damage

But first, take a look at this gorgeous rainbow that we had on Friday! The five-day stretch of warm temperatures last week really jump-started the garden. Now that plants are putting out new growth, it is easier to see what kind of damage the winter left. Back in mid-January, we experienced five straight days of below-freezing temperatures. This caused much damage in Portland and areas where frigid winds were a factor. Here, we were fortunate to not get the wind and the cold temperatures were dampened by a blanket of snow. That said, it was a tough time for the garden and there are noticeable casualties but no outright deaths that I have seen. The bottlebrush ( Callistemon 'Woodlander's Red') did not like the cold at all. It was planted six years ago, in the north-facing garden no less, and I've not experienced die-back on it until now. A local expert said to cut it all the way back so that is what I did. If it doesn't make it, I won't be too distraught. It is

Give-away! EcoSmart offers a natural bug killer



And the winner is... C.C. (please e-mail me with your address)

Thanks to all of you for entering!


It may seem early to be thinking about insects but it won't be long before we are assaulted by a host of garden pests. Mosquitoes and ants are especially bad here in north Alabama and if you are like me, chemical repellents are scary to use, both to you and your pets.

EcoSmart's mission is to create the world's safest, most effective pesticides based on natural ingredients. They offer a variety of products (all natural insect repellents, natural ant killers, fungicides, weed and grass killers) that are all safe to people, animals and the environment. Their products are based on the natural defenses that plants and trees have used for their self protection against insects and pathogens for millenia - essential oils.

Here are the ingredients in the Ant and Roach Killer:

Active Ingredients:
Rosemary Oil ....................................... 5.00%
Cinnamon Oil........................................ 3.00%
Other Ingredients*.............................. 92.00%
*Water, Wintergreen Oil, Mineral Oil, Oleic Acid, Canola Oil,
Carbon Dioxide, Vanillin, Lecithin


EcoSmart is offering one lucky reader a free value bundle (a collection of four products). To enter, just post a comment saying why you need it. On Tuesday, March 9, a winner will be chosen from all the entries. Good luck!

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Wonderful contest! I'd like to try the Safe Personal Care bundle (insect repellents). We sit on our patio virtually every dry evening here in North Carolina -- from April through October -- and beginning in June the mosquitoes make those evenings miserable. So we use Deep Woods Off, and it works, but we would love a natural alternative. Thanks for providing one!

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  2. I have to spray down my arms and legs every evening before I can do anything in the garden. If I forget I am soon reminded by stinging mosquito bites. I would love to try a product with natural ingredients. Enter me!

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  3. I would like to enter for a chance to win the "Safe Personal Care" bundle. Mosquitos are a huge problem during our long Virginia summers, and when I am in my backyard Woodland Garden, I wish to be able to sit out there on the deck in peace during the evenings. I work all day and when I get home before dusk, the Mosquitos are at their worst. Please Please Help Me! Thanks! :-)

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  4. I'd love the safe-home-value-bundle. My house sits on a cement slab, so being so close to the ground It's a constant battle with ants, spiders, and those gross little pill bugs. I'd love to try a safe product and compare it to all the chemicals I've used in the past.

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  5. Phillip, thanks for making us aware of a great product! You know we've been trying to use more natural items. I think the Safe Patio Vaule Bundle would be amazing to win. With the amount of time we spend outdoors the insect repellent would be wonderful! Also, last week I discovered ants in our bathroom-very random :( It's always clean and I have not idea how they got in (and don't they die in the winter?!). Anyways, we had to use Raid, and then air everything out for awhile. Even though we moved stuff like toothbrushes out, I still replaced them because Raid is nasty!

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  6. I too would like to try the Safe Personal Care Bundle. We do alot of gardening and mountain biking and I'm always trying homemade rememdies to keep the skeeters at bay.
    mlangley@acgi.com

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  7. I would love the all natural insect repellants, so add me to the contest. I refuse to spray my skin with chemicals that carry warning labels. But I'm a gardener, and I live in Alabama! So it would be great to have these EcoSmart products.

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  8. Because I have bugs.

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  9. I had 5.74 million grasshopers in my garden last summer, and 1.29 million aphids. Though the lady bugs eventually got the aphids, I resorted to some nasty stuff on the grasshoppers to try and save some large perennials. Alas, lost on all counts. I tried every organic je ne sais quoi under the sun until I tried the bad stuff. I hated myself.

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  10. Hi Phillip. Safe and effective insect repellents are a great idea. Hope they decide to make one for dogs. We have a problem here with fleas on squirrels that leave them in the yard to jump on the dog.
    Marnie

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  11. Hi Phillip. Safe and effective insect repellents are a great idea. Hope they decide to make one for dogs. We have a problem here with fleas on squirrels that leave them in the yard to jump on the dog.
    Marnie

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  12. I need to use Safe Personal Care bundle as I, as well as my grandchildren, are allergic to so many of the chemicals that are in the other products. By using a natural product, we can be worry free of the bugs as well as having to worry about an allergic reaction. We can also feel good about not polluting the world with all those chemicals the other companies are using. I do want to protect my grandchildren and hopefully help save the world in the process.
    Pat Curnutt Moore
    Muscle Shoals, Alabama
    efamoore@bellsouth.net

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  13. I found your Gardening article really interesting. I am always looking for great Gardening information. I run a blog for Gardening in San Diego. You can click here to visit our site at http://www.san-diego-gardening.com.

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  14. Hey Phillip - re: your question about the botanical gardens in NOLA- when I was in NOLA last April, things were in FULL bloom, so I imagine there might be something worthwhile to see in late March. They are definitely ahead of us - Japanese Magnolias were in full bloom when I was there last weekend, and they appear to be about a month away from blooming here.
    I'll be back in NOLA the 18th-20th. Perhaps we will run into each other!
    Have a great trip!

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  15. Because it's hard to garden when you're swattin' sketters!

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  16. Oh! Oh! Oh! Put me in! Since we have a new puppy we need something safer. Hope you are well!-- Randy

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