Californians are accustomed to ongoing drought conditions and have spent years honing our water conservation efforts. With so much else going on in the world at the moment, it is easy to let something like watching our water consumption fall to the wayside, particularly knowing that we moved out of a state of drought earlier this year. But La Niña seems to be making this winter drier than usual, which could mean an end to our current reprieve. This means we cannot let up on our efforts and must continue making water-saving choices whenever possible. One easy way to conserve water is to choose drought-tolerant ground covers when designing or re-designing your landscaping. So, if installing or replacing a ground cover is on your pandemic project list, here are five low-water options to consider. 1. Gravel: In the realm of drought-friendly ground covers, it does not get much better than a ground cover that requires no water at all. Gravel comes in a variety of sizes and colors and is a good choice for driveways, walkways, areas around fire features, and other outdoor living areas. Using gravel as a ground cover also limits weed growth and can help control erosion and runoff. 2. Mulch, Bark, or Wood Chips: This type of ground cover requires no water, is more affordable than many options, and is available in a variety of sizes, types, and colors. Like gravel, these can help limit weed growth, but they will eventually break down or fade, so you can expect to replenish these ground covers more often. 3. Lantana: One of the great things about lantana is that it is very easy to find. This flowering, evergreen perennial spreads easily, requires little water once established (I hardly ever water mine), and comes in some beautiful colors, including purple, pink, white, blue, red, yellow, and orange. When purchasing lantana, make sure you choose a ground cover cultivar, since it also comes in shrub cultivars that will not work well as a ground cover. 4. Creeping Rosemary: This evergreen perennial herb cascades quite nicely, so this is a good choice for raised borders or allowing to grow over walls. As a ground cover, creeping rosemary spreads quickly and is drought tolerant once established. It blooms with clusters of blue blossoms, attracts bees to your garden, fills the air with its aroma, and can even be harvested for culinary purposes. 5. Mexican Fleabane: Mexican fleabane is a fast-growing, flowering perennial native to Mexico and Central America. Often chosen for planting in rock gardens or in spots where it can thrive in the crevices between paving stones, this hardy ground cover loves full sun and will happily self-seed to promote spread. This one requires a bit more maintenance and water than lantana or creeping rosemary, but if you love the idea of a carpet of daisy-like flowers, you might not mind. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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You have been spending more time at home for months now, which probably means you have already replaced your patio rug, updated your cushions, and hung some festive string lights to enhance your outdoor living areas. You may have even painted your patio furniture or installed shade sails to make all the time you are spending in your backyard even more enjoyable. If you are starting to run out of project ideas and plan on spending the fall months dining, working, and playing outdoors as much as possible, here are five more projects you might want to consider. Plus, if you plan on entertaining folks you are not isolating with, it is safer to do it outdoors, so let’s get those patios ready to go. 1. Declutter. This is probably the first thing you did when you started upgrading your outdoor spaces earlier this year, but it’s probably time to do it again. If there are a few too many pool toys, art supplies, or yard tools cluttering your patio, now is a good time to find them a home. Since you might be doing more activities outdoor these days, consider purchasing or building a storage cabinet where you can stash boardgames, craft projects, or homeschooling supplies when not in use. 2. Update your patio ceiling fan. The weather may be cooling off a bit, but if you are spending time outdoors during the day, I’m sure you are still using your ceiling fan. As fan styles change, an older fan can pretty quickly make your patio look dated. This makes this small project an easy way to update your outdoor living area, particularly if you plan on entertaining this fall. Handy homeowners will likely be able to replace an existing fan on their own by following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. If you are not comfortable working with electrical wires or are installing a ceiling fan for the first time, call a local professional to complete this project for you. 3. Paint your patio planters. This easy project gets bonus points for being both a way to beautify your patio and a craft project you can do with your partner or kids. Grab some paint and paintbrushes, lay out some of the cardboard from all of those online orders you are doing these days, and enjoy an afternoon painting planters to add cheery pops of color to your patio. 4. Work on your vegetable garden. Lots of folks who are spending more time at home have either started a vegetable garden or expanded their existing garden. If you planted tomatoes, carrots, and other typical garden fare early on, you are probably harvesting your bounty right about now, and it is time for the next round of planting. For your fall planting, consider radishes, kale, spinach, celery, chard, asparagus, onions, beets, and, of course, another round of carrots. 5. Make sure your fire features are ready for fall. You will likely start using your fire pit or outdoor fireplace more this month, so now is good time to clean it and make sure it is working properly. Make sure you have plenty of fuel and that it is stored safely away from your fire feature. Check your fire screen, and replace it if necessary. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher or bucket of sand on hand to quickly put out the fire if things go awry. You might also want to invest in some skewers or roasting sticks so that you will have them on hand for roasting hotdogs or making s’mores. Side note: Don’t forget to clean your rain gutters, change your HVAC filters, and adjust your automatic irrigation system once the weather starts cooling off a bit more. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Growing your own food is a rewarding experience that allows you to spend more time outdoors, save money on your grocery bill, and know exactly where your food is coming from. It is also a great way to have fresh, organic produce conveniently available right in your backyard and a fun activity you can do with your family. Eating healthy is more important than ever and limiting trips to the grocery store is not a bad idea right now. So, if we can grow some of our own food at home and use these ingredients to make healthy juices filled with antioxidants and immune-boosting nutrients, that sounds like a pretty good quarantine project to me. To help inspire you, here are eight of my favorite juicing ingredients I grow in my vegetable garden and that will be super easy for you to grow in yours. 1. Spinach This dark, leafy green provides magnesium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and more, which makes this easy-to-grow vegetable a good choice for your juicing garden. Spinach thrives in containers or in the ground, is easy to grow from seed, and allows you to harvest on demand as it continues to produce leaves. To make sure you have a steady supply, plant your crop in two-week intervals. 2. Kale Generally considered a superfood, kale is a nutrient-dense, leafy green providing an array of vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, and calcium. You can grow kale in containers or in the ground and can start from seeds or seedlings. If you juice often, you will likely go through a lot of kale, so, if possible, dedicate a good amount of space for your kale plants and plant in three-week intervals. 3. Cucumbers Cucumber juice is a refreshing treat on a hot day and provides potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, and B vitamins. You can grow your plants in containers or in the ground, but keep in mind that you will need to support your cucumbers with a large tomato cage or a trellis. Consider growing more than one variety for different purposes. For example, this year, I’m growing Persian cucumbers for juicing and snacking and Nationals for pickling. 4. Tomatoes Add tomatoes to your garden for juicing, salsas, soups, stews, and sauces. Tomatoes are incredibly easy to grow in this area and can be grown in the ground or in containers. They provide lutein, lycopene, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium. If you are planning on using them for different purposes, consider growing different varieties. For example, San Marzanos are higher in pectin, which makes them better for stews and sauces; whereas, Better Boys or Celebrities have a higher juice content, which makes them better for juicing. 5. Carrots While they don’t actually make you see better at night, carrots are high in beta carotene, which is essential to eye health, as well as your overall wellness. They are incredibly easy to grow and can be grown in the ground or in containers – as long as the containers are deep enough to accommodate their growth. Carrots are a popular juicing ingredient, so they are a great addition to your juicing garden. However, if you are short on space, skip the carrots. Organic carrots are readily available and less expensive than other organic produce options, so keep buying these at the store or farmers market, and save your garden space for other veggies. 6. Parsley Parsley takes patience. You may not see any signs of life for up to three weeks after planting your seeds, but once it finally gets going, just one or two plants will probably provide as much as you need for juicing. Often used for detoxing the liver, parsley is not going to add a lot of flavor to your juices, but it does add iron, folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C. 7. Basil If you find green juices bland, basil may be just the herb you need to up your juicing game. Providing magnesium, zinc, potassium, calcium, and vitamin K, this easy-to-grow herb is packed with nutrition, as well as flavor. Basil grows well in the ground or in containers, and you can dry it or freeze it for later use if you harvest more than you need. 8. Celery Adding celery to your juices provides potassium, folate, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin E, and polyphenols. It grows well in containers or in the ground and is so easy to grow. Whenever you buy a bunch of organic celery, cut off the root end and place it in a small bowl of water. You will start seeing growth almost immediately. Once you have significant growth and it has sprouted new roots, transfer it to your garden or to a container with soil. Before you know it, you will have your very own celery patch. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Barbecue grills can stay in use throughout the year in the Ojai area, but summer is the official grilling season, which makes this the perfect time to talk about making our backyard barbecues healthier for us and the planet.
Cookouts provide the perfect platform from bringing together friends and family to catch up, lounge by the pool, indulge in a meal cooked over an open fire and more fully enjoy our home's outdoor living areas. Previous generations gathered around the grill without giving much thought to the potential health or environmental risks associated with dousing charcoal with lighter fluid and dining on charred steaks. However, we have more recently learned that those blackened bits of meat, abundant smoke and chemical-laden products are not so great for us or the environment. Outdoor parties, in general, can wreak havoc on the planet with disposable party supplies, toxic pesticides to keep the bugs away, petrochemicals released from lighter fluid, charcoal and wood smoke polluting the air, and fat dripping onto the grill causing more smoke and pollution. And, of course, there are also the carcinogens and harmful compounds from eating foods cooked at high heat over an open flame that accumulate in the body and increase health risks. Rather than give up grilling and resign ourselves to cooking indoors, all we really need to do is adopt greener grilling practices that are better for our guests and the environment. Here are five tips to get you started: 1. Choose a Greener Grill The grills that are currently considered greenest are solar-powered, corn-burning and hydrogen-powered grills. Of course, these are also the most expensive and hardest to find. It is much easier to find propane grills, which are eco-friendlier than charcoal grills, but if you can spring for a natural gas grill or an electric grill, that is even better. If you have a charcoal grill with which you are not quite ready to part, you can go greener by switching from conventional charcoal to natural or lump charcoal, or you can use plant-based ethanol disks, which are a greener option. 2. Skip the Lighter Fluid The use of lighter fluid is responsible for the release of tons of volatile organic compounds into the air every year in the U.S., and self-lighting charcoal is not any better. While these two options might be the most convenient, it is actually quite easy to light your charcoal using a charcoal chimney or electric charcoal lighter. Using an inexpensive charcoal chimney is your greenest bet. 3. Maximize Your Grill Usage Firing up your grill just to cook a steak or two is a waste of whichever type of fuel your grill requires, but you can easily adopt a greener grilling practice by always making it a point to make the most of the heat you create with your barbecue. When barbecuing, cook your entire meal on the grill and make enough to have leftovers for at least a couple of days to reduce future fuel needs. 4. Go Organic (and Local) Purchase local, organic meats and produce whenever possible to reduce transportation-related pollution and energy and to lower the amount of harmful substances you feed your family (and put into the air, soil and water supply). Grilling more vegetables and less meat is another way to easily make your next cookout healthier and more environmentally friendly. 5. Keep Your Grill Clean Regular care and cleaning will extend the life of your grill and, in the case of charcoal or wood grills, it also shortens the time it takes to preheat your grill and reduces the amount of smoke your grill emits. With any type of grill, fat and food that falls below the grate can cause excess smoke as well, but you can avoid this by regularly removing any buildup. Cutting extra fat off meats before grilling them can also reduce smoke production and makes for a healthier meal for your family and friends. As Ojaians continue to expand our efforts to conserve water, it’s time to turn our attention to our swimming pools. The first thing to consider is a pool cover. A swimming pool’s greatest water loss (aside from a major leak) comes from evaporation, so the simple act of covering your pool when it is not in use can save thousands of gallons of water every year. It is typical for uncovered swimming pools to lose between one-quarter and one-inch of water through evaporation every day. This loss increases if you heat your pool or have waterfalls or other water features. So, when you are not using your pool or expecting guests, cover your pool and turn off your pool heater and water features. This will help you lower your water bill and reduce your home’s impact on the environment. The next thing to consider is pool leaks. Since most folks use their pools less in winter, this is the perfect time to look for and repair leaks to help you conserve water in the coming year. However, you can do this test any time of the year, so it will work just fine to do it now. You are probably filling your pool with somewhere around two or three inches of water per week to replace what is lost through evaporation. The amount you need to fill your pool varies depending on the weather and the environment around your pool, so this will change throughout the year. If you find that you are adding significantly more than this each week, you probably have a leak and should bring in a professional for testing. However, if you are only losing a little more than usual, it may be more difficult to determine if this loss is from evaporation and splashing or if it is from a leak. If you suspect a small leak but are not sure if you are ready to shell out for a professional leak detection company, there is a simple, do-it-yourself test you can perform. All you need is a five-gallon bucket, a tape measure or ruler, and a permanent marker. Here’s what you do: 1. Fill the five-gallon bucket with water from the pool until it is almost full. 2. Set the bucket on a pool step so that it is partially submerged. 3. Use the marker to mark the water level inside the bucket. 4. Use the marker to mark the water level of the pool on the outside of the bucket. 5. Keep everyone away from the pool and the bucket for one full day to maintain the integrity of your test. 6. Use the ruler or tape measure to measure the water loss inside the bucket and outside of the bucket by measuring the difference between the marks you made and the current water level. If the water levels inside the bucket and outside the bucket lowered the same amount, then your water loss is most likely from evaporation. If the water level outside of the bucket lowered more than the water level inside the bucket, it is time to call in a local leak detection company, because you probably have a leak. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Most of us are spending more time at home, and many are looking for ways to stay positive and productive during these trying times. If you are caught up on work and running out of craft projects, this might be a good opportunity to turn your attention to the home maintenance tasks you never seem to have time to complete. Since we are trying to limit our trips away from home, here are five tasks you can complete without heading to the store for supplies. 1. Vacuum Your Refrigerator Coils You may have already cleaned your coils during your annual spring-cleaning ritual but, if not, now is a great time to help your refrigerator function properly and conserve energy. Unplug the refrigerator, move it away from the wall, remove the panel covering the coils, use a soft-bristled scrub brush to knock debris off the coils, and then vacuum the coils. It really is that easy. 2. Clean Your Dryer Vent According to the U.S. Fire Administration, there are 2,900 residential clothes dryer fires each year. Thirty-four percent of these fires are caused by failing to clean the dryer. The last thing you want while isolating is a fire in your home. This is one easy way you can reduce the risk of that happening. There are lots of online resources with checklists and videos to help get you through this task, but here are the basics: unplug the dryer, move it away from the wall, remove the duct from the dryer, scoop out any visible lint, use a vacuum hose to clean the duct, find and remove the exterior vent cover, vacuum the vent, put everything back the way you found it. 3. Test Smoke Detectors Locate the test button on each of your smoke detectors. Hold the test button down for a few seconds while you wait for the alarm to sound. If the alarm sounds, release the button and go about your day. If it does not, it is time to change the batteries – or call the electrician, if your smoke detector is hardwired. If you need to change the batteries, you can order them online or pick them up on your next planned trip to the store. Look for five- or 10-year batteries to limit the time you spend on stepladders in the future. 4. Clean Your Drains Baking soda, distilled white vinegar, and boiling water are all you need to clean the drains throughout your home. While this DIY drain cleaner might not break up major clogs, it is an easy, inexpensive method for regularly cleaning your drains and reducing the need for store-bought, chemical-laden drain openers. Pour about one-half cup of baking soda into the drain. Follow this with about one cup of vinegar, which will cause a rather fizzy chemical reaction. Finish things off by pouring one to two cups of boiling water down the drain. 5. Clean Your Trash and Recycling Bins No one wants to do this job, but regular cleaning is the only way to avoid offensive smells, ants, and sticky situations. If you clean your bins regularly, you may just need to spray them down with a hose, and then let them dry. If it’s been a while, you may need to bust out the scrub brush to really give them a good cleaning. In this time when we are making an extra effort to keep germs out of our homes, take cleaning your bins one step farther by sanitizing them with a disinfectant spray after they dry. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is the marketing director for The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Summer has arrived and our furry friends are definitely feeling the heat. Dogs do not have as many options as humans when it comes to cooling off on a hot day, so it is up to us to make sure they are safe and comfortable when temperatures rise. Aside from obviously never leaving your dogs in the car on a hot day, here are thirteen ways you can help your pups beat the heat. 1. Know the signs of dehydration and heatstroke. If your dog is experiencing any of the following, take them inside, cool them off with a fan or wet towels, and call your vet.
2. Make sure they have cool, clean, fresh water. Before you head out for the day, make sure your dogs have at least two large water bowls with cool, fresh water. If you have multiple dogs, you may need more bowls; just make sure you have more than one option in case they knock one over or empty it before you get home. Make sure the bowls are in the shade, and you can add ice cubes to help keep them cooler longer. 3. Bring water and a water bowl everywhere you go. If you are leaving home with your dogs, make sure to bring water and a water bowl with you. There are many portable options available, such as collapsible water bowls or water bottles with an attached receptacle for drinking. Offer your dogs water regularly while you are out. 4. Check the ground temperature before walking them. If the dirt, sand, concrete or asphalt is too hot for you to walk on barefoot, it is too hot for your dogs to walk on as well. Wait until the sun goes down and the ground cools off or purchase protective booties to help keep their paws safe. 5. Make sure they have plenty of shade. If your dogs need to be outside, make sure they have plenty of shaded options where they can lie down and cool off. If you do not have a covered patio or trees to do the trick, inexpensive shade sails are a great way to quickly add shade to your backyard or dog run. Also keep in mind that doghouses can get hot and stuffy on hot days, so while a doghouse is great for protecting your dogs from the rain and colder temperatures, they are not always the best shade options for your pups. You can also purchase a canopy for your dog’s bed to make sure their favorite spot to hang out is in the shade. 6. Keep them inside with fans or air conditioning. If at all possible, keep your dogs inside during the hottest parts of the day. They will appreciate cooler temperatures and better air flow from fans, swamp coolers or air conditioning units just as much as you do. If you do not have central air conditioning, you can purchase one or more inexpensive fans and place them in areas where your dogs like to hang out. If you are using fans to help keep your dogs (and you) cool, make sure they have grates with small openings to protect your dogs or other pets from the fan blades. You can also place a bowl of ice behind the fan to cool off the circulating air even more. 7. Offer them cooler places to lie down. Save the fluffy dog beds for winter (or cooler summer nights) and opt for cots. Raised cots allow air to flow beneath the bed, which will help keep your dogs cooler in summer. Place the cot in the shade and, if possible, avoid placing it on concrete or asphalt. Some cots come with attached canopies to make sure your dogs can enjoy shade throughout the day. 8. Offer your dogs frozen treats. Frozen treats made just for dogs are widely available at pet stores and can help your dogs cool off on hot days. If you don’t happen to have any store-bought, frozen treats on hand, you can also try offering them plain ice cubes or you can make frozen treats with broth and water or blended berries and plain yogurt. 9. Give them a wading pool or swimming pool. Some dogs love splashing and playing in water, which makes this an easy way to help them cool off on a hot day. Depending on the size of your dogs, you could use something as small as a dishpan or something as large as a horse trough. Plastic kiddie pools do the job nicely as well. And, of course, there are plenty of products available online that are specifically sold as swimming pools for dogs. Some of these are even shaped like bones. Personally, I use an inexpensive, low-walled stock tank. If you decide to help your dogs stay cool in summer with a swimming pool, remember that they should never be left unattended while swimming or playing in the water. Also, when it is time to empty the pool, grab a bucket and use the water to irrigate ornamental landscaping so that the water is not wasted. 10. Avoid strenuous activities in the afternoon. Whenever possible, schedule your walks or play time earlier or later in the day when the temperature is cooler. If you have working dogs, make sure they have access to water and shade, and give them breaks throughout the day to let them cool off. If possible, schedule herding and other strenuous activities in the morning or evening. 11. Brush them often. While it is tempting to shave dogs to help them stay cool in summer, with many breeds, it is actually best to leave their coat in place, which will help keep them cool and protect their skin from sunburn. However, you do want to groom them regularly to remove tangles and mats. If you are considering shaving your dog for summer, talk to our vet first to make sure it is the best way to help them stay cool in hot weather. 12. Offer them a wet towel, ice pack or jar of ice. When I was younger, we used to put mason jars filled with ice in the rabbit pens so that they could wrap around them and keep cool on hot days. This also works for smaller dogs who might appreciate a jar of ice to wrap around or lie near to help them stay cool. Alternatively, you can fill a hot water bottle with ice and cool water or you can offer them an ice pack wrapped in a towel. If you don’t have any ice handy, wet a towel with cold water, wring out the excess and lay it in a shady spot where they like to hang out or on top of a raised cot for extra cooling. As a side note here: If your dog is showing signs of heatstroke, do not use ice to cool them off. This can cool their body temperature too quickly and cause them to go into shock. 13. Expand their wardrobe. You can help keep your dogs cool is summer with cooling bandanas or cooling vests. Using these options does not mean that you can hit the hiking trail in 100-degree weather, but they will help your furry friends stay cooler if they have to be outside on hot days. While you are expanding their wardrobe, you might also look into a visor or sunglasses. These can also help keep your dogs comfortable in summer. Side note: Dogs primarily cool themselves off through their respiratory system. If you have snub-nosed dogs, such as bulldogs, Shih Tzus and pugs, their smaller nasal passages make it more difficult for them to release heat through panting. You will need to be even more diligent to make sure your snub-nosed dogs are safe and comfortable on hot days. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Gardening is good for the soul – as well as the body and the mind – but, while there is nothing quite like spending a Zen-like afternoon tending to your garden beds, spending too much time outdoors without the proper protection is not good for your skin.
Excessive sun exposure can cause sunburn, sun damage, wrinkles, and skin cancer, so, before you head outside to pull weeds, prune shrubs or tend to your herb garden, be sure to follow these seven tips to protect your skin from the sun. 1. Always wear sunscreen. This one should go without saying, since you should be wearing sunscreen every time you step outside, but no list of skin protection tips would be complete without at least mentioning the importance of applying sunblock. This one task reduces your risk for sun damage, sunburns and skin cancer, so don’t forget the sunscreen before heading out to work in your garden. 2. Schedule your gardening tasks. It is difficult to avoid the sun when living in Ojai, since there are few options for scheduling gardening tasks on cloudy or overcast days. However, you can limit your sun exposure at least a bit by completing outdoor chores in the morning or evening to avoid spending too much time outside in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead. 3. Wear lip balm with sunblock. Apply lip balm with sunblock repeatedly while working outside to protect the thinner, more delicate skin on your lips from chapping, burning and sun damage. 4. Set up a shaded work area. Set up your potting bench under a shade tree, inside a garden shed or beneath an umbrella to minimize sun exposure while tending to your container garden. 5. Wear sunglasses. Grab your sunglasses as you head out the door to shield your eyes from UV rays and protect the delicate skin around your eyes. 6. Cover your hands and arms. I know you don’t want to wear long sleeves or gloves when it is this darn hot outside, but wearing the appropriate clothing now can save you from sunburns, sun damage, wrinkles, or even skin cancer later. Look for lightweight, breathable fabrics that are designed to offer sun protection during outdoor activities. For gloves, choose a flexible but durable option to also provide protection against scrapes, cuts, blisters, and calluses. 7. Show off your garden fashion with a wide-brimmed hat. Showing off your style with a wide-brimmed hat helps protect your face, ears, scalp, neck, upper arms, and chest from the sun, so don’t forget yours when you head outside to tend to your garden. Gardening burns calories, has therapeutic qualities, and is good for your overall health and wellness. But, like any other exercise, there is risk of injury, and you may have a few aches and pains after using muscles you don’t normally use in other aspects of your life. Back pain is one of the most common physical complaints associated with gardening, but there are steps you can take to help avoid this issue and ensure your gardening experience will be enjoyable and comfortable. To get you started, here are five ways you can protect your back while gardening. 1. Use the right tools. Using the right tools will help get the job done faster and with lower risk of injury. A wheelbarrow or garden cart can help you transport bags of soil, long-handled gardening tools allow you to stand while you dig or hoe, a gardening bench provides a comfy spot to sit while you pull weeds, and a potting bench will help you limit bending, stooping and reaching by allowing you to comfortably prune potted plants or transplant seedlings while standing. If you plan on spending a lot of time at your gardening bench, you may also want to invest in a stool or a cushioned anti-fatigue mat to take even more strain off your back and joints. 2. Build or buy raised garden beds. Raised garden beds that are just a few inches off the ground are good for your plants, but tending them will require just as much bending, stooping and squatting as tending an in-ground garden. To reduce the risk of aches, pains and back injuries, build or purchase garden beds that are about as high as your hip or waist. Keep in mind that you will save a lot of money on potting soil if you choose raised garden beds that are on legs rather than garden beds that will need to be filled from the ground up. 3. Lift and bend properly. Even with raised garden beds and all the right tools, you cannot completely avoid lifting and bending when gardening. Visit your favorite gardening or home improvement website to find videos showing proper bending and lifting techniques to avoid back injuries while gardening. 4. Stretch. Stretching and warming up your muscles is always a good idea, even when your upcoming activity is a low-impact exercise like gardening. Take a few minutes to stretch or walk around the block to loosen up your back and warm up your muscles before you grab your shovel. To further reduce the risk of back pain after gardening, incorporate stretching or yoga into your daily activities. This will help increase flexibility and strengthen your back and core. 5. Do not, under any circumstances, do the twist while gardening. Twisting to grab the trowel you left a few plants down the row or the pot you set down behind you significantly increases the chance of back pain during or after gardening. This seemingly innocuous movement is one of the most common causes of gardening-related back pain and injuries. So, control your urge to do the twist while working in your garden, and take the extra step or two required to turn around and properly lift that pot without hurting yourself. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Rats and mice are constant issues for Ojai homeowners. Regardless of how well you maintain your home and yard, there is a good chance these critters will at least stop by for a visit. This is particularly true if you live around rodent-friendly fruit or oak trees, and I can’t think of very many homes in Ojai that are not close to at least one of these. Like all animals, rats and mice are primarily focused on what they need to survive: food, water and shelter. If you have rats or mice in your yard, this means that your property is fulfilling these basic needs and providing a hospitable environment for rodents to call home. Folks who need to manage a rat population or repel mice have both lethal and non-lethal methods from which to choose. For those who want to kill them, Ojai is home to several pest control companies that will be happy to take care of this for you, or there are traps and poison for folks who want to do it themselves. Of course, there are issues that come with each of these options, so you need to be aware that your efforts to control rodents in this manner may result in the injury or death of animals you like having around, such as raptors, rabbits, pets and other wildlife. Additionally, whenever possible, it is always a good idea to try natural pest control methods that do not end in any unnecessary deaths of rodents or other animals before turning to lethal measures. For folks who want to get rid of rats or mice without killing them, there is really only one option: encouraging the rats and mice to move on by taking away the food, water and shelter they seek and making your property less hospitable. Removing water sources can be difficult, since this includes water bowls for pets, troughs and buckets used for larger animals, drip irrigation systems, and water features. So, while you may need to look at removing water sources at some point, let’s start with easier tasks, including removing food sources, limiting shelter options and making your yard less appealing to repel rats and mice naturally. Keep in mind, if you have an established colony, it is going to require a multi-prong approach that includes both eradication and prevention to avoid the establishment of future colonies. 14 Ways to Repel Rats & Mice Naturally (Without Killing Them) First, let’s work on removing food sources: 1. Move bird feeders away from outdoor living areas and regularly clean up any waste left on the ground. 2. Cover dog food and other pet food when your pets are not outside. 3. Store animal food securely. You aren’t going to be able to keep rats and mice out of your hay barn, but you can store your cat, dog, bird, chicken, goat and other animal feed in secure containers that won’t provide an easy meal for rodents. 3. Wrap flexible sheet metal around the trunks of fruit trees to prevent rats and mice from climbing the trees and eating the fruit (or making nests). You will also need to prune branches near fences or rooflines where rats and mice could gain access. 4. Always keep your trash and yard waste bins securely closed. 5. Choose a compost bin that deters rodents, since these are prime spots for rats and mice to find both food and nesting materials. I use tumblers on stands and always keep them closed. If you have a bin that sits on the ground and has an open bottom, you can place wire mesh between your bin and the ground to slow them down, but I have found that they generally find a way in anyways. If you have an open compost pile, rather than a bin, move your compost pile as far away from your house and outdoor living areas as possible. 6. Secure your chicken coop with 1/8-inch hardware cloth around the bottom of the fence. This isn’t completely rat proof, since they can still climb over the hardware cloth and get through the chicken wire above, but this can help keep rats from going after your chickens’ eggs and scratch. 7. Regularly remove pet waste from your yard. Pet poop may be gross to us, but rats recognize its nutritional value and are more than happy to dine on it. The step in getting rid of rats and mice naturally is removing shelter options, which includes blocking or removing pathways that provide cover for rodents as they traverse your yard: 8. Clear unnecessary clutter that provides shelter or pathways for rats and mice. This includes storing patio cushions when not in use and keeping areas near fences and walls as clear as possible. For example, dog houses, deck boxes and flowerpots should be kept away from walls to avoid creating a protected trail system for rodents. Wood piles should also be placed away from structures and, if possible, should be at least 18 inches above the ground to avoid creating shelter for rodents underneath. You will also want to make sure rats and mice cannot find shelter elsewhere in your yard, such as in a rarely used barbecue grill or under your potting bench. 9. Prune trees away from fences and structures and wrap the trunks in sheet metal to keep rats from making nests in the canopy. If you hate the idea of wrapping your tree trunks in metal, you can also try planting rat-repelling plants, such a lavender or mint, or placing an ultrasonic rat repeller at the base of the trunk. 10. Remove dense ground covers that provide shelter and allow rats and mice to move freely throughout your yard. 11. Block access under permanent and semi-permanent structures in your yard. Garden sheds, decks, gazebos, and other structures that rarely or never move are ideal options for rats and mice looking for a place to call home. You need to completely seal points of entry, since rats and mice can get through very small spaces, so make sure you do not already have any resident rats, mice, squirrels or other animals before sealing the area. If you block access to an area while animals are inside, they will die from starvation and dehydration, which is a crueler and slower death than poisoning or traps. And finally, let’s work on making your yard less appealing to rats and mice looking for a place to set up camp: 12. Deploy an ultrasonic rodent repeller. How well these work depends on who you ask, but if you have a significant rat population or a growing family of mice, they are worth a try. Most ultrasonic pest repellents are designed to ward off all animals, which includes animals you might like having around, such as dogs, deer, rabbits, or cats. So, if you decide to give this option a shot, make sure you purchase one that has settings for different types of animals so that you can ward off rodents without disturbing your furry friends. 13. Scare rats and mice off naturally off with predator urine. Some people swear by this method for removing unwanted rodents, which is why I’m including it on this list. However, I don’t really think it works and, therefore, is not worth having your yard smell like urine. Maybe introducing this smell could help with your rat or mice problem if you currently have no predators on your property, but most folks already have a predator or two running around. Think about it, if you have a dog or a cat that goes outside, you already have predator urine in your yard. If you live in an area where you have coyotes, bobcats or mountain lions at least occasionally on your property, you have even scarier predator urine that is not currently scaring away the rats or mice hanging out in your yard. 14. Introduce fragrances that make it difficult for rats and mice to use their sense of smell as a necessary survival mechanism. Rodents rely on smell to know when predators are around and to find food. Therefore, rats and mice generally choose to not hang out in areas where strong fragrances make it impossible to do this. You can purchase rat repellent pouches, pellets or sprays at hardware stores, feed stores and garden centers. This is a convenient option, but these can get expensive, since they will need to be regularly replaced. You can achieve the same effect of naturally repelling rats and mice with inexpensive items you likely already have around the house or can purchase at the dollar store. For example, dryer sheets and perfumed soaps work just as well, and you probably already have these on hand. Alternatively, you can plant mint or lavender near potential nesting areas or soak cotton balls or rags with peppermint oil or eucalyptus oil to place around your outdoor living areas to deter rats and mice. If you choose to use cotton balls or rags, make sure you place them in spots where you pets cannot access them. Owl Boxes: Another Way to Get Rid of Rats and Mice that is Better than Traps or Poison There is another option that lies between using traps and poison and using non-lethal, natural methods for getting rid of rats and mice. While this article focuses on natural ways to get rid of rodents without killing them, this lethal-but-natural option is worth including to make sure you are aware of all your options before turning to traps and poison. The Ojai Raptor Center sells barn owl and screech owl boxes that you can install at your home to encourage owls to nest on your property. This helps support the local raptor population while also providing you with natural rodent control, since owls are natural predators of rats and mice. The Ojai Raptor Center website also offers free barn owl box plans if you prefer to build your own. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a member of The Davis Group and a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
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