How to Starve a Gopher (part 2)

I'm hoping these plants will help protect my garden from a Gopher. I did a search for "what gophers wont eat", and these are some of the suggestions for my region, central coast California.

Escallonia is an evergreen shrub often used for hedging

Fuchsia is one of my favorites.

Grevillia is an evergreen flowering plant. I know little about it, but there are 350 species. I wouldn't have room for them all in my yard. And I bet if the gopher doesn't like them he/she wouldn't want them there!

I still have a long list of these trees and bushes that gophers are not supposed to like. It just occurred to me that posting a picture for each one is going to take me a long time. I still have another list of other kinds of plants that I want to post information about. So, I will make links out of the following names and you can click to go see them.

Check out what the gopher did to my garden!

Hydrangea

Lantana

Nandina

Oleander

Pomegranate

Ribes

Rosemary

Salvia
(native and nonnative)

How to Starve a Gopher

I've been thinking about how to get rid of my unwanted garden guest. What if I had plants that the gopher didn't like? What if he or she or they couldn't find any good munchies?

So, I did a search online for "what plants don't gophers like" and came up with an interesting list for my area of the country. Don't know if these plants are available elsewhere or in what other places they will grow.  The article I read had all their fancy names, so I've looked up their popular names and I've decided to post some pix of some of them here.

Arbutus unedo is also called Strawberry Tree. One of my neighbors has this in her garden. Sure is pretty.

Buddleja is also known as Butterfly Bush. This is one I've been planning on putting in my garden anyway, so the sooner the better!

I have a Callestemon in my back yard. Well, actually it's on the other side of the fence, in the neighbor's yard. But, it hangs over into my yard. It's commonly called Bottlebrush. The hummingbirds LOVE it!

Ceanothus, also known as California Lilac is not a Lilac at all. I found this interesting bit of information on them. "Gather a handful of "Blue Blossoms", add a few drops of water, and one has a fine soapy cleanser, a feature used by Native Americans who also bend the flexible stems for the circular frames of their basketry."

Cistus is also known by the common name of Rock Rose. I've seen this in gardens around here (Central Coast California). It makes a good ground cover without being invasive, from what I've observed.

Tomorrow, I will post some more pictures.

Please note these are not my photos, but are from links throughout the web.

Go Away Gopher!

 I have a gopher in my garden, or perhaps two or three. I don't know. I've never seen the little buggers, but there sure is plenty of evidence. On the one hand it's pretty nice to see that the soil in my garden that I was intending to loosen up has already had that job done.

Thank you Gopher. However, I didn't want the soil to be turned up over there, Dude!


Needless to say it's a love-hate relationship.

Last year I saw some evidence in my back yard. It didn't worry me as I have nothing growing back there, not even grass.

Well, a couple rose bushes and some trees, yes. But apparently gophers don't care for them. What else do gophers not care for? That's what I've got to figure out!

Apparently they LOVE what I've got growing in my front yard, but I can't quite determine what it is. I've cleared out all the weeds. (A really big job) and find that they like my rare white California poppies. I can't imagine how that's enough to keep them around. I've only got a few. I've got some other miscellaneous plants, but I can't tell if Gopher has been munching on them. He just seems to like making tunnels and mounds... everywhere.

I've been reading up on the pesky rodents and find that there's no guarantee you can get rid of them, unless you asphyxiate them with the exhaust fumes of your car or hire an exterminator. The first is illegal in most states. The second is quite expensive.


Of course, there is the trap and kill method. I had a friend come over and set the traps, but that Gopher is an escape artist!

Interestingly, a lot of articles say to not use your bare hands to touch or set the traps because gophers don't like the scent of humans. If that's the case, why don't I just roll around naked on my front garden and see if that gets rid of him?