Still working on getting the porch wiped down after its long winter’s nap, but thought I’d pop in and share how the new swing chain covers look on the swing.
I kinda wished I had washed them first since the fabric is a bit stiff which makes it stick out a little awkwardly in a few spots, but overall, I really like them! They were a gazillion times easier to put on since they close with Velcro as opposed to my old swing covers that closed with a billion and one snaps.
So if you buy these for your porch swing, wash them to soften the fabric up a tad before placing them over the chains. They will probably relax a bit out here due to our humidity, but washing them will speed that up. Please ignore the standard hydrangea in the background. They get really dramatic when they need watering. I watered it just a few minutes before I took these photos, so it’s nice and fluffed up again now.
I used 2 sets of covers, they come two to a package. So, I used a total of 4 covers to cover the chains. There’s one cover on each of the longer sections and for the two smaller chains sections, I used one cover. I started it in front and then carried it up/over to the back chain. So I didn’t even have to cut the cover in half, which was great! If you like this look, these covers are available here: Swing Chain Covers.
I have two Knockout Roses bushes in pots on one of my decks and a squirrel has decided to eat all the rose buds before they get a chance to bloom. Grrrr! I tried spraying them with a squirrel repellent that I found online that’s non-toxic to squirrels, birds, etc… but you have to constantly reapply it and it smells awful! I don’t want to be on the deck after I spray it. Any ideas for keeping squirrels off my Knockout Roses? Appreciate any recommendations!
This is going to make my favorites list next month, but I love it so much, I wanted to share it now. Occasionally, I have pain in my hands, probably the start of some arthritis. I ordered gloves a month or so back, but was disappointed after they arrived when I realized they were the type that have to be microwaved each time you use them. I didn’t want to have to do that, plus, I wanted gloves that would stay warm and not start cooling off when I was using them. Also, recently I read that neck pillows made with hulls or organic material inside can start to develop mold from being heated in the microwave. I returned those and searched for gloves that were electric. I love, love, love the ones I found! I can completely control the temperature, and I don’t have to worry about them cooling down in the middle of using them. Apparently, they also help with Carpal Tunnel issues, too. Just wanted to share these since I’m so pleased with how well they work. I purchased the ones I love here: Heated Gloves for Hand Pain.
See you tomorrow for Metamorphosis Monday!
Your deck just looks designer ready!! Bummer about those pesky squirrels!!! I “feel your pain,” same story, second verse…we have a “herd of deer” that have adopted our yard, too…gaaa. Spray & pellets (and a hungry red fox) are all I have…I use red pepper & cinnamon occasionally…the latter is, at least, pleasant smelling…good luck!! franki
Thanks, Franki! Wow, that’s a lot of critters! I would have to set up a camera to catch them all visiting. Frustrating that they are eating your plants, though!
I’m about to clean the pollen and dust off my balcony and porch tomorrow. I wish there was a way to keep that clean
I have had luck spraying hot sauce on plants to deter nibbling pests. Find the hottest kind you can like ghost or habanero without chunks (it can clog the sprayer). Mix with some water and go to town. May take a couple rounds but once they associate the buds with a painful tongue, they avoid it. Best of luck
I will try that! I was so excited about all the buds, so upsetting to see them all nibbled off.
Make an appointment with Ga Hand see any of the doctors about your hands as they are the best in Atlanta
Thanks, Carol! Appreciate that recommendation!
Susan, I was so excited to read that coffee grounds will repel squirrels. I tried it and it seemed to be working! Then, I heard a master gardener say it was bad for the plant. I am going to really look into this, because we happen to have tons of coffee grounds!
One question I want to ask you re. a picture that followed this blog entry. What boxwoods did you plant in front of your house? I remember well when you put them in, but just don’t remember which ones you used. I seem to recall you used smaller and larger ones. I’m about to tackle my front yard. Help!
The 10 big ones that I planted (5 on each side of the front porch) are Green Beauty Boxwood. Later, I added 4 Baby Gem Boxwood (2 on each side) that were supposed to be smaller, but they have grown to be almost as big as the Green Beauty. I also planted two Green Tower Boxwood (1 on each side of the porch) that grow more vertically. In the planters, I have Green Mountain Boxwood topiaries. They have gotten huge, too! Everything has grown like crazy and has done really well, even through snow, thankfully.
You can read more about those here: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/landscaping-with-boxwood-green-beauty-baby-gem-green-tower-green-mountain/
I should do an updated post to show how everything has grown and looks now.
That’s too bad about the coffee grounds hurting the plant. I’d like that a lot more than the stinky stuff I purchased. lol
We use our chicken crap on all our gardens to keep the squirrels away from my bulbs and flowers. No more bulbs being dug up. We have lots of our own chicken crap, but here (Canada) you can buy it in gardening centers in jars. We put a light coat of chicken crap all over our gardens in the Spring. This is matured chicken crap.
To order them on Amazon.ca (Canada) – the cost is $182.76!! Crazy!! These would be perfect as I have Reynaud’s Syndrome – causes my fingers to go number & turn white…when I’m cold. (it’s an autoimmune issue). These would be perfect…but I chose a the less expensive option of battery hand warmers I can slip into my mitts….wish these ones weren’t so overpriced here…
I put black plastic forks, tines up, in my pots on the deck. Works well! If you still have issues, Cole’s Flaming Squirrel Hot Sauce works great! Have used it for years.
Hah ! I used deer/rabbit/squirrel spray and I thought the critters thought it was salad dressing. Did not work. Hope you find a solution. Your porch and swing look amazing…it’s going to be warm here this week so I am planning on getting our screen patio cleaned up. It is a job because we are on the second floor of a building, so cleaning the floor is a chore…and I can’t get to the outside of the screens. After having screen porches in the last two homes, this irks me. We had a building meeting last week and I brought this up…now the window cleaners are going to clean the outside of the screens when they are on the lifts. Hoping it is soon !!!
I can’t put bird seed out anymore. Every squirrel in a mile came over. The hawk ate one if the birds eating seed. I tried composting and other animals, including a bobcat, came to feast. I put out cloves and cucumber skins for crawling critters. The cicadas haven’t started. They make holes in the ground similar to snake holes. One Asian man told me he plants lemon grass and other plants they don’t like, like marigolds.
I have a real eco system here starting with grubs that lead to moles, to things that eat the moles. I shove mothballs in the tunnels. The skinks finally disappeared. Good luck.
I forgot to ask. How do you clean the ceiling fan on the porch ?
I bring up from the basement my big stepladder and take a bunch of damp cloths with me out on the porch and gently wipe off the tops of the blades. It’s getting time to replace them or have them painted, since the down rod is starting to show a little rust. I’ll probably just replace them.
Have you heard about SSSCAT Spray Pet Deterrent? It is motion activated and it works great for my cats and we’ve even used it to keep birds from nesting in certain places on our porch. It is by PetSafe on Amazon.
No, but I will def look for that! Thanks, Carol!