How To Get Rid Of Ticks From Your Garden

Ticks are one of the most common concerns for garden lovers. These pests feed on blood from both humans and animals, so we bet you're wondering how to get rid of ticks especially from your garden. 

They can carry different diseases, so you want to protect your family. Even if you don’t experience this problem, it is always better to prevent it from happening.

Here Are Some Ways To Keep Ticks Away From Your Home and Garden

There are different ways to solve this problem, depending on how severe it really is. Read on and find out how to prevent or get rid of ticks in the garden!

Clean Away The Debris From Your Garden

Never leave a pile of freshly cut grass or rotten leaves in the garden. Ticks like piles of debris, so make sure that you always remove the yard waste immediately.

The best lawn sweeper or  leaf vacuum and blower will help you do this quickly and efficiently depending on how big your garden is.

Also, keep your lawn short to avoid infestation with ticks. They like to hide in tall grass, so keep it as short as possible.

If you have compost piles, make sure that they are away from the seating and playing areas in the yard. 

Wild Animals Can Bring Ticks To Your Garden

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Wild animals are tick carriers. They can transport ticks to your garden, so be sure that the area is well protected from any kind of wild animals.

Keep deer away from the garden, as they can carry ticks. Invest in a good physical barrier, or avoid planting plants and bushes that attract deer in your garden. 

Consult With Professionals

If you experience a severe problem with ticks, you should ask for help from a professional. They will be able to determine the source and stop the infestation of ticks.

There are companies that will solve the problem for you using different methods. Do research to find out more about the available pest control services that deal with this specific problem in your area.

Sites like House Method sum up the reviews for different providers, so you can check to see which company suits your specific needs. 

Pest Control As Tick Prevention

Despite causing other problems, keep in mind that mice can spread ticks around your garden.

Deal with them quickly with mouse baits or if you want to do it more humanely, you can go for mouse traps available in the market. 

If you notice droppings, then this might mean that they are the source of the problem. Remove any thing that can serve as potential hiding spots for mice.

Planting Tick Repelling Plants

Certain plants have the ability to repel ticks, due to their strong scent. Some of them are garlic, lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass.

Plant them around your property to protect it from ticks. Also, add some in the areas that you use the most. 

Using Traps For Ticks

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There are different types of tick traps. Most of them will capture the ticks, without being dangerous for animals and people.

Make sure that you check the possible tick hiding spots, such as fences and sheds. 

Keep Your Lawn Short To Avoid Ticks

If your kids like to play in the grass, you might feel so worried.

When the lawn is short, the ticks won’t have an ideal hiding spot. But, keep in mind that you shouldn’t go too short if you want to maintain a healthy lawn.

About 4 inches high is a good option. It will allow the grass to develop properly, while it won’t be a good hiding spot for ticks. 5 or 6 inches might be too tall, so make sure that you mow frequently. 

Treat Your Pets For Ticks

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Dogs and cats like to lay in the grass. They can pick the ticks and bring them into the house.

That’s why you need to treat your pets with special products. 

Use special tick collars to prevent this problem. Also, consult with your vet about which repellent products are proper for your pet. 

Use Chickens As Tick Control

Chickens feed on insects and can eat large amounts of ticks.

If you experience a severe problem with ticks and have enough time to care for chickens, you might want to consider this option as your solution. 

Guinea fowl is another type of bird that feeds on insects, so people often keep them for pest control. But, be ready to take full responsibility for your new pet. 

Dressing Up For Gardening

If you suspect that the garden is infested with ticks, always wear light-colored clothing.

This way, it will be a lot easier for you to spot ticks on your clothing. Also, check your body and hair to see if there are any ticks attached.

Also, make sure that you brush the pets after being exposed to grass and bushes. This will remove any ticks before they attach to its body. 

Right Sun Exposure For Your Garden

The good news is that ticks don’t like sun exposure. Their ideal habitat are moist and shady spots.

So, you want to bring sunlight if you have a shady garden. Trim the trees to allow as much natural sunlight as possible.

Outdoor BBQ Ideas For Your Garden

Your garden is the place where you can spend time outside enjoying some fresh air. Some people like to spend time alone planting and relaxing, while others go for outdoor bbq ideas for entertaining friends and families.

Whatever you use your garden for, we’re sure you can agree that a barbecue area is something that sounds very desirable.

In this guide, we are going to give you some of our best tips to help you create your barbecue area. 

This will include everything from drawing out the initial sketches to laying the concrete to create the space.

Keep reading to find out more and get started today.

Sketching Out Your Outdoor BBQ Area

The first step to creating your barbecue area in your garden is to sketch it out.

If you have spent a long time making your garden look perfect, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t ruin it.

Sketching out a plan won’t take you that long and you’ll thank yourself in the long-run when you’ve got something to follow.

Remember to plan the layout of the seating area and where the barbecue will go. 

If you don’t have much experience in this kind of thing, you should be able to get some tips online to help with your sketch. 

Laying A Solid Ground For Your BBQ Area

You would not want to set up your barbecue area on grass, so you’ll need some solid ground to get started.

If you don’t have a flat space in your garden, it might be time to check a concrete mix calculator to find out what you need.

With a concrete mix calculator, you can easily ​get exactly the amount you require and place an order when you’re ready.

Once you have the concrete in place, you can progress with your barbecue area.

Buying the Right BBQ Equipment 

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No barbecue area is going to do the job without a top of the range barbecue.

If you are going to the effort of creating a dedicated area for this kind of activity, then you’ll want to make sure that you choose a good brand. 

You can find some information on the best barbecue brands online so make sure to have a look. Other equipment that you’ll need includes barbecue accessories, gloves and a hook to keep everything tidy.

Setting Up Where Everyone Will Sit And Relax

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The next tip that we have for those who want to create their own barbecue area in their garden is to decide on where you’ll sit.

You might want to have a dedicated seating area with a beautiful fire pit in the center, or you might want to keep it simple.

A barbecue area needs to have somewhere nearby for your guests to relax so make sure to consider this.

Whether you decide to build a bench area or buy some garden furniture, don’t forget to include this in your plans.

Blending Your BBQ To You Garden

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As a keen gardener, you’ll know just how important it is to make your garden look great.

While a concrete barbecue area can be very practical, it isn’t always going to look great without any consideration to the décor.

This is why you need to think about how you are going to decorate your barbecue area.

Some of the best ways to make it look great include planting some flowers along the edge of the concrete area, buying fairy lights and other decorations. 

Check online for some inspiration as you’ll definitely find some great ideas on sites like Pinterest. 

How To Maintain Your Outdoor BBQ Grill

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Our final tip for those who are hoping to create their own barbecue area is to make sure that you are maintaining it.

While you might set up your barbecue area right before summer, it could be completely ruined by the next time the sunny weather comes along.

This is why you need to not only look after your barbecue area by cleaning it but also by covering it. If you can, consider adding some shelter above your barbecue area.

Then, throughout the year head back out there and clear the space. We recommend keeping your barbecue inside your house or in a locked shed when it isn’t in use to protect it.

Wrapping Up Outdoor BBQ Ideas For Your Garden

Setting up your own barbecue area can be one of the most exciting things you do this summer.

Whether you are hiring someone to do most of the hard work for you or you are laying the concrete and building the tables yourself, you’ll be sure to be happy with the end result.

Make sure to take on board all the outdoor bbq ideas we have given you in this article and use them to make the most of your garden.

We know that you love spending time out there so make sure to get started before the summer is over!

Planting Small Trees That Won’t Take Over Your Garden

Man has destroyed 46% of the world’s forests and the devastation that this has had on the atmosphere is insurmountable.

The only way to combat this is simply by planting more trees. If every person on the planet planted just one solitary tree, then together we can help improve the air that we breathe.

Planting trees is also one of the small ways that you can help to reduce your own carbon footprint.

In your backyard, it’s not always the best decision to go for a mighty oak or a tall pine, but there are plenty of small trees that you can plant that won’t take over your space.

Best for shady backyards

There are not many trees that will thrive in shady conditions, but even if you have limited sunlight, there are still some varieties that will look beautiful in your backyard.

You can design your landscape around these shade-loving trees that are both sculptural and delicate.

They will give your space a natural feel. Portland landscape design experts recommend Japanese maples for medium shade - they can be kept in pots if you don’t want to dig, but they will need regular watering and don’t like windy conditions.

 The Staghorn Sumac is another good small tree for a shady area - in fall the foliage will turn to fiery orange and red - simply beautiful.

Best Small Trees for Blossom

There are many ornamental fruit trees that are small enough to grow in the backyard. In spring they will produce pink and white blossoms that attract bees and butterflies to your garden.

Ornamental cherries are a good option and the flowers will last for several weeks in May. The humble crab apple tree is another small tree that will produce beautiful blossoms in the springtime.

The apples themselves are generally too bitter to eat (unless you cook them with copious amounts of sugar), but they will attract plenty of insects.

For truly spectacular blossoms, try a small variety of the Magnolia tree like the Sayonara or the Alexandrina.

Fantastic Dwarf and Miniature Fruit Trees

Dwarf and miniature fruit trees have become increasingly popular for both amateur gardeners and commercial growers because the small trees are simple to look after and far easier to harvest.

The smaller trees are no less productive - in fact they come into fruit quicker than their larger counterparts.

It may take an ordinary rootstock tree 3-4 years to come into fruit, but if with a dwarf variety you will see fruit within a year or two. 

Many fruit trees, particularly the mediterranean citrus fruits, like lemons and mandarins, will be happy in a large terracotta pot on your patio - just make sure that they get plenty of sunshine and water.

Other fruit trees that are available in dwarf form are peaches, apples, damsons, pears, cherries and even quince.

Planting Trees Espalier

Espalier is an ingenious way of training your trees so that the branches grow horizontally - this is ideal for a backyard and you can even use your trees to create hedging and boundaries instead of ordinary shrubs.

Even if you are in a city, you can plant a tree right against a brick wall and it will thrive, obtaining warmth from the bricks.

Espalier is often used for fruit trees because it helps the fruit to ripen quicker - this is a practice that dates back to Roman times.

Having the branches organised in rows will also make the fruit extremely easy to harvest. You can espalier the majority of tree species, but you will need to start when the tree is young and the branches are pliable.

Make a framework using strong wire for the branches to grow along, cordoning any new growth every few weeks - particularly in the spring and summer months.

Species that lend themselves well to espalier are figs, apples, pears, ginkgo biloba and katsura.

Small Trees for Topiary

Being able to sculpt your small trees will help to keep them to the size that you want. Not all trees lend themselves well to topiary however.

The bay tree is an excellent choice and it’s leaves can be added to soups and stews for extra flavor.

The bay can be trained into spiral, pyramid or lollipop shapes easily, just using a pair of secateurs.

The yew tree (Taxus Baccata) is another classic topiary option and is less prone to blight and caterpillars than the common box. 

Look for the Lonicera Nitida or Ilex Crenata varieties which have beautiful glossy, green foliage and will not grow too large.

Wrapping Up Best Small Trees for Your Backyard

Planting small trees in your backyard will add small areas of shade, without overwhelming the rest of your planting. You will not only be creating a special area that you want to spend time in, but also helping to look after the planet.