As I’m sure you know, I love gardening. I spend as much time as possible in my garden. Derek often asks what exactly I do all day. I just potter around, check plants, water, tend to new plantings – there is always so much to do. I wonder where all the time goes. I normally don a T-shirt, a pair of shorts and hit the garden barefoot. It just feels so good underfoot. It is therapeutic. My mind is on relaxing in my garden and I certainly don’t think of danger and unwanted pests – until the other day, when I almost stood on a snake!

I had been busy in the front garden, when I needed a bit of leaf mould. Without thinking, I walked up the side path, to the courtyard, poured some leaf mould into a bucket and nonchalantly walked back to the front garden. As I walked, I was admiring the mint and parsley I had grown outside the bathroom window, when that sixth sense kicked in. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something amiss. There was something dark and long lying next to the fence and instinctively I honed in for a closer look, thinking maybe it was a rag, branch, or something else that I should remove and throw in the trash.

As realization dawned on me that it was a snake, so too did my vocal chords spring in to action. I let out a scream and reeled back in horror. Derek raced to my side to see what was wrong. It was a large Nightadder, with a frog in it’s mouth. I felt repulsed and to think that I had walked there several times in the past hour and not noticed it, but also relieved that I hadn’t stood on it. It had obviously just caught the frog and was about to swallow it. Now I must admit, that as much of an outdoors girl I am and as eco friendly as I am, there are certain things that don’t meet with my approval. To me, from the time the kids were little, some things are better off being dead. Flies, mosquitoes, rats and snakes definitely fit the bill.

Derek grabbed a shovel and tried to move the snake out the way. It let go of the now very dead frog and turned it’s attention to the shovel. It struck out at the shovel and that is when Derek changed his mind and whacked it. He took both the frog and the snake away to the trash bin. It was over, but for the rest of the day, I had that eerie, uneasy feeling and was super alert.

When I saw this following article on Article Emporium, I knew I just had to copy it to my blog. Here it is. It’s entitled “Control snakes in the garden” and was written by Marilyn Pokorney.
    
To have a snake, or two in the garden is good. Non-poisonous snakes, such as the common garter snakes, are beneficial creatures, because they eat pest insects, mosquito larvae, slugs, snails, crickets, rats, mice, voles and even other snakes which may be poisonous.

But if you really don’t want snakes in your yard and garden here are a few tips to eliminate them, without hurting, or killing them.

Keep the lawn neatly cut and clean. Be careful using weed eaters, because the sting from the fast moving string can kill them.

Snakes need cover for protection. Don’t leave wood, or brush piles sit in one spot for more than a month.

Keep leaves and other debris picked up.

Don’t keep piles of rocks.

Stack firewood on a rack, 12″ off the ground.

Remove old lumber, or junk piles.

Remove their source of food. Keep the insect and rodent population under control.

Place garbage bags in sealed trash cans away from the house.

Repair cracks along the foundation and fill holes around pipes. Snakes only need about a ¼ inch crack to get inside.

Sprinkle moth balls around the perimeter of your yard, or garden. But beware that these can be dangerous to pets and children.

Sulfur, from a garden center, is said to keep snakes away.

Don’t plant bushes and other plants too close to the foundation of the house.

Use mulch in the garden beds, but not too thickly.

Trim the lowest limbs on shrubs and bushes, so they are at least 12 inches from the ground.

Construct a fence around your garden, with heavy galvanized screening. Make it three feet wide, with quarter-inch mesh. Be sure to bury the bottom of it, six inches below the soil surface.

For more help on controlling snakes:

http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/snakecontrol.htm 
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About the author: Author: Marilyn Pokorney Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the environment. Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net
Circulated by Article Emporium
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Well it’s all very easy for her to say don’t kill them, but I still think the only good snake is a dead one!

If you are one of those who dislike chemicals and prefer natural remedies in your garden and if you love the country living, then get this book “Home And Garden, Country and Rural Life”. It covers garden topics, as well as wildlife, nature and other pastimes. If you are interested in being eco friendly and protecting the environment and if you are sick of the rat race and dream of relaxing in the rural country environment, then you should read this book on the good life. Titled Home And Garden - Country And Rural Life, it will show you how to best enjoy your garden, the birds and bees, how to raise chickens and goats and even how to bake your own bread. Change your lifestyle, by reading this book. Take a look here http://dersalsites.com/hag/

Sally Robson is married to Derek, an up and coming South African internet marketer, with a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet. They have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. She also has a passion for gardening. For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally’s website at http://www.dersalsites.com/gardening/  and her blog at http://dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips

To remain informed their internet marketing progress, by newsletter and mail, to get recommended tools and lessons and to start your journey to wealth, sign up here. You will also get some free software. It’s free. Click this link : http://dersalsites.com/newsletter/

For more on internet marketing, South African business, list building, law of attraction and rugby, visit Derek’s blog at: http://dersalsites.com/southafricanbusiness/

Clint has started a website on fitness and bodybuilding and has amassed hundreds of articles on various topics of fitness. Check his site at: http://dersalsites.com/clintstraining/  and his new blogsite at http://dersalsites.com/clintstrainingblog/

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