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The staff has been on hand this week as I’ve randomly taken time on different days to clean out this side of the studio gardens. It’s not time to plant here yet, but I figure if I clean out a little at a time, I’ll be ready. This big bed was used previously for growing tomatoes, peppers, and herbs. I took two tomato cages out of it. (I will not be planting any vegetables in this area because of the chickens.) I left a rosemary plant that might possibly have made it through the winter. We’ll see. I can’t usually get rosemary to over-winter, but then I didn’t plant this one! And if it lives, that will totally explain it.
Today I finished up the job with dumping a bunch of mulch in the bed.
And I gave this area a haircut.
I still don’t know what I’m going to do about that inconvenient grass on the knoll. Somebody told me that donkeys don’t eat flowers. Mowing grass seems so wasteful. Grass is FOOD. I’m considering fencing in the entire house and yard area and bringing in Jack and Poky. Or maybe Patriot. I’m told horses don’t eat flowers either. IS THIS TRUE?
I also cleaned out and mulched this narrow bed to the side of the house.
Not sure what all is growing in there, so if I wasn’t sure it was a weed, I left it until I decipher whether or not there are some perennials coming up in there. Probably, they’re just weeds, but I’m only two-tenths of a master gardener, so don’t expect me to know.
Up next, I’ll clean out and mulch the beds at the front of the house and also tackle the large rose garden on the other side of the studio. There are quite a few bulbs, flowering bushes, etc, all around the house and studio, so what I’ll be adding when the time comes will probably be lots and lots and LOTS of flowering annuals. I think it will be beautiful.
Posted by Suzanne McMinn on March 17, 2012
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When I had 120 ft of them in the front yard years ago I had a little love bird that I took outside with me and when I sat her down by me I told her to only eat the hard seed pods. She never ate the buds.
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Potential problem if eaten in large quantities:
• Buttercup
• Morning glory
• Pokeweed
• St. Johnswort
• Gum-weed
• Astragulus and Oxytropis spp/(vetches and locoweed)
• Avocado leaves
• Bracken fern
• Most bulb type flowers (tulip, iris, etc.)
• Wilted red maple leaves
• Acorns/new oak leaves
Avoid at all costs (Lethal or severe toxicity potential)
• Lily of the Valley
• Larkspur
• Tomato or potato plants
• Rhubarb leaves and roots
• Poison hemlock
• Foxglove
• Leafy spurge
• Mustards
• Jimsonweed
• Alsike clover
• Blue flax
• Sorghum (Johnsongrass and Sudan grass)
• Oleander
• Privet
• Japanese Yew (all Taxus spp)
• Azalea
• Rhododendron
• Mountain Laurel
• Pits of peaches, cherries, or avocados
• Horsechestnut
• Russian Knapweed or yellow star thistle–Centaurea spp
Potential Treats
Perfectly acceptable treats (fed in limited quantities (<1-2 lbs/feeding)
• Carrots, apples, grapes
• Bananas
• Peas
• Green beans
• Lettuce
• Celery
• Dried beans, such as pinto, red, fava (however should be cooked or heat treated)
• Watermelon rinds
• Squash
• Mangoes (not the seeds)
• Raisins
• Bread/bagels/cake (NOT if they contain chocolate or poppy seeds)
• Pasta, macaroni
• Potato chips and potato products…(do not give raw potatoes to pregnant mare it is toxic……gives them blood poisoning).
• Rice products (not raw rice)
• Barley products
• Corn products
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Fruit juices
• Hot dogs, hamburgers, tuna fish, ham or even roast beef sandwiches! My horses love peanut butter sandwiches!
• Most dog and cat foods
• Zucchini
• Watermelon
• Parsnips
• Pumpkin
Beware large quantities, but probably acceptable in very small amounts (<2 to 4 ounces/day)
• Cabbage, broccoli, kale, chard, collard greens, brussel sprouts
• Spinach
• Rhubarb stems (NOT the leaves or roots)
• Garlic and onions (large amounts may cause anaemia) When lower doses are consumed on a regular basis, or Large amounts are consumed this may cause anaemia…(the same goes for onions…. to much can cause anaemia).
• Turnips
• Radishes
• Avocado (NOT skins or seeds)
• Lathyrus spp. beans (India)
• Sunflower seeds
• Sugar candies such as jelly beans, gummy bears, peppermints, etc.
Safe in very limited quantities BUT WILL CAUSE POSITIVE DRUG TESTS
• Morning glory plants
• Sassafras
• Willow leaves and bark
• Yucca
• Tobacco (consumed, not inhaled)
• Valerian root
• Carrots in very large quantities only (over 5 lbs day)!
• Persimmons (seeds also may cause impaction)
• Chocolate in any form
• Licorice?
• Cinnamon products
• Nutmeg
• Hot pepper/chilli flavoured products (Nacho chips, etc)
• Non-decaffeinated coffee or tea in any form
• Caffeinated sodas
• Alcoholic beverages?
• Some dog/cat foods (Beware “bakery waste” as an ingredient-may contain chocolate)
Summary:
There are obviously a wide range of things that our horses may enjoy consuming, not all of which are good for their health. Many horses would refuse to even sniff many of the items listed above. Knowing which potential treats are safe, at least in limited quantities, is important for horse owners. You never know what might be offered to your horse!
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If it were me I’d plant that rocky section near the statue with as many varieties of thyme as I could find. And probably fill the upper part with bee balm and maybe even other mints! If it spreads, would you really care? The area will smell wonderful and the bees will love it all.
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I used to bring my horse down early in the spring when the grass started to get long in certain areas – and while it was still too moist(muddy in places) to mow!
My horse is large(16.2 hands) and once I brought him carefully through our walk through chain link gate, he seemed huge!!!
It was fun, people would walk by pointing and staring! Some would laugh and some had to come and visit – hoping to get to pet him – but he was always too busy eating!
I could go inside the house, and let him wander the yard! Flowers and all. He never did bother any flowers! He did have a drink out of the birdbath! And he did fertilize a little! Actually helping the flowers! Horses in the yard- perfect!
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