Geocaching For Gardeners

9.4k · March 16, 2004

It's that time of year again. Spring is arriving, daytime temperatures are calling us to spend time outdoors. We need to spend time on the garden before going geocaching or else we'll come home to a less-than-desirable yard.

We wouldn't want to take anything away from geocaching, however, so what can you do to give your garden that "geocaching touch"?

I was thinking of building a retaining wall out of ammo cans. The next-door neighbors would probably think I've got an armory going, but I don't get along with them anyway. If they think I'm stockpiling weapons and ammo, they'll leave me alone

I bought a sprinkler timer so I can go out geocaching while my plants are being watered. Since I've found most of the caches close to my house, I can't turn on the water, go geocaching, and come back before flooding the yard. The timer will help budget my geocaching time better (and save water, too!)

Funny thing about water in this area. The Rio Grande Compact says we have to give all our water to Texas. This means lawns are discouraged around here. Everyone plants rocks instead like they live in Arizona or something. Not me! My lawn turns green a whole month before anyone else even starts watering theirs. The problem comes when I try to find a rock to make a micro-cache out of. The only rocks that exist in this area are already in someone's yard! If I place a fake-rock micro somewhere, it will get stolen and used as landscaping!

March 16, 2004

I've seen caches where people have left seed packets. If you traded seed packets each time you would have a yard full of different flower types. The ammo box wall is a pretty neat idea but I've seen ammo boxes go for as much as $7.00.

Now that I've discovered goecaching, my Easter egg hunts will never be the same!

March 16, 2004

I'm jealous...you have spring coming? We are getting 6-8 inches of snow today! Caching was just getting going again too.

Enfanta has done some things with fake rocks as cache containers. They look like a rock...but really don't function like one. You may want to send her an e-mail. Her profile is readily found in the NE forums.

Salvelinus

4.8k · March 16, 2004

We need to spend time on the garden before going geocaching or else we'll come home to a less-than-desirable yard.

I just go with the less than desirable yard option. I am always especially happy when it doesn't rain and the grass turns brown and dormant so that I don't have to mow. I don't even own a sprinkler!

9.4k · March 16, 2004

We need to spend time on the garden before going geocaching or else we'll come home to a less-than-desirable yard.

I just go with the less than desirable yard option. I am always especially happy when it doesn't rain and the grass turns brown and dormant so that I don't have to mow. I don't even own a sprinkler!

AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Why don't you move here? You can plant rocks and never have to water again

4.8k · March 16, 2004

AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I guess you would not approve of the big bush that grew from a tree stump and partially blocks my garage door, the rotten stump that I won't remove because snakes live under it, or the trees growing up through the wire fence then? I just tell people that it is a backyard wildlife habitat (and it kind of really is with the snakes and rabbits and birds).

9.4k · March 16, 2004

AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I guess you would not approve of the big bush that grew from a tree stump and partially blocks my garage door, the rotten stump that I won't remove because snakes live under it, or the trees growing up through the wire fence then? I just tell people that it is a backyard wildlife habitat (and it kind of really is with the snakes and rabbits and birds).

Would you increase the difficuly by 1-star when the snakes come out of hibernation?

2.2k · March 16, 2004

AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I guess you would not approve of the big bush that grew from a tree stump and partially blocks my garage door, the rotten stump that I won't remove because snakes live under it, or the trees growing up through the wire fence then? I just tell people that it is a backyard wildlife habitat (and it kind of really is with the snakes and rabbits and birds).

gee! sounds a lot like my yard. we have 2 acres and mow all of it. :mad: never water here either.

9.4k · March 16, 2004

I would love to have 2 acres (as long as it was in Colorado)

Living in the city, we have to get by on about 0.2 acres. It is much cheaper to landscape though! I'm hoping to get it done this spring, but I only have so much in the budget for it.

BTW, ammo cans are 6 for $19 at cheaperthandirt.com so that retaining wall wouldn't cost much more than bricks anyway

2k · March 16, 2004

Brand new house, brand new garden.

We filled the garden at the last house with perineials so it was almost no work. Throw down some mulch in the spring, add a few petunias and gerainiums and bang we were off to the hills. And we had a nice yard.

A nice yard dosen't mean a lot of time or work. Grass is the biggest time hog (sorry Saxman, I know you like it) I will not spend more than 45 minutes a week on yard maintainence, including mowing. A mulching mower helps keep the mowing time down and cuts down on fertalizer cost. Mulch keeps weeds down and conserves water. Drip irragation reduces water use and time required to hand water. Most of these investments will pay for themselves in the first two years.

I will still have grass, I'm getting a new dog this summer and he's going to need some grass. I just plan to keep it to a minimum.

9.4k · March 16, 2004

Thanks Rusty, I'll have to get some perennials planted this year. I just planted flowers last year, but I doubt they lasted the winter. I'll look more closely at the tags when I go shopping in a couple of weeks.

I installed drip irrigation and sprinklers last year to make it easier to manage. I'm adding a timer (today, between posts ) so I can be geocaching while watering the lawn.

March 16, 2004

I bought a sprinkler timer so I can go out geocaching while my plants are being watered. Since I've found most of the caches close to my house, I can't turn on the water, go geocaching, and come back before flooding the yard. The timer will help budget my geocaching time better (and save water, too!)

Funny thing about water in this area. The Rio Grande Compact says we have to give all our water to Texas. This means lawns are discouraged around here. Everyone plants rocks instead like they live in Arizona or something.

This is totally off-topic, but this whole thread is off topic, so what the hell. When my wife (the actual Balboagirl) moved to Iowa from southern California, we were driving by a corn field or bean field or something, and she asked, "Where are the irrigation rigs?" I said, "We have a very good irrigation system here. It's called rain."

There are advatanges to living just far enough east to be under the system of riparian water rights, which is to say, you pretty much don't worry about it.

March 16, 2004

That is what roundup was made for. I sprayed the front and side yards nine years ago. Better things to do than mow. There is fishing, hiking, kayaking, caching, biking, camping... Plant the yard in prairie grass and wildflowers. Now I mow in the spring and burn it. I'm done for the year.

2k · March 16, 2004

... but this whole thread is off topic, ...

I think it should have been titled gardening for geocachers myself.

Any way any thing that helps me free up time for my favorite hobby is on topic as far as I'm concerned.

riparian water rights? We got no rights here. Nevada is in the rain shadow of the sierra nevada mountains. What that means is California sucks up all the water and we get the shadows.

On the bright side you can put a cache in a cookie tin and it will never rust.

4.8k · March 16, 2004

That is what roundup was made for. I sprayed the front and side yards nine years ago. Better things to do than mow. There is fishing, hiking, kayaking, caching, biking, camping... Plant the yard in prairie grass and wildflowers. Now I mow in the spring and burn it. I'm done for the year.

Once I get a new fence up, I plan to do that with a section of the back yard. Easy to care for, looks cool and it will make the snakes happy.

9.2k · March 16, 2004

Carleenp -

For a well-rounded backyard wildlife habitat, you really ought to consider adding badgers and mushrooms.

Saxman -

Retaining wall? What a waste of perfectly good ammo cans. You sicken me.

I live in a townhouse. When I back the SUV out of the garage to go caching, I wave at the guy who trims the hedges and blows the leaves off my patio.

4.8k · March 16, 2004

For a well-rounded backyard wildlife habitat, you really ought to consider adding badgers and mushrooms.

I already have mushrooms and the snake, not sure where to get a badger. Anyone want to send me one? How about I just pretend that Charlie the grumpy squirrel is a badger (I'll edit and add a pic of him when I get home)? Hmm, actually, I have just now changed his name to "Badger."

I wonder if I can figure out how much extra caching time I have gained by avoiding yard work?

9.4k · March 16, 2004

Saxman -

Retaining wall? What a waste of perfectly good ammo cans. You sicken me.

Think of it as caches waiting to be placed....

9.2k · March 16, 2004

Sort of like how umc views a cinder block retaining wall as travel bugs waiting to be released?

I guess I get it now. Sorry to have gotten so upset. It must be holiday stress.

March 16, 2004

Everyone plants rocks instead like they live in Arizona or something.

I resemble that remark!! :mad: I wanted to put a cache in a feild next to my house but someone moved into it! There is an old ranch way, way out in the middle of nowhere (farther than me if that is possible) that I want to buy and live at some I can place caches all over my yard! I would make them all fake boulder caches and use those as landscaping and caches

9.4k · March 16, 2004

Sort of like how umc views a cinder block retaining wall as travel bugs waiting to be released?

I guess I get it now. Sorry to have gotten so upset. It must be holiday stress.

LOL!

Yeah, something like that

March 16, 2004

I live in an apartment now. But when I lived in a real house I had about 7500 square feet of lawn, 500 square feet of vegetable garden, and about 200 square feet of flower garden that I took care of, in addition to maintenance on the house. I maintained the lawn and gardens in about 2 hours a week, without it interfering with my weekend. I would spend about 15 minutes each day when I came home from work weeding and harvesting, and once a week spend 45 minutes mowing the lawn. With the exception of Miracle-Gro, I used no chemicals on any of the gardens, and I only used weed killer on the front yard once a year (never on the back yard).

It's all in how you set it up and approach it.

RichardMoore

March 16, 2004

Before geocaching... we had PLANS for our 1/2 acre. Stone walls, raised beds, flowers, vegetables, trees.

After geocaching... our 72 year old neighbor drives his riding lawnmower over our backyard when HE gets tired of how bad it looks. After the third time he did that we were guilty enough that we started mowing every 2 weeks. Sometimes. The knapweed is taking over in some spots and only the front yard is displayable.

Of course, this summer things will be different... at least that's what my husband says. Lucky for us summer only lasts 3 months!

I just want to cache!

-Jennifer

2k · March 17, 2004

Anybody can Xeriscape these are low maintainence landscapes that happen to be good for the water utility companies. If you do it right you won't even have to mow and burn, .

2.2k · March 17, 2004

For a well-rounded backyard wildlife habitat, you really ought to consider adding badgers and mushrooms.

I already have mushrooms and the snake, not sure where to get a badger. Anyone want to send me one? How about I just pretend that Charlie the grumpy squirrel is a badger (I'll edit and add a pic of him when I get home)? Hmm, actually, I have just now changed his name to "Badger."

I wonder if I can figure out how much extra caching time I have gained by avoiding yard work?

hmmm!! let me think,i know, i know, she doesn't think. in my yard we have raccoons, squirrels, 'possums, groundhogs, asst. birds, sometimes deer, and the occasional turkey that wanders through. oh! i have even seen a fox twice. i live about 10 minutes from flint, michigan and we get that kind of wildlife. pheasants too! and of course, bunnies.

4.8k · March 17, 2004

The newly renamed Badger. He hates it when I take his picture.

Oh a snake! It's a snake!

2.2k · March 17, 2004

The newly renamed Badger. He hates it when I take his picture.

Oh a snake! It's a snake!

he does look kinda peeved. i'd be careful. have you seen those 2 squirrels in the insurance commercial?

4.8k · March 17, 2004

he does look kinda peeved. i'd be careful. have you seen those 2 squirrels in the insurance commercial?

Oh he was REALLY PEEVED! Earlier that day, I had removed his favorite cache of bird feed that I kept in a plastic can outside and he had chewed a hole in. Then I put the cat out under his feeder on a leash for awhile. When I took his pic, he wanted to run away, but didn't want to leave the feeder either. He jumped around and chattered at me and looked like he was about to attack me at one point. Badger doesn't like me much even though I give him such nice treats.

9.4k · March 17, 2004

he does look kinda peeved. i'd be careful. have you seen those 2 squirrels in the insurance commercial?

Oh he was REALLY PEEVED! Earlier that day, I had removed his favorite cache of bird feed that I kept in a plastic can outside and he had chewed a hole in. Then I put the cat out under his feeder on a leash for awhile. When I took his pic, he wanted to run away, but didn't want to leave the feeder either. He jumped around and chattered at me and looked like he was about to attack me at one point. Badger doesn't like me much even though I give him such nice treats.

Archiving a cache because it had food in it is a good idea. Even after the food is gone, it will still smell like food. Some unfortunate badger just might chew through the container only to find there is no food. Good for you Carleen in being proactive in making sure the badgers don't waste their energy on caches like that.

March 17, 2004

The only rocks that exist in this area are already in someone's yard!

What's sick is when people pour rocks in their yard, dig out every living thing, and call it xeriscaping. That's not what "Xeriscape" means at all!!! Ugh it's frustrating. They're only making their yards even hotter and dryer, and it's an eyesore.

Have you seen a CD called, "Desert Blooms, A Sunscape Guide to Plants for a Water-Scarse Region"? It was created cooperatively by local governments and given away for free. There's some info on REAL xeriscaping, conservation-minded irrigation, and a searchable database of hundreds of low-water-use plants.

The Rio Grande Compact says we have to give all our water to Texas.

Yep. Whenever I see water going over the Lake Maloya spillway, I turn on the sprinkler, even if it just rained. If we don't use it, it just goes to Texas...

-Bob

9.4k · March 17, 2004

Have you seen a CD called, "Desert Blooms, A Sunscape Guide to Plants for a Water-Scarse Region"? It was created cooperatively by local governments and given away for free. There's some info on REAL xeriscaping, conservation-minded irrigation, and a searchable database of hundreds of low-water-use plants.

I'll have to look for that CD. I haven't put many plants in yet (new house) and I'd like some ideas on low-water use shrubs and flowers.

March 17, 2004

Oh he was REALLY PEEVED! Earlier that day, I had removed his favorite cache of bird feed that I kept in a plastic can outside and he had chewed a hole in. Then I put the cat out under his feeder on a leash for awhile. When I took his pic, he wanted to run away, but didn't want to leave the feeder either. He jumped around and chattered at me and looked like he was about to attack me at one point. Badger doesn't like me much even though I give him such nice treats.

I think to make it up to him you should get him his own GPSr and take him out geocaching with you! Besides, squirrels make great geocaching partners! They can look in places big people can't get into and aren't bothered by things like prickers and poison ivy! And squirrels have been finding hidden treasures (acorns) for a long time, so they have plenty of practice!

Jeeps the Squirrel

9.4k · March 17, 2004

Here's my green thumb:

March 17, 2004

The newly renamed Badger. He hates it when I take his picture.

Oh a snake! It's a snake!

Yikes. That much wildlife in your yard here in Santa Barbara County, California will get you kicked off your property and it declared a nature preserve along with a dozen other environmental buzz words.

2.7k · March 17, 2004

Anyone know of a decent gardening forum, of the flavor we have here at Groundspeak? I need some advice on selecting northeastern US wildflowers for a mailbox plot.

Thanks!

CarleenP - It took me a while to find the snake! And "Badger" sure is cute, and even acts like a badger. BTW - you don't want a badger in your your. It will belong to the badger, not you. Vicious little creatures - hence the term 'badgering'. Mean mean mean. And butt-ugly too.

March 17, 2004

Here's my green thumb:

They do say that playing music to plants helps them grow.

March 17, 2004

Squirrels? I doubt there's any place in the US that doesn't have 'em. I've lived in several states and squirrels are everywhere!

But does anyone else get bears in their yard? Luckily bears don't do any damage that can't be picked up with a shovel...

-Bob

March 17, 2004

Anyone know of a decent gardening forum, of the flavor we have here at Groundspeak? I need some advice on selecting northeastern US wildflowers for a mailbox plot.

Thanks!

CarleenP - It took me a while to find the snake! And "Badger" sure is cute, and even acts like a badger. BTW - you don't want a badger in your your. It will belong to the badger, not you. Vicious little creatures - hence the term 'badgering'. Mean mean mean. And butt-ugly too.

define a mailbox plot and I will see what I can find out. my wife used to work for a wildflower seed producer and they sold seed all over the world.

2.7k · March 17, 2004

define a mailbox plot and I will see what I can find out. my wife used to work for a wildflower seed producer and they sold seed all over the world.

Mailbox plot - think cemetary, ex-wife, freshly dug ground and a need to camoflauge said ground with a mailbox & flowers...

Just kidding. (No really...) I want to put a plot of wildflowers around our mailbox. So far I've got a oval-halfcircle in mind, probably 4' deep by 8' wide. The back will be a wall of thistle, with some black-eyed susans interspersed at random intervals. Morning Glory (vine) will come up around the mailbox post & beam.

All I need is some wildflowers that gradually increase in height from groun level up to the thistle/susans. It's a pretty big area, but I really want to stick with wildflowers if I can. Morning Glory is generally blue(ish), thistle is purple(ish), back-eyed susans, orange. I'd like to throw some white in, kinda stick with a bluish theme and avoid reds.

Anyway, thanks! And if you call the cops, I know where you live! :mad:

March 17, 2004

define a mailbox plot and I will see what I can find out. my wife used to work for a wildflower seed producer and they sold seed all over the world.

Mailbox plot - think cemetary, ex-wife, freshly dug ground and a need to camoflauge said ground with a mailbox & flowers...

Just kidding. (No really...) I want to put a plot of wildflowers around our mailbox. So far I've got a oval-halfcircle in mind, probably 4' deep by 8' wide. The back will be a wall of thistle, with some black-eyed susans interspersed at random intervals. Morning Glory (vine) will come up around the mailbox post & beam.

All I need is some wildflowers that gradually increase in height from groun level up to the thistle/susans. It's a pretty big area, but I really want to stick with wildflowers if I can. Morning Glory is generally blue(ish), thistle is purple(ish), back-eyed susans, orange. I'd like to throw some white in, kinda stick with a bluish theme and avoid reds.

Anyway, thanks! And if you call the cops, I know where you live!

:mad: I will see what I can find out for you. All hush hush you know

2.7k · March 17, 2004

March 17, 2004

Funny thing about water in this area. The Rio Grande Compact says we have to give all our water to Texas.

Yeah...and my way of thinking is we should let them have it all at once....

HERE CATCH !

In reality, by the time the water gets down there, its so full of salt its virtually unusable the the Texans...

So we miss out on water we desperatly need, and they get water they cannot use.

9.4k · March 17, 2004

Catch...hehehehe

9.4k · March 17, 2004

Where can I get some shamrocks for my garden?

If you answer with "Ireland", be prepared to convince the wife I need to make a trip there... :lol:

1.1k · March 17, 2004

We have about .2 acre in grass, 92 trees and 19+/- acres of natural desert. All green plants are on automatic sprinkers. Mow the lawn once every two weeks, fix the sprinklers once every other month and thne it's caching time. :lol:

March 17, 2004

Where can I get some shamrocks for my garden?

There's a garden center on Detroit Rd., I think it's between Columbia and Dover Center roads, that is advertising shamrocks for $2.99.

Now all you have to do is come to northern Ohio, just west of Cleveland, to get them. :lol:

RichardMoore

March 18, 2004

Daisies Push up Daisies

Actually I PM'd some stuff to you. Not much though.

9.4k · March 18, 2004

Where can I get some shamrocks for my garden?

There's a garden center on Detroit Rd., I think it's between Columbia and Dover Center roads, that is advertising shamrocks for $2.99.

Now all you have to do is come to northern Ohio, just west of Cleveland, to get them.

RichardMoore

Well, that is closer than Ireland, but I'll pass

Geocaching For Gardeners

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