Bulb Protection

"They say the best offense is a good defense, and I've found two products to help protect your garden from pests like gophers," says James. The first product is a bulb cage made from heavy-gauge steel wire. Not only will the cage protect your bulbs from gophers, but it defends your precious plants from voles, mice and squirrels, too. To install a bulb cage, dig a hole 12 inches square and to the required planting depth of whatever bulbs are being planted.

If you need additional protection or if the cages aren't your style, consider using a mixture of crushed oyster shells (figure B). Mixed with soil, the shells form a rough-edged, irritating barrier that rodents are reluctant to cross. Simply combine two to three tablespoons of shells into the planting hole. Add another tablespoon or two with the soil used to fill the hole. "In addition, oyster shells are an excellent source of calcium and are loaded with other nutrients from vegetable protein meal and peanut meal," says James, "plus they have some potassium and a teeny pinch of magnesium." So the shells not only protect your bulbs, they also feed them.

Why not get rid of the pests in the first place? James says catching rodents isn't as easy as it seems. Preventative methods like the bulb cage and oyster shells allow you to spend your time doing what you like instead of chasing after pesky pests.