FOX

RED TAIL FOX

Living in woodlands and county parks, most humans are surprised
when they see a fox in the wild. 

Most people living in New Jersey would be surprised to know we
share our territory with the 'Red Tail Fox'.

Sadly for many of us the only encounter we might have is to see a Red Tail Fox dead on the roadside. It's heartbreaking when we realize how the fox has adjusted to living beside humans for centuries. Now with new construction enclosing on their habitats and faster vehicles, the plight of the Red Tail Fox is more perilous than ever.

The life span of the red fox in the wild is two to four years.

Although I've never seen a "fox crossing" sign, as a general rule if you have rabbits in your area
you most likely have Red tail fox  also.  

Red foxes are about three feet long and two feet tall. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the red fox is the fluffy white-tipped tail. Red foxes have long snouts and red fur across the face, back, sides, and tail. Their throat, chin, and belly are grayish-white. Red foxes have black feet and black-tipped ears that are large and pointy.

Like a cat's tail, the fox's thick tail aids with balance, but it has other uses as well. A fox uses its tail, called a brush, as a warm cover in cold weather and as a signal flag to communicate with other foxes.

Red tail fox scent their territory to warn others of it's presence and to
find a mate. in winter. 

Foxes like all canines signal each other by making scent posts, urinating on trees or rocks to announce their presence.

If you are lucky enough to spot a Red Tail Fox it is easy to distinguish by sight from other members of the canine (dog) family. Please don't follow it or scare it away. They are justifiably scared of humans, their major predator, especially if they have young. 

Red foxes live around the world in many diverse habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms, suburban areas, and even large urban communities. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning.

Both male and female fox care for their young all summer until they
go on their out to hunt on their own in the autumn.

Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game—but their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. Foxes will eat fruit and vegetables, fish, frogs, and even worms. If living among humans, foxes will opportunistically dine on garbage and pet food. Red foxes have excellent hearing. They can hear low-frequency sounds and rodents digging underground.

Fox, like all wild animals will fight ferociously to defend their
territory and their young.  

In winter, foxes meet to mate. The vixen (female) typically gives birth to a litter of 2 to 12 pups. At birth, red foxes are actually brown or gray. A new red coat usually grows in by the end of the first month, but some red foxes are golden, reddish-brown, silver, or even black. Both parents care for their young through the summer before they are able to strike out on their own in the fall.

The fox is the symbol of the Shinto god of prosperity, Inari.
In Japan, people make offerings at shrines dedicated to Inari in the hope of good fortune in career and business.

In mythology, lore and religions, the fox has been held in high esteem around the world from the time of ancient Egypt. The Red Tail Fox is usually depicted as clever and a cunning trickster, but seldom evil.

A member of the canine family this Egyptian god Horus, bares a strong resemblance to a fox.
Horus is the god of the sky.

Please NEVER feed or approach a fox. They are wild animals and their fear of humans is essential for survival. Once tamed a fox cannot be successfully returned to the wild.

Cute and adorable, young foxes need their natural fear of humans to survive in the wild.
  

Information for the Red Tail Fox from National Geographic                & the National Wildlife Federation  

Drive Safe,                                                                                               

James

Marigolds

    MARIGOLDS 
The Journey from Mexico to America

Today there are dozens of varieties of Marigolds to choose from at your local garden centers and even
more if you decide to start by seeds ordered from catalogs.  

Marigolds are a very popular annual flower native to the New World,  Mexico and Central America.  They were sacred to the Aztec people who attributed magical, religious and medicinal properties to marigolds.   The Aztecs also bred the marigold for increasingly larger blooms.

 In the 1500's, conquistadors brought marigold seeds from Mexico to Spain.  The marigolds were cultivated in Spain and grown in monastery gardens.   In Mexico and Latin America, marigold flowers are still used to decorate household altars to celebrate All Saints Day and All Souls Day.  The flower heads are scattered on relatives’ graves which can account for the profusion of marigolds growing in cemeteries.

Marigolds seeds are easy to harvest, store and germinate.
A key factor in their world wide popularity  

From Spain, marigold seeds were transported to France and northern Africa. The taller marigolds, now called African-American, became naturalized in North Africa.

In India marigolds are used during Hindu religious ceremonies.  The marigold flowers are strung together to make garlands to decorate village god statues during festivals.  Garlands of marigold flowers are used to decorate temples, doorways and vehicles, cows and beloved pets.

Temples, houses, vehicles and even cows and beloved family pets
are decorated with marigold garlands during Indian celebrations.

Shortly after the Revolutionary War, three hundred years after leaving Mexico, marigolds were finally introduced to American gardeners.  Marigolds were just one of many plants shipped to the young country from Europe.

In 1915 the time was right for a new flower to make its debut  to the nation. Horticulturist David Burpee, who had inherited his father's company felt that marigolds held promise and decided to feature them in his catalog and funded research.

The pungent aroma of marigolds, especially French marigolds helps deter
unwelcome critters from vegetables gardens. 

Since the 1920's marigold breeding has developed hundreds of new varieties. The odorless marigolds, white marigolds, hybrids and triploids have all been advancements in breeding.

Marigolds are easy to grow from seed.  Plant them in well drained soil with compost and plenty of sunlight.  Watch out for slugs, especially on young plants.

With regular deadheading and basic maintenance marigolds will bloom
 until the first frost of the autumn. 

Happy Gardening,
James

                      

Deadheading

       KEEPING YOUR ANNUALS BLOOMING
'DEADHEADING"

Annuals are plants that grow to maturity, flower, set seed, and die within one year.  Once the flowers are pollinated most of the energy of the plant is focused on producing seeds which will ensure its survival the following year.

The faded flowers of this marigold diverts the  plants energy from producing more flowers to seed making.
Although this task takes time it will keep these plants blooming until the frost.

 In order to "fool" the plant into creating more flowers gardeners use the simple trick of pinching off the old flowers.  This technique is known as 'dead-heading'.  It forces the plant to start over,  produce even more flowers and finally  seeds.

This proven practice works on all annuals from early spring pansies to summer blooming zinnia and marigolds.  Some plants like pansies will even form two new flowers for every one pinched.

Pansies benefit greatly from deadheading.
I keep my pansy plantings limited so I don't get overwhelmed by this chore.

With many flowers you can simply remove the old bloom with your finger tips.  With plants with thicker stems it is wiser to use snips to prevent damaging the plants and new flowers.

The bold flowers of geraniums dry out and become unsightly when left
on the plants. Deadheading keeps annuals looking fresh and robust.

Geraniums can be deadheaded by hand, but using pruning snips prevents damage to the stem
and speeds up the process.

The hardest part of this task is finding the time to do it.  If it's late in the season and your marigolds have more dead flowers than you want to deal with, take a chair and a beverage to where they are and make the task more enjoyable.  This will keep your annual flowers blooming into autumn.

Gardeners routinely deadhead spent flowers when inspecting their gardens.
This practice keeps their displays in peak condition all season long. 

Dead-heading is also beneficial to many other plants as well.  Although most 'perennials' will only bloom for a few weeks during their season, removing the dead flowers encourages the plants to produce new flowers and stronger roots systems.  Since many perennials are best propagated by division (dividing the root system) this practice is very beneficial.

If you are planning on dividing a perennial this year, deadheading the old
flowers will divert energy from making seeds to building a stronger root system.
     

Summer flowering shrubs such as butterfly bushes or roses will also produce more flowers when dead-headed.

Happy Gardening,                                                                                                                 James