The rabbit struggles continue here. I have borrowed a few traps but the little buggers aren’t big enough to set them off. They are absolutely decimating any annuals I’ve planted in the ground and it is getting so frustrating! Deer repellent seems to have no effect on them. If you have some proven ways to manage them, I’m all ears.
I had to take a break from gardening last weekend to give Odin a bath. This is a full half-day activity but the pay off is a clean, fluffy, good smelling dog. It’s not often that I get a clean dog and a decent looking garden at the same time! By the way, those white alliums that you see in the foreground (‘Mount Everest’) are real winners. Going to have to add more of those.
I also got very late in planting in the vegetable garden, just planting many seeds in the last week. But I figure better late than never. I’ll just have these crops later in the season.
Matt is clearly more on the ball than I am this year and his sweet pea pictures are to die for. My sweet peas are currently 8 inches tall.
I might do that cake thing, but this? Gimme a break.
I look forward to each and every post from Deborah Silver this time of year, when her amazing container creations spill forth. Don’t miss her latest post.
Lastly, in case you missed my latest video, here it is. I was supposed to be in it, but as you’ll see at the end, I had a bit of a miscalculation in trying to shoot it myself. Whoops.
Will you be spending time in the garden this weekend or are you into “relax” mode? Either way, I hope you have a great weekend and avoid some of the crazy weather that is popping up all over the country.
6 Responses
The rabbit situation is probably the worst its been in my memory this year. The little Imps have even gnawed down my roses thorns and all! I only put a few annuals in the ground because of the ravenous rabbits, instead the rest got potted up and placed around my beds where needed and have not been invaded. As for my perennials that got rabbit eaten I caged them with chicken wire and each got a scoop of good compost around their base to encourage regrowth. Lately, Ive had the tops of my lilies nipped off in early spring which as you might know then destroys any kind of flowering for the year. So early this spring I caged each and every Lilly that was peeking out of the ground so that they did not get a chance at them and I will have nice tall flowering lilies this year instead of leafy stalks. An ounce of prevention I guess is needed when it comes to rabbits!
Last year I had a tough time with them. As a relatively new gardener, I've never felt so much disappointment after working so hard. I used the sprays, made my own hot sauce, and even put up motion detection lights. Nothing worked. I borrowed my nephew's plastic BB gun and started to shoot over their heads to scare them. That worked, but they still came back at night. I was ready to give up. Then, one day I was cleaning the fridge, and came across carrots that needed to be thrown out. It dawned on me that maybe a live and let live option could work. I started putting carrots out for them, and they started eating them, and leaving my flowers alone. This spring I was planning on doing the same thing after I noticed my tulips being nibbled on. I put the carrots out. A week later I noticed the carrots still threre, and came to the realization that either they moved on, or the hawks got them.
Am at a loss about the bunnies – tho I've learned to stop them from eating bulbs by burying a moth ball with each one. Haven't lost a tulip in years.
I am on the same late vegetable schedule as you and am going to repeat this next year on purpose. The beans, squash and herbs germinated within days and there wont be any frosts to hold them back.
The only thing that works for me and the rabbits is to physically bock off the new shoots/plants for a while until they become big enough to survive and/or become mature enough to loose their tastiness. I build little circular "fences" around my plants with this green vinyl fencing material sold at home depot etc. I have just taken them away from some young hosts this week (live just outside of Boston). So far so good.
Friends have said those spray repellents work well for protecting limited areas. Love the cake ideas and agree about the strawberry roses. Too crazy.
Re: rabbits…#1 pray the fox has kits to feed; #2 Fencing around plants.
Odin is such a handsome fella.
Your cat was cute at her video bombing.
Have a good weekend.