There is an ongoing battle happening in my garden - it's "me vs. the neighbourhood rabbits". I wrote a blog post about it last year (click here to read it) and I am going to tell the same story again this year. Everything seemed to be growing well (except the beets - not a single one sprouted?!) and I was feeling pretty confident...good balance of rain, and warm sunny weather. I built a somewhat pathetic fence around the larger garden this year to try to keep the rabbits out, but to no avail!
They found a way around it and have once again eaten most of the leaves of the peas,onions, and beans.
And today I even caught one of the cheeky rabbits coming for a mid-day snack while I was weeding! I was thinking about re-planting the bean rows with something they don't like, but what veggies don't rabbits like to eat?!?!
Then I found these little garden cloches at Lee Valley. They are called "Hot Hats" and are made from recycled plastic bottles. I am hoping that the rabbits aren't smart enough to figure out how to move them and eat the surviving leaves. I'll let you know how it goes.
Oh Kathy! I can completely understand your frustration! One idea: I'm not sure how you buy your milk, but if it comes on gallon jugs, you could cut the bottoms off and use them as a "hat" too. Reduce, reuse, recycle :) Just sharing.
I am hoping hoping hoping those rascally rabbits back away from the plants; otherwise I'll put a call in to Elmer Fudd for you!
Rabbits! those bad little guys. I have a fence to keep my dog out of the garden and it helps keep the deer and rabbits out. My dad has some deer and rabbit troubles. I was thinking of doing a garden post but them I would have to weed a few hours first. I hope they do not come back.
LOL, just love those garden hats! How clever is that! I will be keeping my fingers crossed that these work out for you! Yes, be sure to give us an update!!
The only critters in my garden are the slugs and some days grandkids picking all my Strawberries. Sorry about the hungry bunnies eating your plants. Could you grow them some lettuce far away from the beans and peas??
If you talk to some of the older women around here, they say that framing you veggie garden with flowers wasn't just to make it pretty. Marigolds add a lot of color, and stink, rabbits and some insects think they stink too. some hate hate peppermint. Other things like can be deterred by red pepper sprinkled bout occasionally. Another flower I see a lot in older timers gardens around here too is a row of cockscomb somewhere in the middle, never checked in to why but these women were more practical to plant something useful not just because it was pretty arouund a veg garden, knowing full well that it would all get tilled under at the end of the season. I'm pretty sure it is a deterrent of some sort too. We don't have a lot of rabbits due to the high number of coyotes, so I can't tell you for sure if they work, just repeating what I (a city gilr) was told when I moved to the country. We have problems with deer, coons and box turtles. The turtles take bites out of the all the melons until they find one they like. :)
Rabbits? well since the Ground hogs moved in we don't see as many rabbits.....the Racoons try to open the back door...the squirrels aren't much better......and we won't even discuss the skunks.....gave up on growing my own veggies years ago :-(
oh, those little critters can be so frustrating. We have a deer fence up and I noticed some of our stuff being eaten but now I think the rabbit is too big to fit through the holes so now my stuff is safe for a while. Good luck!
Lots of good tips! I am having the same trouble in my garden. I have replanted the beans that were too damaged to grow but honestly, I think they are just too tempting for the rabbits.
I have bunnies in my yard too! We have a picket fence around our garden chicken wire stapled to the inside of the fence. The bottom 9 inches of the chicken wire is buried in the dirt. The gate has chicken wire on it too and there are pieces of flagstone jammed up against the bottom of the gate so the little rascals don't squeeze under the gate. The bunnies don't get into the garden unless someone leaves the gate open... My pole beans have been planted twice this year. Only 6 plants germinated from the first planting and only one from the second planting. None of them are looking very good. I am not sure if I will have anything to harvest or not. I have already picked a zucchini and some rhubarb though...
I understand how maddening this is. We have had a variety of garden visitors over the years--goats, pigs, chickens, horses, cows (farm escapees) and the more wild varieties--raccoons, skunks, mink and even a bunny or two.
Oh Kathy! I can completely understand your frustration! One idea: I'm not sure how you buy your milk, but if it comes on gallon jugs, you could cut the bottoms off and use them as a "hat" too. Reduce, reuse, recycle :) Just sharing.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping hoping hoping those rascally rabbits back away from the plants; otherwise I'll put a call in to Elmer Fudd for you!
Rabbits! those bad little guys. I have a fence to keep my dog out of the garden and it helps keep the deer and rabbits out. My dad has some deer and rabbit troubles. I was thinking of doing a garden post but them I would have to weed a few hours first. I hope they do not come back.
ReplyDeleteLOL, just love those garden hats! How clever is that! I will be keeping my fingers crossed that these work out for you! Yes, be sure to give us an update!!
ReplyDeleteThe only critters in my garden are the slugs and some days grandkids picking all my Strawberries. Sorry about the hungry bunnies eating your plants. Could you grow them some lettuce far away from the beans and peas??
ReplyDeleteIf you talk to some of the older women around here, they say that framing you veggie garden with flowers wasn't just to make it pretty. Marigolds add a lot of color, and stink, rabbits and some insects think they stink too. some hate hate peppermint. Other things like can be deterred by red pepper sprinkled bout occasionally. Another flower I see a lot in older timers gardens around here too is a row of cockscomb somewhere in the middle, never checked in to why but these women were more practical to plant something useful not just because it was pretty arouund a veg garden, knowing full well that it would all get tilled under at the end of the season. I'm pretty sure it is a deterrent of some sort too. We don't have a lot of rabbits due to the high number of coyotes, so I can't tell you for sure if they work, just repeating what I (a city gilr) was told when I moved to the country. We have problems with deer, coons and box turtles. The turtles take bites out of the all the melons until they find one they like. :)
ReplyDeleteRabbits? well since the Ground hogs moved in we don't see as many rabbits.....the Racoons try to open the back door...the squirrels aren't much better......and we won't even discuss the skunks.....gave up on growing my own veggies years ago :-(
ReplyDeleteoh, those little critters can be so frustrating. We have a deer fence up and I noticed some of our stuff being eaten but now I think the rabbit is too big to fit through the holes so now my stuff is safe for a while.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
This is so funny. Not for you, I'm sure. But for me it is! LOL!! I sure hope those little plastic things work.
ReplyDeleteLots of good tips! I am having the same trouble in my garden. I have replanted the beans that were too damaged to grow but honestly, I think they are just too tempting for the rabbits.
ReplyDeleteI have bunnies in my yard too! We have a picket fence around our garden chicken wire stapled to the inside of the fence. The bottom 9 inches of the chicken wire is buried in the dirt. The gate has chicken wire on it too and there are pieces of flagstone jammed up against the bottom of the gate so the little rascals don't squeeze under the gate. The bunnies don't get into the garden unless someone leaves the gate open...
ReplyDeleteMy pole beans have been planted twice this year. Only 6 plants germinated from the first planting and only one from the second planting. None of them are looking very good. I am not sure if I will have anything to harvest or not. I have already picked a zucchini and some rhubarb though...
Happy Gardening!
Gail
I understand how maddening this is. We have had a variety of garden visitors over the years--goats, pigs, chickens, horses, cows (farm escapees) and the more wild varieties--raccoons, skunks, mink and even a bunny or two.
ReplyDelete