It’s that time of year – veggies are planted, things are starting to sprout, and I’m back in my garden every night, watering hose in one hand, glass of wine in the other (my favorite time of day.) But just as my garden is planted and getting ready to bloom, I’ve noticed some other things growing as well – in particular, a few little bunny babies, in a nest their mother so kindly dug for them. In our lawn. Just a few feet from our garden. Joy.
As I watch the progress of my pepper plants I can’t help but think that these bunnies will be up and hopping, right in time to steal my harvest. This makes me very, very angry. Do they really think I am just growing this garden so I can support their extended family?! Those little jerks! That’s it – I’ve had it! I’m going to march on over there and…
…put orange flags in the ground to make sure the lawn mower doesn’t disturb them when he comes on Thursday. *Sigh.* For the record, I am aware I am a sucker. I do, however have higher hopes for this year, thanks to a three-fold combination of weapons in my arsenal that may help keep the rabbits away:
Weapon #1: Onion chives (left). They don’t look like much, but apparently, rabbits don’t like the scent they give off. Planting these around the garden and regularly checking our home camera system, I would be able to see if they’ve stayed clear. Bonus points for the fact that they sprout pretty purple (edible) flowers, and the chives taste great in almost any dish. I planted the one at left last year and was happy to see it came back again this year. I will be stocking up on these and planting them around the border of my garden.
Weapon #2: The local kitty. An unrelated result from a natural method I learned to keep mosquitoes away, we’ve inherited a local kitty that has been hanging out in our yard. She’s pretty cute, and she keeps me company while I water the garden. I’m hoping she sticks around, and if she does, I’m sure she’ll drive the rabbits away – her scent alone is enough to send them packing.
Weapon #3: The neighbor’s Weimaraner. This year, our neighbor’s daughter is back from college, and with her she brings her pet horse Weimaraner doggy. I have received the impression that this guy wants us to know he is there and watching us. I feel this way because he stares at us through the fence. He also runs back and forth, and barks like a banshee whenever he sees us. I’m thinking that the addition of this beast now makes it a pretty unsafe neighborhood for rabbit parents to raise their bunnies in. Let’s just hope this guy doesn’t run off the aforementioned kitty.
Hopefully, this three-fold plan of attack will force the bunnies to jump ship. But no worries, if not – I planted an extra pepper plant so they don’t go hungry. If ya can’t beat ’em, join ’em. I just don’t have it in me to be a bad hostess.
[…] I think – I think – I may have found a way to keep their furry little asses from stealing my peppers. But this year I am preparing for battle with Opponent #2: The Squash Vine Borers. This is the […]