Sunday, March 26, 2006

Muncha Muncha Muncha




A short while ago I read a children's story called Muncha Muncha Muncha , a tale of a frustrated gardener. No matter what the poor man did to keep the bunnies out of his garden, they would somehow creep by all his defenses (fence, moat, tower with barbed wire, etc.) and muncha muncha muncha.

That's probably how it sounded when all my lovely crocuses were chewed to nubs by that cute little furry creature I photographed hopping about underneath my front window by the rose tree.

Drat him! He's so cute! Although note that his little bunny eyes are glowing demonically.

This is the first year I've ever seen rabbits in my neighbourhood and it may have something to do with the fact that there are three dogs less in the yards immediately surrounding me than there were only last summer.

Oh, there's still Scout, a sweet old German Shepherd next door who bays like a Hound of the Baskervilles whenever anything with a siren sounds in the distance, but he's tied up-- and I suspect my bunny is on to this information.

In the backyard directly across from me I recently spotted a deer too. I've heard tales of the depradations of deer from my mother.

Looks like it will be hard times for Spider Girl's garden....

Any tips, dear readers, on persuading rabbits to leave my flowers alone? That doesn't involve actually hurting the furry little beasties?

I tried advancing on it menacingly and clapping my hands, but it just lay back, kicking its little legs in the air because it was laughing so hard at me. I'm not good at exuding menace, you see.

I'm doing my best to get my garden in shape. I stayed out all Saturday in the glorious Spring sunshine from about ten in the morning until about six o'clock in the evening. I dug and I weeded and I pruned and I planted.

I took a break mid-afternoon to run up to the nursery and buy some white heathers and some candytuft plants and I put those in. White flowered plants stand out on grey days and I'd like to have more of them.

Now it's the next day and I feel like I've had a lengthy workout at the gym. I bought a purple heather plant today with intentions of planting it, but the backs of my aching thighs said to me firmly: don't you dare dig any more holes until we're feeling better! So I listened to them.

It was a dreary day anyway, so I stayed inside and painted the ensuite bathroom a warm sunny yellow called Vanilla . A huge improvement. I recently had the flu and it's funny how you notice how a room needs improvement when you spend a lot of time in it all of a sudden.

I've decided I'm going to enlarge and frame some of my garden photographs for this little bathroom. The sink and toilet are unfortunate shades of pale green, but if I get a leafy, green, gardening theme happening, it may just work. The yellow and green look rather nice together.

Ah, it felt like a productive weekend. :)

25 comments:

Valkyrie said...

Watch out! Bunnicula is on the loose.

And whoo hoo! I have the first comment.

Jade L Blackwater said...

R, Oh my goodness I haven't thought of Bunnicula is AGES! Thanks for the smile!

SpiderGirl, the only way I've found to placate bunnies is to plan on planting "a little extra" and letting them do their thing. I have seen bunnies squeeze through the tiniest wire fencing when I've come upon them in my veggie patch... It's amazing!

Alternatively, you can try the dual-layered fencing to do the trick: horse fencing (no-climb fence) with chicken wire layered over it. If those bunnies can manage to squeeze through 1-inch holes, then they're probably fairies, and not bunnies! :D

Incidentally, I have bunnies all over here too - they've been playing leap frog with one another on the lawn!

Jay Noel said...

There is some stuff you can pour around your garden...it smells bad to deer. It's some type of pheremone or whatever that they detest.

You should ask your local nursery. If you pour the wrong pheremone, you'll have a bunch of horny dear humping your trees.

Anonymous said...

my mom provents rabbits from her garden by adding marygold flowers to the flower bed. They hate those.

Thanks for stopping by my blog.

Ian Lidster said...

Bunnies we haven't yet been invaded with -- just deer. Gardening, what a blessed way to touch whatever divinity you subscribe to, mainly because you get to be that 'divinity' in a limited human way. So good for the soul, and you left me feeling guilty because I have so much to do in ours. Thanks for this, Spider, it was fun.

Grant said...

Glowing eyes. You have hell bunnies and should probably move.

nicki said...

awwww...poor little bunny...he was just hungry...hehehe..must be frustrating tho :( hope u get it sorted..i have no advice for you..i'm pretty much useless when it comes to gardening :) HAPPY SPRING!!!

BostonPobble said...

Demonic bunnies are the hardest to get rid of. That whole being possessed thing makes 'em tenacious.

Tai said...

Bunnicula!!

"The Celery Stalks at Midnight."

LOL!!!

Lori Stewart Weidert said...

I've heard they don't like the smell of marigolds.

Another couple of tricks I use for squirrels (can't remember if they're bunny proof or not)
is to give the cat a good brushing, save the fur and distribute it around the plants. I've heard of people having their hairdresser save hair for them, but that just freaks me out.

I also sprinkle cayenne pepper around my flower pots. Get the big jar at the price clubs. If nothing else, it'll be cute to see bunny-sneezes.

x said...

i don't know spider, this post was awesome for me, although it involved some cruelty to bunnies (in the form of sneezes :))
But just reading what you were up to in the garden is soothing!
go on doctor.

Zambo said...

Hello Spider Girl.

We've had all sorts of creatures in our yard, but surprisingly our garden was untouched last summer...(I think it may have something to do with the pool pump working away nearby).

One humane method I can think of is to get spring-loaded traps and to transport the captured bunnies somewhere far away, where they can roam the plains freely...But they are quite vigorous breeders...so you could be separating a family...or there could be many more bunies out there...Another con is that you could also catch skunks, moles or raccoons in these traps...Unfortunately, this is the only humane option that I can think to add to what others have already mentioned...and it would involve a lot of work...

I hope you got to rest your legs today.

Take care out there!

Your Pal,

Zambo.

blackcrag said...

My mother was saying the same thing last night.. deer and rabbits are running rampant through her garden. She can't keep a bloom on anything.

There is construction going on in a previously untouched stretch of beach just down from her, which is causing her Bambi/Thumper migration. Is there any similar construction going on around your way?

Eric said...

I think they sell the urine of the critters' natural predators that you can sprinkle around the garden, and that will keep them away.

Or you could just do as poody said, and have your boyfriend or someone pee for you.

Jade L Blackwater said...

Say, I just remembered – helleborous! It’s a wonderfully beautiful plant, and it helps to repel deer and bunnies. Here are two links which might help:


http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/pests/garden/

http://www.helleborus.com/

Josh said...

Wow, you need to come down and work on my garden. Now I'm feeling super guilty about my lack of yard work. :(
I've seen bunnies a few times, but I like them. I think chili powder helps.

Crystal said...

Maybe try planting daffodils next year, dear don't like those I hear. I had a problems with squirrels eating my bulbs and chicken wire can usually protect them, so that's another option. Great planting projects btw, the white flowers are lovely and looks like you accomplished a lot!

Tim Rice said...

I think you'll just have to get a few more dogs in the neighborhood. Train them to be chasers but not catchers. ;)

adman said...

I'll send Sasha over for you..she gets that primal killer instinct around bunnies...it's really weird to see one gentle creature shaking another in it's mouth...however, her kill rate is very poor, as bunnies can corner better than her....garden should be good this year..I'll be over to steal cuttings

JM said...

I've always felt like bunnies represented the innocence of spring.

Heather said...

You should see the monster sized Jack Rabbits we have around my house. I'm afraid to plant anything for fear of muncha, muncha, muncha. And I'm afraid they would eat your little bunny for lunch!

yes, I'm kinda scared of them :O

The Miner said...

So cute...

Skye said...

Tuesday and Tennessee are both diggers so no real suggestion from me, sorry.

Fireweed said...

bunnies in your neck of the woods, eh, Spider Girl?! I guess I shouldn't be surprised! We've looked into what it costs to spay or neuter over here on the island, since we want to avoid what we witnessed the other day just south of Nanaimo...literally hundreds!! It was dusk and they were out muching on the air strip...there will be no humane solution to that dilemna I'm afraid! Anyway, it costs more to spay a rabbit than a cat, so so much for that idea!

Dagoth said...

A sacrifice to the bunny gods may be in order...try planting something thay like more than your flowers...we would plant lettuce outside the fence of our garden and they wouldn't bother with the harder to reach stuff inside the fence...