Wednesday, July 6, 2022

There's Always the Grocery Store

Our vegetable garden didn't get off to the best start this year. We had a huge amount of rain plus the snow melt, and it's impossible to till the soil or plant in three inches of standing water. When the bed finally dried out I planted peas, but it was too late. Peas need cool weather, and we had already transitioned into very hot days. So the poor peas grew about four inches then turned brown at the bottom. They never even made it up to the netting before the rabbits nibbled them away.

We have a rabbit problem. Our neighbour next door has what could politely be called a natural garden. It's totally wild and unkempt, with weeds in an old raised bed that grow taller then I can reach. The fallen weeds have built up over the years to be a safe haven and nesting place for bunnies. Our dogs can see the nest through the fence, and are intrigued. Mama bunny comes into our yard each evening to pick up take-out from our garden. She has polished off the carrots, the beets, the radishes and the leaves of the broccoli plants (she left the stalks). She also ate all the blossoms off the marigolds, planted in the vegetable bed for insect control.

So what's left? Tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, winter squash, onions and garlic, all apparently not on the rabbit shopping list. It rained all day yesterday, and I swear the cucumber plants have doubled in size. The marigolds have new buds. 

So all is not lost, although there are some empty spots in the garden. I regret the loss of the root crops, but there's always the grocery store. Or better still, Walmart.

 







Glory to Ukraine


From Hermione's Heart

7 comments:

PK said...

Love the memes! I'm sorry you're having a problem with bunnies. I could lend you our cat. We have no garden, yes she works hard to keep the bunny population down. Have you thought of getting a kitten? It could help for next year and despite what people think most dogs and cat get along well.

Penelope said...

I've heard that beef tongue is really very good, but no thanks LOL. When traveling to see family, my dad would often stop at a gas station and pick up a pickled beef tongue, and then proceed to munch on it while driving. I gag just thinking about it. The thought of something that... squishy... I just can't.
As for your rabbit problem, I'll second PK's solution. A cat. We have rabbits galore, but they never touch my garden. I don't know if it's because there's just so much other stuff to eat (no neighbors, lots of forested land) or maybe the cat has had words with the local population...

Roz said...

I'm sorry to hear about the garden and bunny problem Hermione. Glad all is not lost in the garden.

Love the funnies lol. The thought of beef tongue makes me gag too. Front or back chicken legs lol

Hugs
Roz

SPANKEDHORTIC II said...

You could try rabbit fencing, but that means fencing that goes down, at least 30 cm under the ground. Other than that, I only have the cruel control options, I'm afraid.

Prefectdt

Hermione said...

PK - Cats are not encouraged to roam where I live. Indoor cats are safer and less likely to get run over.

Penelope - Beef tongue isn't squishy; it's very firm, like roast beef. My grandmother often made it in the pressure cooker. You have to peel it, though.

Roz - Funny that the chicken legs made her think awhile.

Prefectdt - We once used a humane trap and rubber snakes. The snakes scare the rabbit, who then looks for somewhere to hide, i.e. the trap. We caught a couple of small ones, but this bun is too big and too smart.

Hugs,
Hermione

ronnie said...

I'm glad we don't have rabbits around us. This year birds seem to be eating my blueberries.

The love the funnies. Beef tongue yuck.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Anonymous said...

love the bunnies we have in our garden, and our flowers give them perfect food to eat, besides some weeds. Gave up on growing food, and simply plant native flowers that grow without watering, and expand as time goes by. We have many chipmunks this year
bottoms up
Red