The rabbits have eaten all the lamium, hollyhocks, and columbine. Have done extensive damage to daisies, chives, hostas, and physostegia.
I called my animal trapper today and he told me that it is next to impossible to live-trap rabbits and that the leg traps are too dangerous for urban areas. I have spent a small fortune on sprays, granules, red pepper flakes and anything I could think of to scare them off. No luck. I'm hoping to find the nesting site in the fall or winter when there is less ground cover around. Elmer, can you help???
As for the deer, they have been less of a problem this year, but again chemicals to keep them away along with a flat of rosemary plants add up to real dollars. Since it rained this afternoon, I went out to spray the fragrant hostas that they love to eat. I suppose I should consider moving them to the fenced back yard and moving something else into the front border.
So, armed with another deer spray I opened the garage door and the first thing I saw was a doe, a yearling and a fawn in the neighbor's yard. They took off for the park as soon as they spotted me with the camera, which fortunately was handy.
I prefer to see their rear-ends moving away from me anyway. I have to wonder if this is the same doe and yearling that damaged the back fence this winter.
Yesterday I was at a hosta garden (yes, I bought another one, H. 'Spartacus') and some of the plants looked like celery stalks. He pointed out a plant that he thought was H. 'Aphrodite', but with no label and no flower thanks to the deer, he wasn't sure. (If it had been, I likely would have purchased it)
Well, here is the new hosta, safe, I hope, in the back yard.
Perhaps you should move further out into the country. Maybe the wildlife would leave you alone there. ;)
ReplyDelete#WeekendCoffeeShare @ Life & Faith in Caneyhead
Forty-three years ago this was the 'country' and you are right, I had no problems with animals. They were here but not so many as now.
DeleteThe city has taken over the animal's domain so they have less to eat or, actually, it is easier to eat your stuff than to find stuff in the woods. I have to say that these deer are so cute and they look like lawn ornaments. I wonder if apple bitter would work for them? I bought this for my dog Katie who liked to chew shoes at the beginning. Now, most dogs hate the stuff and really avoid it like the plague but Katie? Nope she liked it and started licking it. Don't go by my dog since she was a nut but I wonder if that might not work.
ReplyDeleteI try everything that is on the market. The latest spray has cloves in it and is pretty strong. After they ate daylilies last night, AGAIN, I have decided to move the daylilies to the back yard and move some sedum to the front. They also do not eat black-eyed susans, but not sure I want them taking over my front yard.
DeleteYour pictures are so beautiful. I have a group of hostas in my back yard, but my yard is fenced in, so no deer.
ReplyDeleteMy backyard is completely fenced, but they eat what they can in the front. Which is why I'm moving the free lunch behind the fence.
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