Wednesday, June 18, 2014

an unplanned 'craft project'

A couple days ago I noticed that one of my sand cherry plants which used to be a twig with leaves at the top was now shorter and minus the leaves.

I felt terrible assuming that I must have snagged it with the mower.  I was hoping that it would come back.

 Then today I noticed that there was another of the sand cherry plants that had been sheered off about 10 inches off the ground and a second one that had one of the branches broken at about the same height.  It wasn't the mower.  Something has been nibbling on my new plants.  The gooseberry had been similarly sheered off. 

I set about to find some way to protect my tender new plants hoping to use materials that I have one hand and came up with the idea of using chicken wire to wrap around an old tomato cage.  I have both tomato cages and chicken wire.  It worked pretty well and now I have seven chicken wire cages completed and installed.  tomorrow I will do four more in order to get the new nut trees protected as well.  I have been seeing a rabbit along the edge of the grove but have never really struggled with rabbits eating my garden before.  

As I was installing the cages around the plants I noticed that the missing parts of the plants were lying there.  That darn rabbit.  If he was going to ruin my plants he should have at least eaten the plant. 

I did rescue the branches and trimmed off the broken end and stuck them in some soil mix hoping to root them.  I am still hoping that the other ones will come back. 

6 comments:

  1. We had two cats for years and years. Now, sadly, we have none. This is the first summer without them and I have to say that our suburban yard is like wild kingdom. We have bunnies, chipmunks, ducks, birds and squirrels making messes everywhere! I have never owned a home without a kitty present, so I am totally unprepared for this wildlife mayhem!!

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    1. I can imagine what a change it makes not having kitties. It is nice having wildlife around. I love hearing the birds and seeing the butterflies but not so much the wildlife mayhem. (love that term) Our dogs are getting older and slower. Codie used to catch a rabbit pretty regularly but I haven't seen her with one this year. I guess that is okay, i don't really appreciate her carrying around the carcass for days, showing off her treasure. I didn't get a chance to comment on your wreath but thought it was really cute. I love red, white and blue things. I will have to go back and pin it.

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  2. I think it's time for Manny to up his game!

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    1. Cati saw him poking at a garter snake that was all curled up but so far no rabbits.

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    2. Sorry Cait, didn't mean to typo the spelling of your name.

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