well..... it seemed like a good idea at the time.....

So, if y'all remember... I put up a dandy little fence using green, plastic poultry fencing.... it went up easy (just stapled it to the wooden fence-posts), looked nice and neat... I pretty much all-around impressed myself.....

weeelllllllllllllll..... this morning, my DH hollers down the hallway to me (I'm still in bed), "Jennifer, there's a rabbit IN your garden!" I jumped out of bed to look, and sure enough, there is a jackrabbit the size of the cat in my avatar! DH went outside to shoo Mr. Cottontail away and he (the rabbit, not DH ) quickly hopped around the perimeter of the garden and slipped out of a HOLE in the fence! The dang rabbits CHEWED a hole in my fence about 3x4inches in size!!!

Fortunately, I think Mr. Cottontail had JUST gotten into the garden, as I cannot see/find any new damage to the veggies, but still it was quite the shock to see..... guess I'll have to find some sort of new fencing or something to put along the base of my fence to stop any more marauding munchers.... so much for saving $$$ on the fence!

...what's that saying? "Pride goeth before a fall."?
*bangs head on nearest wall*

Since rabbits have found their way into my garden I find myself rooting for Elmer Fudd in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.

(Please don't tell my grandkids.)

Is the cat of any assistance?

I just found a nest of baby bunnies over the weekend in my wave petunias in the front of my house (cute?). Today I checked on them and they are gone. I immediately ran to the side of the house where my garden is - so far so good - none there!

I guess they hopped to the east (forward) and not southwest...

I will keep checking...

Good luck!

Happy Gardening Everyone....

something tells me that cat just thinks "hmmm...there's a rabbit in the garden. Wonder what they'll do about it."

All of the cats I've ever been owned by would have done the same!

ander217, shhh...be vewy, vewy quiet, I'm hunting wabbits... wascawy wabbits!

junequilt, the cat is strictly indoor (front paw declawed from when we used to live in an apartment 10 years ago).... she spooks at her own shadow!

Dunkinjean, I too, hope for your sake that they do not migrate towards your garden! Eeeep!

LaFee, EXACTLY! Darn fuzzbutts (it's a term of endearment, really it is.... lol), but I am quite a cat-person none-the-less....

So, DH has volunteered/suggested that we take down the green plastic and put up hardware cloth, which is what I had initially wanted to do, until we saw the price tag on that stuff....

*sighs loudly*

Yup. I have the poultry fence too, and someone munched a hole in it. I just patched it with some more of the poultry fence, but, I am thinking if a squirrel or rabbit did it, they can do it again. Not only so much for trying to save money on fencing, but so much for the asthetic. I like how it looks. Mine's grey though, not green. I don't want to do anymore major work/overhauling, but honestly, between the bugs, or if the bunnies are just slipping under the section that my husband TORE up with the lawn mower wheels or weed wacker....gah. I'm sorry that happened.

If you lived closer, I would lend you a cat. James T. would teach those wascals a thing or two! He never catches any, of course, but the mere PRESENCE of James (plus feline compatriots Sparky and Butterscotch) seems to be enough to keep wabbity nuisance at bay. Knock wood.

Oh no! I had a run in with bunnies this weekend, too. I woke up to what seemed like half my garden gone. I didn't know it was rabbits until I found a big pile of bunny pellets in my strawberry patch, but once I figured that out, I went straight to google.

It was too late in the day to go out and get a rabbit repellent, so I decided to use what I had on hand to get me through. Turns out rabbits hate the smell of garlic and onions (they only took one little nibble out of my three squares of onions, teehee), and are scared to death of predators, and of course the flavor of hot peppers isn't what they want to taste. So I made up a batch of "tea", where I soaked some garlic, onions and cayenne pepper, and sprinkled it in and around my gardens. Then I brushed down my two cats really well and took their fur out and tucked it under my grid. Then (this is gross, but I was desperate), I took some soiled kitty litter and sprinkled it around the outside of my gardens and near my wild strawberry patch where I found the poo.

So far, so good! I haven't seen the little beasts back yet. I went out and bought a commercial bunny repellent, though, because even though my homemade solution seems to have worked, I wanted something with a guarantee. The bunny repellent works on scent (rotten eggs and garlic), and you're supposed to spray it around your veggies instead of on them, so we'll see how it works. It's been raining lately, so I haven't been able to get out and try it.

Good luck with your fence!

So, yesterday I picked my mother in law up at the airport, and she says "look at the baby bunny in your yard.." I say "yea, we have a problem with rabbits, but at least my garden is fenced." I look out at my peas, and what do I see but mama bunny IN the square, munching away (EATING THE VINE.....breaking it off). I run out there and she bolts out of a big hole/hatch door she chewed behind the vines. Oooooohhhhh, am I MAD. So, I pulled down the last bit of chicken wire I had left and hastily wrapped that box, since it's peas, carrots, chard....Here rabbit, have a salad bar on me. No WONDER my lettuce is just dessimated. Soooo, today, during this nice family visit, before I prepare for my daughter's 5th birthday party, I have to run out and get more chicken wire and secure my beds. Daggummit!!!! I'm soooo upset. I really thought I had it in hand, but apparently rabbits will not be detered quite so easily. buggers.

Well, I thought I was in the clear (of the little bunnies) but low and behold this morning when I went to check out my garden....there they were - at least 2 little bunnies in my pumpkins! Luckily I had the water hose in hand and squirted the little buggers. I guess I will have to figure out a way to deter them ASAP besides standing there all day/night with my water hose.

Luckily, I think all is well at the moment. I intend to take another peak in a bit with my hose in hand.

Any suggestions?

Happy Gardening Everyone (or bunny spraying in my case)....

I fenced off all three of my boxes, rather hap hazzardly for the moment with chicken wire. My MIL recommends moth balls around the perimeter of the beds, but I have to read those ingredients before I think about doing that. Since I've successfully used chicken wire for 3 years around the same plot, I'm hoping/assuming this will do the trick, especially if I tuck everything in tight.