Tuesday, July 1, 2008

2 rabbits and a robin


I did it! - I downloaded my first picture!! Quite an accomp- lishment for an "older" lady!!

Communing with nature is THE best way to start a day!! Been up for a few hours already working steadily on plant and picture identifications, technical names, etc. Came into the office to get a book and looked out the window and saw 2 rabbits lounging in the clover filled grass. Then a robin came around the corner of the memorial garden looking for worms. It stopped and looked up at me in the window - And just stayed there as if to say "Good Morning, Marna"! So I stayed at the window and spoke to them all a bit - they all just hung in with me - the robin came closer to the window as I made clicking sounds to her. Yes, I do speak to animals, and to plants also. Could be why they all thrive so well!!!

Yesterday, coming into the driveway with Mia, there was a rabbit right in the end turnoff - Mia got the mail, it never moved. I drove the car down to where it was, it didn't move - Mia walked over to it - it didn't move. These rabbits are really getting used to us this year. We've noticed them early and late in the day - chomping on the clover which is abundant this year. We do not kill the weeds in our lawn, as it would kill the clover as well - so we have a bountiful harvest for the rabbits! We've noticed that our cat (1 of 5, our only outdoor cat, and therefore "The mouser") has always kept the bunny population under control here. The adults are no match for her, so they have found a way to coexist. Pia will sit on the front stoop and watch them eating away in the lawn in front of her. When I got the sprinkler going last night, one of the rabbits just lay in the lawn enjoying the shower!! So much fun enjoying the wildlife here!

But I do need to mention that rabbits are not always considered a welcome addition to a garden. I think here there is such a smörgåsbord available to them that is separate from the gardens, that they don't need to search further at this time of year. In early spring they do get at my young plants, but not to the degree that I have to do anything about it. Years ago they would wipe out whole varieties - so I just didn't replant them. I also had to set up fencing around my strawberries to keep them out. I have set up a list of rabbit resistant perennials. It is a list I worked from when I was developing the front beds, so that I could naturally repel them from my formal beds.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay, pictures! :)

It makes me happy to see a garden that is getting along so nicely with bunnies! We're getting closer each day to finding that balance in our yard.

Cheers!
-michelle

Druh said...

Mmmm. Rabbit. Let me know if you have too many. That's what was for dinner tonight. Although it was a "farmed" rabbit, I'm willing to tackle the wild version.

Druh