Adventures

Grr It’s a Tsunami of Rabbits

Shelley

I think a tsunami of cute rabbits are passing through my gardens. Their scoundrel presence in the yard is overwhelmingly tear-jerking. Everywhere I look there are rabbits. My neighbors have blamed me because I talk to the rabbits.

They’re just so darn cute. I can’t help myself.

If you ask me, it’s not just me talking to them, it’s all of the watering of my plants that have made the scoundrels extra happy to hang around our yard.

It’s been so dry…the grass the rabbits normally like to eat has become scarce.

The flood of rabbits started back this spring when I discovered it, aka, the birthing nest, by chance. It was ‘obvious’ after looking at the odd mess next to the fence.

I actually saw the momma bunny nursing her babies on the nest. Couldn’t get a photo of her there though, she had disappeared and the babies scurried back down the hole by the time I got my camera. So this is the best shot I got.

Every day after, I kept watching and hoping I’d see them again. Along with our cats, I was on the lookout. The cats recently discovered our hand-me-up cat stand our youngest returned to us when she said, “We still want it, but don’t have storage space. Do you think your cats would like it?”

The cats love it for watching birds and rabbits.

Dessy gives me the look – “They’re out there, go get your camera!”

So I do.

I’ve watched the momma and her previous offspring chatting in the yard. Patiently hoped I’d score a great photo of the newcomers to the grass-munching party.

I’d see the momma lying on her side – posing like a playboy bunny.

And eating side-by-side with one of her previous litter of survivors. It’s hard to tell with rabbits, they tend to all look like their relatives.

Until the day when I was sitting inside waiting for dinner to appear, with the right camera lens in hand, there they were. 6 of them! Momma took off at the sound of some crazy bird landing on the fence and they all scurried under the burning pit. And into the long grass, we left for them to hide in.

Momma came back and boom – there it was – the shot of her nursing them. Look at that cute paw plant of one of them on her side.

Ever since then the tsunami of rabbits in the yard has been the demise of my zinnia plants. Everywhere I look, there’s a rabbit trail of wilted leaves and buds on the ground. My zinnias are the victims.

I’ve had to rescue flowers and place them in bud vases to enjoy them. After 12 years of owning these tiny bud vases, which I believe are from Germany and made in the early 20s, I finally have a revived use for them.

While the zinnias are beautiful and happy to be rescued, they won’t properly mature so I can harvest their seeds in the fall. For some reason, the rabbits don’t always eat the buds. Is it to tease or appease me? For the most part, they leave the daisies alone, I just had to rescue one. It didn’t last long though.

I thought I had the scoundrels scared by the scent of Dessy’s hair. I tried it here in the planter next to Copper’s grave. I was so happy to see the zinnia getting tall and I even saw it bloom. Yay, the cat hair was working. So I put a bunch of it in the other garden.

I wanted to wait one more day to take a photo of the pretty pink blossom. I waited too long. The next morning it was gone. I guess the scent on the cat hair only lasts so long after watering? No guardian angel is helping keep the scoundrels at bay. Next will be the marigolds.

I dashed over to the other zinnia garden and low and behold, a scoundrel waved his/her way through the garden too.

So yesterday, I looked at Mr.’s hair that was looking a little long for him and said, “You look like you need a haircut.”

He replied, “Yes, that would be great.”

“Okay, on one condition, you must catch the hair and I’m going to use it to sprinkle by my zinnias to see if the rabbits are scared of you.”

“Okay, yes, dear if you think it’ll work. I’ll leave the sprinkling to you.”

So the sprinkling of human hair happened. The good thing about zinnias is that the stalk sometimes regrows leaves and buds. Maybe.

I hope the hair sprinkling works. The rabbits commit their crimes overnight or in the early morning. The sun is just starting to come up and I still see the colorful buds from the view out my window. Maybe it is working??

I’m still sad that the morning glories have not survived at all. I remember how beautiful they are. Even when they’d climb the zinnias.

I have a tsunami of not-so-nice words to say about the scoundrels. But then they are so darn cute that I talk to them when I see them. I’m a sucker for cute critters, I guess.

I talked cute to one this week. I guess I can speak rabbit? “Hi, Little Bunny!” I even got within 3 feet of it before it dashed away. Not this one below. This is one of the 6 who is spreading the rabbit love in the yard.

And…the big reveal, I paused my writing to check out the garden after the sun came up. The hair didn’t cut it. The rabbits still ate another zinnia or two.

Raw, unedited proof of the scoundrel crimes below. I feel a tsunami of tears coming on…sigh, nature is what it is.

Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wash/awash.” Use one, use both, use ’em any way you like. Bonus points for using both. Enjoy!

PS – Can you believe it is already the end of July? Good news – we did finally rent the apartment we were working on. On to the next one! What’s new with you?

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

50 thoughts on “Grr It’s a Tsunami of Rabbits”

  1. Yay for renting the apartment! The photos tell the story of how the rabbits have ravaged your garden, so sad! I still say they should be trapped and released elsewhere. I love the little vases, the shape and art on them is beautiful. Have a great week, guys!

    1. Hi John – yes, we’re so happy to have the apartment rented. We have one more to go before another one opens up this fall. It’s a neverending cycle.
      The rabbits have very few predators this year. They have moved on because feeding was sparse for them last year. We see them everywhere in the neighborhood.
      Aren’t those vases cute – I didn’t have the heart to part with them when I cleared out my mom’s home. They were her husband’s so I don’t know the story behind them. They work well for displaying the zinnias.
      I hope you have a great week too – and that you get some rain without the bad winds!

  2. Hi Shelley! I am intrigued by your bunnies. They have a mixed reputation here at my condo association. Why? Because they eat up all the flowers that are planted in front of the community building. I told my visiting 6 year old grandson “this is the rabbit salad bar!” There is only one purple flower that is apparently not on a bunny diet. The rabbits will just sit there and look at you, unafraid – as if to say – “we have to eat too”. Ha. I think they’re cute, but I have to keep that opinion to myself sometimes. The utility company who mowed down all the brush and trees next to our property may be partly to blame. What’s a poor rabbit to do? Love you flower pics…as always! Hope you are doing well. 🙂

    1. Hi Andrea! It’s so nice to hear from you. 🙂
      First of, I love that you grandson is there visiting you, I bet it fills your heart with so much joy. I also love that you told your grandson that it is a rabbit salad bar. 🤣That’s so clever. I bet he gets a kick out of watching the rabbits. They can be very entertaining to watch – as you can see from my post, I have been watching them a lot!
      When we take our 2-3 mile walk everyday we see bunnies in almost every yard. They’ve been busy, busy, busy!
      Thank you – glad you enjoyed the flower pics too. I hope you are doing well – thank you for stopping by to share your thoughts. 🙂

      1. Hi! He actually visited last month but I think of our time together often. He was a breath of fresh air (and, yes, joy!) in my world. 🙂
        You’re most welcome – I always enjoy your photos. Your yard offers so many opportunities!

        1. Aw, those happy memories are so precious. I hope you get to visit with him again soon. Kids are a breath of fresh air – no matter what their age. There’s something extra special about the innocence when they’re discovering the world around them.
          Thank you too – yes, my yard has plenty of potential for beauty and a few too many scoundrels this year. 🙂

    1. Ah, yes, Bugs Bunny was indeed smarter than humans. I think he has a few relatives that show how clever and charming they are – plenty of them hopping around in my backyard to prove it. 🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰

  4. We also have an abundance of bunnies this year. We see them munching in the grass in the morning and in the evening, some during the day. Overnight, things disappear. They say it’s not them, but…

    They are cute, and there aren’t many good places to eat around here., so we sigh and move on.

    1. Yes, you do – I think for both of us the lack of our furry friends in the yard has contributed to the excess of bunnies. The rabbits are having way too many yard parties.
      Good thing your flowering trees/bushes aren’t their preferred source of food so you get the bees to visit too.

        1. Yes!!!! Ugh, I’ve been watching them do that too. And I’ve even seen the ground squirrels competing with the rabbits. I think Copper was better at chasing them off than I knew he was.

  5. Looks like a case of rabbits or flowers Shelley. Next is having to net the flowers to temporarily deter the rabbits as they will find a way. Maybe see if there is a Summer Rent-a-Dog company that you can hand back over winter.

    1. Hi Brian – I think you’re right. It’s my flowers or the rabbits. Or, I need to plant only flowers the rabbits, ground squirrels, and deer don’t like to eat. Or, I need to use only hanging planters? But I think the deer could still get into them? I have toyed with renting a dog from the neighbors. Maybe I should become a dog sitter and earn some $ while I’m at it? 🤣😂🤣

  6. We used to have bunnies in the neighborhood but then some coyotes moved in and their little bunny games were over. Although I didn’t like the destruction they created, they were so darn cute that I too was the crazy neighbor lady who talked to them (I talk to our little garden lizards, so why not?).

    1. Last year we had coyotes, fox, owls, snakes, etc., and the population of rabbits was way low. This year, all the predators have moved on. They’ll be back over the winter (I think/hope). We’ll see what survives in the spring.
      That’s what I do too. I talk to them and sometimes chase them like a dog would do. I think they’ve been taking notes as to what works or doesn’t to get the crazy haired lady to talk to them. That’s awesome you talk to the garden lizards!! I love it!

  8. They sure are cute Shelley and how nice you and Mr. left the grass intentionally high for them to hide in – now you have bunnies playing hide-and-go seek. I’d be loving watching them too, except for the damage to the garden. I liked the part about Mr. getting his hair cut as a contribution to the cause. 🙂 I just Googled how often do rabbits have litters – maybe you don’t want to know? If you do:

    “Eastern cottontail rabbits can have between one and seven litters each year, and they average three or four litters annually, Animal Diversity Web reports. Each litter can contain between one and 12 babies, with the average being five. And female rabbits can get pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth.”

    Yikes!

    1. There are highs and lows to having rabbits in the yard.
      I googled that too – and was NOT excited by the data. I can vouch for the accuracy of it though! 😂🤣😂🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇🐰🐇

  9. Oh dear, you do have a plethora of rabbits! We saw two in our front yard when we drove home at dusk tonight. I’ve been seeing one big one way out at the back of the yard. You are right they are cute…but…I like my flowers too. We haven’t had any rabbits for years, coyotes around here probably played a role in that. I don’t know how these two rabbits have survived.

    1. Yes, we do! Where you see two, there’s more to come. Just sayin’ from experience. I do think that Copper and Katie kept the bunnies at a distance. Our coyotes have moved on due to lack of critters to eat last year. Maybe they’ll return in the winter?
      I hope your flowers are surviving!

  10. I don’t have rabbits, I have chipmunks. They are cute too. It is incredibly dry after such a wet spring. Although I hear the rumbles of an early morning storm coming. First rain in three weeks.

    1. Hi Anita! Do the chipmunks bug your flowers? We have ground squirrels that are joining in on the munching party.
      We had a lightning storm roll through, but NO rain. I hope you get a enough rain to make the flowers perk up!

      1. Yes the ground squirrels, aka chipmunks, do munch on the ground flowers. That is why I put most of them in pots. They leave the post alone. I planted marigolds in the ground to see if they really would run off the moles. So far so good. We will see what next spring does. I hear daffodils are a great deterrent for moles.

        1. I’m impressed I have rabbits or chipmunks that climb into the pots to get the flowers. I need taller pots or hanging pots I guess.
          For the first time this year I planted giant marigolds. So far in my flagpole garden they are growing despite having a rabbit who naps there after eating the day lily buds. Every.DAY!
          Way to experiment and find something that works with your critters. I tried daffodils and the voles at them. Maybe I have moles too? Or maybe I don’t? I never see them. The voles love to eat the lilies during the winter months.

          1. I don’t know if I have moles or voles. All I know if they did tunnels in the upper crust pushing dirt up through the grass. Critters, aggravating critter is what they are. lol

          2. That sounds like moles to me. Yes, I agree, they are aggravating critters! The only thing they do eat that I like is the grubs that turn into those Asian beetles that eat plants. If only they’d just eat those the gardens would thrive! LOL

  11. The bunnies are so cute! We have jackrabbits here which I love. It’s ironic how they go after the flowers when they have all the wild plants. Maybe there’s some kind of repellant you could get from the store to put down? I’m enjoying the photos of them for sure!

    1. Hi! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
      Bunnies are cute and apparently they are also creatures of easy pickings! I agree – why aren’t they eating the weeds? Our grass is so dry now, they have resorted to weeds. After the marigolds are all gone, they’ll have no choice.
      I think I’d need a truckload of repellant! LOL I guess I can just pull out the stems of the plants and put away the pots early this year. And use the time in the fall to plan my next year’s plants that don’t attract the critters!
      I’m glad you enjoyed the photos – they ARE cute!

        1. That’s a good term to use for nature and my yard too. Way to embrace the wild side of life.

          I just watched two yearling deer wander through the yard. They paused to nibble on my day lilies, and here I thought it was just the rabbits…!

    1. Thank you, Anne, I’ve decided it’s a losing battle and I’ll just research for next year or have raised flower beds or hanging plants so the darn rabbits have to search elsewhere for their meals!

  13. That is nice of you to leave the grass a little long for the rabbits – very nice
    Like that hand-me-up cat perch and your cute photos and words there!
    —
    Oh and the antique vases are darling!
    We had rabbits coming and going in our yard but less now after getting a second dog in January – he is only out there when we are – or when we let him / but it seems to have Kept the bunnies out! From the kitchen door window he watches the yard in the mornings and there is a squirrel that toys with him —
    Anyhow / hope you have enough zinnia seeds for the next year’s planting

    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Yvette. The bunnies and the cats have been enjoying our generosity. I’ve started chasing the rabbits away. I haven’t quite mastered it like Copper had. If we didn’t have tall corn next to our yard, I think the neighbors would be calling someone to pick me up and take me for therapy. LOL.
      I do think the critters are here more because we don’t have a dog marking the yard. I bet your dogs are enjoying the teasing by the squirrel.
      I don’t think I’ll end up with many zinnia seeds. I may have to resort to buying a packet of seeds to start fresh next year. Or just plant things that don’t attract the critters.

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