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Category: Gardening 2008 | Posted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:07 pm

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After a bit of a shaky start in the veg plot, with the birds snaffling my pea plants and a couple of broad bean ones, too, I thought I'd 'fight back' and constructed various defences in order to do so(see Blog entry "...fighting back in the veg plot...").

Comparative peace was on the horizon and to celebrate, I bought a dozen summer butterhead cabbages and a dozen kale plants and was lucky to be given an additional 25 runner bean plants too, which put my own 'Red Rum' variety to shame.

All of these were put in and I hung silver foil from 'washing lines' above the beds to protect any further damage from the birds, adding to the already substantial defence lines.

And all to no avail.

The brassicas lasted less than 4 days. At first the tips were nibbled and then whole plants annihilated; these were very young plants, so I could understand the attraction to birds, so I thought.

A couple of days later, I disturbed a young...like really tiny rabbit in the plot. Like they come singly, huh? It scarpered so fast as I opened the gate that it didn't even stall at the corrugated zinc fence that surrounds the plot. I mean...straight underneath and NO hesitation.

When I got nearer, I considered it lucky to have escaped...every single runner bean plant was either gone or lay dead, leaves shredded, on the earth's surface. And these were quite big plants when I put them in. Not tender young nibbly's like the diminished cabbage and kale but hardy-looking plants!

Even my unassuming Red Rums had been
grazed...I mean, TOTAL DEVESTATION and if I can't even cultivate a runner; well, what hope have I got against nature?

At the time of writing, there are 9 sweetcorn plants remaining and the autumn-sown onions seem relatively intact. The broad beans have flowered although it's still early days...anything might happen between now and harvest-time.

The bed of second-early potatoes appears unscatehed ON THE SURFACE but of course, I may yet find they've been snaffled subterranaeously by other critters...I await with anticipation and suspended horror...

And to top this off, I inadvertently left the gate open to the tiny flower-bed here by the static and arrived home to find 10 hens in situ and that my painted fern, my black poppies and other assorted seedlings that I had been painstakingly cultivating were...well, vanished pretty much.

There are some survivors and I will photo and put them into my next Blog entry when I can re-fire my enthusiaam but until then, as I say...no plants, so no pics just now...


Last edited: Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:08 pm

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dooley wrote on Mon Jun 02, 2008 9:59 pm:

It's pretty discouraging when you go to all the work of planting and it disappears overnight. Our neighbor has a bird sanctuary and feeds them but they come to our place for the salad. No spinach, no carrots, no lettuce. Only the fuzzy stickery leaves of squash manage to survive and the grasshoppers get those. It doesn't make good neighbors to complain but when dr mentioned the birds ate every thing the guy just laughed. Oh, well! Maybe next time. I still seem to spend a lot of money trying and I hope you don't give up either. dooley

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Sjoerd wrote on Mon Jun 02, 2008 10:51 pm:

I can underrstand what you must be feeling, as I have had a running battle with rabbits since last year.
I had to fence-in plots and eventually when they began grazing my perennials this spring, the entire property to keep them out at no small expense. It was that or quit.
I hope that you do not give up and look at different viable ways to protect your plants.
You mustn't let them win.

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tschnath wrote on Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:52 am:

So sorry Sharon, I've had a ground hog here now and then but I've never lost what you did. My heart goes out to you. But, don't give up. There are ways to keep them out and I know after you get your head back you'll get back in the game. Good luck! I'll be waiting for pics.

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Droopy wrote on Tue Jun 03, 2008 8:59 am:

I'm so sorry Sharon! All that work and then the animals eat it all. I suggest you eat the animals in turn, then at least you'll have your plants back in a way.

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sharon mc wrote on Tue Jun 03, 2008 1:10 pm:

I have indeed eaten them before (and delicious they were, too) when the men come up with ferrets, nets and dogs but unfortunately, this ends in March, when the breeding season begins in earnest! I couldn't snare them, even if it were still legal to do so. Could get someone up with a gun but would this really impact on the numbers? I'm not conviced, unfortunately although I may well reconsider; 'Himself's nephew would oblige, I'm sure.

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sharon mc wrote on Wed Jun 04, 2008 4:26 pm:

Have realised htat the untouched veg bed with the broad beans is the one guarded by the authentic-looking rubber snake, so am going to invest in a few more and experiment. ALL MAY NOT BE YET LOST!!!

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