Rabbits, they say, taste like chicken when you eat ’em. I can honesty say I don’t remember. I had rabbit when I was still young enough to be under double-digits old. I remember Grandma McDonald fried one up; I remember the small bones; the greasiness, but not what it tasted like.
Last week, I mourned the loss of my vegetable garden to the teeth of some wascally wabbits. All right, all right: I whined, which isn’t too manly, but blubber like a little school girl I did.
That little cryfest netted me some e-mail on the subject, all from levelheaded and quite unemotional women. So, either the stereotypes of men and women are wrong, or the end of the world, the Apocalypse –when things are all backwards, is close at hand. Regardless, here’s the advice I got. (Hopefully other red-eyed men out there can take solace in these tips as I have. Guys, get your hankies and hold up your heads. There is hope!)
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Don,
There seems to be an insurmountable amount of rabbits this year. I have two dogs around all the time and the rabbits are still in the yard. If the dogs can’t keep them away, what will?
Anyway, regarding the marigolds: there are two types of marigolds, the one to keep the rabbits away are very heavily scented. Really, they really STINK. So check to make sure those are the ones you have. Next: I think this is a Jerry Baker idea, buy the cheapest baby powder you can find. Put it on all the plants you do not want the bunnies to eat. Since bunnies always sniff before they eat, they are usually turned off because of the powder in their nose.
For slugs, I was recently told to sprinkle regular salt on and around the plant. I actually sprinkled some on a slug that had gotten into my garage and it dried him up quickly.
Just some ideas from a cheapskate. Hey, that sounds like a good column for your readers. I can see it now: Ideas From The Cheapskate.
Happy Gardening,
Linda LaCroix-Puuri
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Don,
Go to Bordines, buy a bag of dried blood; spread it around the garden. Rabbits don’t like it, they think something died and the area is dangerous.
Good luck. Judy McConnell
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Dear Don,
First, as a former teacher for over 38 years, I don’t want you to stop reading to your boys, even if they can read for themselves. They will get interested in things that they are not able to read about as the books will be too hard for them to read. My mother, the world’s best fourth grade teacher ever, said that the reason so many children, mainly the boys, become poor readers is that they hit the high interest/lower-ability-to-read wall about fourth grade and give up reading. They need to be read to through the eighth grade at least. A good idea is for the family to gather and for members to read to the others. Just a suggestion.
Second, could you have planted one of the new varieties of marigold? They do not have that strong marigold odor and thus do not repel the critters. Try the old-fashioned cultivars. It might help.
Third, if this is a vegetable garden, how about putting an edging around it, stakes in the corners and put up chicken wire. We use it at our house around our raised beds. Although it is a pain to take down when you need to weed, you can water right through or over it, and the rabbits cannot get in. You can do the same with a ground level bed, but you have to bury part of the chicken wire which makes it almost impossible to get to the weeds.
Hope these ideas are of some help. Of course, as a teacher, Suggestion One is what I see as most important as reading is the foundation of all academic and business success in a child’s future.
Sincerely, Carol Kachmar
Ladies, we — the sensitive guys — thank you.
E-mail you suggestions, comments or complaints to Don: dontrushmedon@charter.net