gg5 said:

Nah, not me, not much anymore anyway. I'm relieved. This year's once-blooming flowers are missed, but at least they're alive and growing.

chelle said:

Nah, not me, not much anymore anyway. I'm relieved. This year's once-blooming flowers are missed, but at least they're alive and growing.

You might get some flowers anyways! They haven't bloomed yet, and if the bunnies didn't eat them while they had buds, you'll probably see blooms. I know that my 2 one-trick-ponies, Austrian Copper & Charles de Mills, haven't bloomed yet.. mainly because they're just *now* waking up.

Don't give up hope on seeing blooms! They might surprise you!

Thanks, Toni, that's a wonderful thought!

Chloris, Chloris, Chloris, I can't wait to see Chloris!

I think it's the only one left that I haven't yet seen bloom one.

Chelle - What type is Chloris? I HMF'd it, came up w/3 different ones.

This one. http://www.hortico.com/roses/v...

At least this is what I'm going by since I purchased it from Hortico.

Four words - Red Rider BB Gun.

The bunnies devastated my dahlias two years ago and moved onto my roses.

If, like me, you can't shoot bunnies, start making pepper spray! Stock up on red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and hot sauce at the dollar store. Pepper your garden with reckless abandon. Steep some "pepper tea" with boiling water or in a glass jar like solar tea and spray your plants once a week and after each rain. It is cheap and it works!

I am told that human pee works to deter groundhogs. A friend got rid of a groundhog that way. It may work for rabbits. I am not a pee outside kind of girl, but male family members may help you save your roses. Keep the fridge stocked with beer and/or iced tea to encourage their efforts.

Dog hair, cat hair and human hair are said to deter pests. Irish Spring soap also. I stick old fashioned moth balls anywhere rodents try to nest for the winter. I think it helps to keep them away. (I never use mothballs inside. I even store them in glass jars outside.)

Someone said that zinnias deter bunnies. While the bunnies were devouring my dahlias, they left my friend's zinnias untouched. I grew zinnias with the roses last year. I liked them so much that I will continue to grow them whether they help with the bunnies or not. The pepper spray/zinnia combo kept the bunnies away last year.

Winston the pug isn't much help with rodents but he keeps the garden safe from his arch enemies the neighbor's pomeranians.

Our arch enemies are the neighbor's chihauhaus. Those nasty overgrown rats with collars run half a mile to my house just to pee all over any potted plant I have sitting on my porch. When we were experiencing the wild temperature swings a few weeks ago, I was bringing pots in every night and hauling them back out again in the day. It took me a few days to figure out what the bad smell was, but then I caught the critters in the act. They are aggressive little turds! They try to corner me in my own garage, and pee on the furniture in there!
Besides the bb gun, what can I do to scare them off permanently? It does no good to talk to the neighbor, and I won't call animal control. I have 2 large female labs who are intimidated by these monsters. My dogs won't believe me when I say they taste like chicken.....

Aw Cindi! Sorry to hear about this, it gives dogs a bad rap! I had a neighbor's dachshund pooping in my yard, so I decided that I'd be ready (I'm out in the yard often enough) the next time I saw him in the yard, I ran at him yelling as loud as I could and he freaked out! The owner got really upset, and at first began yelling back at me, but when I told him it was because he wasn't picking up after his dog, and that I actually liked dogs, he said he'd be better about it...this was back in Dec. and he's been good about it so far My intention was to upset the dog enough that he'd not want to come to the yard, hadn't planned on upsetting the owner!

The world would be much more pleasant if people would use leashes and pooper scoopers!

Coffee grounds and marigolds repel cats. Both my dog and cat HATE neems oil. My grandmother used to spray her neighbor's cats or dogs with nasty perfume -whatever she got for Christmas and didn't like. The animals hate it and the owners may also. If you don't have any eau de toilette to regift to the rat dogs, they have all sort of nasty stuff at the dollar store. They also sell that skunk scent concentrate in the hunting aisle at Walmart.

I don't understand how anyone could let their pets run wild. The could get hurt by other animals, hit by cars, taunted by children, dognapped.....or hugged. Winston the pug HATES being hugged by children.

Your neighbors are nicer than mine. I talked to them, picked up the dog poop with a plastic bag and hung it on their door knob with a note and they continue to let their dogs run wild.

It is one of the reasons that I am moving. The area is "in transition" - The people moving in aren't as nice as the people moving out.

Andi that is too funny!! I do have some old cologne, but if I spray it, I'll feel like I smell like that for a while, and may not want too!! Haha...I do have another neighbor who has 2 dogs, one a rottweiler, kept on a leash when walking, and a pug which isn't leashed. The pug has several times jumped up into my yard to say hello and see what I'm doing, which I don't mind, until she gets overly excited and begins jumping in the beds! I told him that his dog is my new "Nemesis" and he didn't like that, because he says she's just so friendly...then the other day he was worried because the pug wasn't feeling well, I told him that its really hard to monitor what their "scrounging" when they're off leash! He didn't like that either, but I noticed the past few times I've seen them everyone has a leash! So I think he's a new dog owner and just needed guidance??? (can you tell I try giving people the benefit of the doubt, until there is no doubt!)

Andi we cross posted, Ewww about the poop bag on the door...but probably not a bad idea! The thing I don't understand is do these dog owners think that they won't ever step in poop???? I just really don't get that?

They don't step in the poop because they never go outside to walk or pick up after their dogs. You would have to get off the couch, put on some clothes, put down your beer, and move your sorry self. These neighbors only exert themselves when yelling at or hitting their children. Occasionally the head out for pizza, beer or junk food. I have a back yard hosta garden. My neighbors on one side have knee tall weeds and dog poop. The townhome complex won't cut the grass because of the poop. My neighbor on the other side has dirt and weeds. He just moved out, who knows what is moving in.

As I am packing up my things and digging my plants, I think of all of the things I won't miss about this place and smile. No place is perfect, but this place is worse than I could have ever imagined.

My neighbor who moved out had a unique hobby. He would shoot varmints with his air gun out the window. It helped when we had squirrels in the roof. The hawks swoop up the carcasses - usually. I occasionally would have to hold my breath and pick up some nasty furry thing. However, he didn't shoot the easter bunnies. Skunks, squirrels, chipmunks were fair game, but bunnies were "too cute to shoot."

Living in "the sanity gap" has been an education in humanity....

Andi, how far is your move?

Andi you and I have some things in common!! Except I'm not moving (yet!) You do sound like you've kept your sanity! I like your "sanity gap" line!! I live across the alley from a building with 90 studio apartments designed to help homeless people live independently - a cause I completely agree with and I am so glad they are helping in this way, yet it also is challenging when faced with people who stop their meds and are now yelling, or wearing the baggy pants look and forgetting to put on their undies - which seems to be happening more often with this heat wave we've been having Anyway - its living in the insanity gap, and again I do support providing positive, safe, comfortable housing for all people!! I'm having to walk my talk
Good luck on your move! Hope its a better place!

Good question, porkpal. I'm still house hunting. The goal is the same area, but further from the highway. My first choice towns are 20-25 miles away. I have an appointment to see one place that might be "it". I hope I like it as much in person as I like it online.

I don't drive, so house hunting is a challenge. Most of my friends don't understand "this gardening thing." If I go too far "up the mountain" as they say around here, I'll be in a colder gardening zone. There is a big difference between 6a and 5b.

Gg5, at least your neighbors are getting help. I suspect mine are self medicating with beer and who knows what else. At least they are still able to dress themselves.

We have less bunnies and more mice this year. I wonder if rodents come in waves like cicada.

Yes Andi, its true, and of course they self med. too!! I don't drive either, which most of my people don't understand because I grew up in Detroit
Goodluck to you Andi, I hope you find to perfect location, for you and your garden!!

I had to take a few extra minutes this morning, just to savor this sight...

...yes, he's actually helping me *weed* this time! He's eating dandelions like a child eats spaghetti.