Oh man, as if the rabbits weren't bad enough this year, now this. We've had some daytime temps in the 40s for a few days and lots of snow is melting. I came home from work yesterday and saw part of my semp bed was actually emerging from being under snow for the last 4 months.
I was so excited!! But it didn't last too long.
Just as the rabbits are starving, so apparently are the voles. One look at my semp garden and I was literally sick to my stomach. I have never, ever seen so much carnage in a semp bed. Looks like they literally burrowed under my semps to the point that they heaved them right out of the dirt and onto the brick walkway. Where I had clumps of semps a foot in diameter, I now had piles of rotten pieces of semp leaves. Big patches were eaten away in the middle of clumps. Some plants were completely gone - no sign they ever existed. Some were even thrown up onto rocks. I'm so very, very sad. Here are a few pics.
One good thing (calling it "good" is pushing it), is that a few of the totally destroyed clumps were NOIDS. However, I did lose some very special plants too. I am so disappointed.
And mad.
And frustrated.
And it's so strange. On one side of the walkway, only one plant was messed up. On the other side, almost all of them were. I'm thinking about totally taking that side of the bed apart and building a rock pile sort of garden to put my plants in. That would make it harder for them to try to burrow in the bed. Think that would work?
I have another bed out in back that is in perfect condition - except for the 2 plants the rabbits ate. I'm scared to see the one in front that is still under 2 feet of snow. (The new one I put in last year.) In a raised bed on the side of the house I saw some holes. I figured critters were digging in it. Upon further inspection I see that the holes are deer prints. And yes, they ate some plants too.
Stay tuned and I'll keep you posted on what I find in my front bed when the snow melts.
BUT - all the plants I have for sale in The Sempervivum Patch are still available. Those were in another place where they were safe. WHEW!!
So I'll be building a lot of fence type things this summer to cover my raised beds with this fall. And I'll be getting some vole repellent from the Plantskydd people to put on my beds in the fall. And if you hear any really, really loud screams, the snow melted off the front bed and I found a mess there too.
. In the meantime... 
I just can't picture getting hit on all fronts (short of the safe bed) by so many different animals. I would be devastated and wish now I could be there with you to at least help with what you need/want/plan to do. Hope it has ended and no more will happen. Good excuse to not do those dresses...
My parents just spent a week with my brother and my Mom actually re-did the bridesmaid dresses! Woo Hoo - I don't even have to feel bad for saying no! However, I have agreed to help alter the bride's dress. I'm trying not to get discouraged with the semp mess. The ground is still frozen so I can't replant any survivors yet. Hopefully by the time the ground thaws I'll have a game plan to deal with it. And maybe my hubby will have some sympathy for me and help haul in more rocks. 
But I'll imagine you're here helping too and it's always better with friends lending a hand. 
(supposed to be a cat vomiting!) 
