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Gardening with the enemy

We all have different challenges to cope with in the garden & enemies come in all shapes & sizes.

My current enemy is rabbits. I loathe them and they clearly feel the same about me  because they dig up, graze off or trample as many of my plants as possible. They have even dug up my dahlias (I don't lift them because it is quite mild here) and eaten the roots. Grr!  So now my plants are festooned with green netting and bits of chicken wire.  I have even sprinkled recycled beer round vulnerable plants! Next move... shotgun! I suppose I could track down lion poo...

What is your enemy & how do you deal with them?

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  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    My enemy was the farmer who sprayed weed killer onto his field last year and a small amount drifted into my garden. I spoke about it to him at the time (but nicely!) and this year he waited until it was a very still day and came to speak to me firstimage and nothing seems to have been affected.

  • Lupin 1Lupin 1 Posts: 8,916

    Glad to hear that artjak I remember your problems last year.

    Outdoor girl, thankfully I don't have experience of rabbits, saw one once and OH put wood below fence posts for a while, didn't see it again, so we removed it for hedgehog access. Think it might have been an escaped pet.

    By no means an enemy but the birds are currently pecking in my pots, not doing any harm but chucking compost all over imageimage Maybe they don't like the food I provide. Wonder if I can train them to pull weeds out and not lily bulbletsimage

  • Busy Bee2Busy Bee2 Posts: 1,005

    Hate to think what re-cycled beer could be!image

  • Dave MorganDave Morgan Posts: 3,123

    My enemy, a rather ignorant neighbour, who lets his leyllandi hedge grow, forcing me to install raised beds above impoverished soil. My one victory is to have a garden with loads of colour, scent and beauty. Far superior to his rather dull and sad expanse of lawn and untended shrubs. 

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    I also have rabbits since my "allotment" is in the middle of some woodland.  Every so often they burrow under the fence and attack carrots, lettuce, parsley or whatever they fancy and as I don't visit every day they can wreak havoc.  Fortunately it's only happened a couple of times so far but...

    The best cure is rabbit-proof fencing all the way round, then you can dispense with all the fiddly little bits of netting which are a real pain. Chicken wire three feet high and extended for at least 6" underground, preferably turned outwards should keep them out.  Juveniles can get through holes only a couple of inches across.  Make sure there's nothing they can climb on to jump over, and check for holes etc. periodically.  And keep a terrier or suitably-disposed cat.  Or a shotgun.  Or an air rifle might make less of a mess of them if you want them for the pot.

    Occasionally (well, twice in the last six months) I find an apparently uninjured but dead rabbit lying around.  Not myxy - no idea what's killed them or why a fox doesn't take them away.

  • I've got an old man who leans on my front fence and hacks up phlegm into the flower border... I'll swop you for a rabbit? image

    Wearside, England.
  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    Victoriaimage

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117

    Oh Victoria - that's vile...image What you need is barbed wire on the inside of the fence. He'll only lean on it the once after that. image Or  I could send you some spare Blackthorn hedging - that'll stop the b*****.

    I've got one ( Mr. Nosey Parker) who walks round with his cats - I know, don't ask - and chucks his fag ends in....image

    And the postmen who drop the elastic bands in your borders on the way in and out - why are people so lazy and thoughtless?

    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Artjak, it's more image to be honest

    Wearside, England.
  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    People who (a) spit in public or (b) drop fag ends anywhere ought to be.... well - any suggestions?

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