Declaring War

Anyone who's spent time on this blog or with me knows that I'm not much of a war monger.  Two wars in the Gulf over oil?  Please!  We should reduce our use and explore alternatives like solar (WANT....SOLAR....PANELS).  But I have found something more precious than oil, more valuable than gold (and molybdenum and lithium and whatever else they've found in Afghanistan, don't they know that NO ONE ever wins a war in Afghanistan.  Ever.).

What is so valuable that I will declare war?

Baptisia!

Here is one of my Baptisia plants.  Look closely.  It's right there by the soaker hose.  Don't see it?

That's because it was eaten!  By a rabbit!

Now, normally I'm a friend to rabbits.  They're cute, shy and honestly, in ecological terms, they're Nature's Big Macs.  We have lots of good predators around.  Coyotes, Fishers, Bobcats, Foxes.  But this year is a big rabbit year in my neighborhood and they've been eating more than their fair share of my newly planted plants (the established ones are not suffering enough damage to worry about).

So I rounded up my army.

Lieutenant Jasper (top of the stairs) and Lieutenant Piper.

The Lieutenants will contribute fresh dog fur (especially over achieving Lieutenant Piper, she's bucking for Captain).  This fur will smell like dog, hopefully suggesting to the rabbits that the dogs are patrolling the area routinely and it is not safe to stay. 

The dogs would be happy to patrol the area frequently but then they'd wander back into the woods and have an exploration and loose running dogs are very vulnerable to attack by the savage ranks of the Feral Wood Rabbit.  They need to stay closer to base.

And here's Colonel Husband.  He helped manufacture the fortifications to protect the Baptisia.

Here is an example of a Baptisia Fortress.

(I was writing an exam so I wasn't able to take care of this today, my poor students.  Seven pages.  29 questions.  It took me five minutes in my trial run to answer all the questions.  I bet it will take them longer!  Oh, right, this is a gardening blog, sorry)

So we have mounted our first round of defenses.  I have documented the results of the nighttime raids by the Guerrilla Rabbits.  Soon night will fall and we will once again be engaged in a battle over the Baptisia.

I wonder if The Husband still has his night vision binoculars.  And would be willing to sit outside on guard duty all night....

Now to lighten your hearts after all this talk of war here are two gratuitous photos of the World's Cutest Cat, Katydid.

So sweet.  "Helping" me write the exam.

And look at those PAWS.  

Yes, she has around 104 toes.  And a bob tail (not shown).

OK.  Soon back to the garden.  I promise.

Unless the rabbits eat it.