Just as night fell on Monday, I headed toward the compost bin with the remnants of some flowers I’d bought on the night of the summer solstice. All that was left was a Gerbera daisy whose petals were about to double back on themselves as they wilted, and two Gold Strike roses that were browning about the edges of their petals.
I peered through the gloom toward the tomatoes on my way by, then stopped when I noticed an adolescent rabbit just steps from me. It froze. I froze. I knew if I moved, I’d just scare it off, and I didn’t want to just do that. I wanted to teach it a lesson.
So I used the tools available to me, and hurled a rose end over end toward where the rabbit crouched in the grass. The rabbit started to move as soon as I flung the rose, but thanks to the miracle of centripetal force, the spinning flower gained speed and just narrowly missed whacking the rabbit as it dodged away.
My first effort had only minimal effect. The rabbit came to rest a few feet away from me, this time closer to the garden plot itself. This was not an improvement.
I picked up the rose from where it had fallen, then hurled it again. And again, the rabbit escaped, but it went from 30 mph to 60 mph in a convulsive jerk when it realized the rose was about to smack into it.
The rabbit came to rest by a bush at the edge of my yard, and I made one more try at my rose-as-throwing-star maneuver. This time the rose got hung up in the evergreen, and the rabbit headed off, now totally panicked, into the neighbor’s garden-free yard.
I rescued the rose from the bush and returned to my original composting mission, fairly gleeful about the whole incident. Who needs cable when you have some dying flowers and a rabbit in your yard?
on Jul 4th, 2007 at 10:40 am
I think you’re on to something.. Run out and get some shuriken and send all the bunnies out ninja style.
on Jul 4th, 2007 at 10:46 am
This would have been fun to see, Genie- maybe you’ve put a terrifying concept in the rabbit’s little peasize brain:
In Genie’s garden, the plants fight back.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
on Jul 4th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Steven, excellent idea…and it’s more interesting than the BB gun!
Annie, I’m hoping it worked. I haven’t seen the bunny again…yet.
on Jul 4th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Totally off topic, but , a-hem….GARDNERS and composters? Excuse me,may I ask a question?
I think we have GROUND BEES or something like that living in one of our piles. There is a hole and when my husband was turning things over a BUNCH flew out and attacked him.
I like bees. I had ground bees last summer around my Forsythia in my front yard and we did get rid of them because the were right in the path of where we have to walk and where our small kids play and they were mean. Everytime we came out of the house they flew out and flew around us angrily.
So, I don’t want to kill the bees in the compost but we also don’t want to get stung. Any thoughts o’yoda’s of the garden?
xx
on Jul 4th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Your right who needs tv with adventures like that. I bet that wrasscally rabbit knows which yard is yours now.
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 12:00 am
This is a great way to get exercise and teach the rabbits to go elsewhere. Your description was priceless!
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:36 am
Cole, that’s a good question. Eek. Are these big bees?
Growthumbs, let’s hope. I haven’t seen another one in the yard, but I also haven’t been out there in the evening since.
Kate, thanks — glad you enjoyed it! I like to maximize my experiences: exercise AND pest control all at the same time.
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 7:15 am
Hi Genie,
I tried leaving you a comment the other day but it looks like it didn’t get through. Just wanted to let you know that you are invited to participate in a meme that’s been floating around the garden blog community. You can find out more at the following link: Garden Blog Meme
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 8:07 am
No, they are smallish bees my husband said. He got stung and his finger is a bit swollen but fine overall.
There were many, many, many of them and they were very, very, very, mad.
Any thoughts are helpful.
xx
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 11:11 am
Kenny, the spam-filter must have snagged your original comment, but this one definitely got through! Thanks for inviting me to participate — I’ll see what I can come up with!
Cole, hmm. I have no experience with bees whatsoever, and, in fact, have been having some discomfort over how few I’m seeing in the garden this summer. Hopefully some other commenters will have ideas?
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Now that’s what I call a REAL “war of the Roses”…
Thank you – the vision I have is just too funny!
on Jul 5th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Linda, you’re so welcome! It was hilarious…I’m both glad and sad that no one saw me…
on Jul 6th, 2007 at 9:08 am
Genie… I throw things at rabbits all the time, and I chase them away and yell at them. I even trap them, but they don’t seem to see the “unwelcome” mat in the garden! You have my sympathy!
on Jul 6th, 2007 at 10:57 am
Do you think that word will get around the rabbit community about the crazy human throwing flowers?
on Jul 7th, 2007 at 11:45 am
Carol, thanks for the sympathy. I understand why they’re so persistent, but I definitely don’t like it!
Jeanne, I hope so. I need to get the number of the Iowa City reporter for The Rabbit News.