Yes, it’s true. Gardening has become a battle in my southern California yard. A battle against the bunnies. Bunnies are cute and cuddly, right? Yes, but they’re also hungry. They aren’t happy with the grass and clovers and other things that are readily available. They want my plants. In particular, my strawberries and radishes. Not fun. Not fun at all. See?
Those little critters were chomping on the leaves of my radishes. Thankfully, I have an all natural spray (made of garlic) that the bunnies don’t like, so they stopped after chomping on a couple of leaves.
Look at that! I should have provided a physical barrier between the bunnies and my strawberries, but I thought my all-natural spray would be enough. It was enough to keep them from eating the leaves, but not enough to keep them from taking a nibble. See? Look closely. A bunny bit off the entire stem, then left it on the ground. AHH!! Maybe strawberries and me were not meant to be…
Thankfully, most of my garden is doing well. Take a look.
My yellow cherry tomatoes are coming along. A couple look like they will be ready to harvest very soon.
My regular tomato plant still has only two tomatoes, but they’re growing, and new flowers are forming now that we have a break in the heat-wave. It was about 100 degrees last week, which is not so good for tomatoes.
My pepper plants from last year are fruiting!
This one is doing particularly well. There are three peppers and numerous flowers on the bottom portion of the plant, and the top portion has one good pepper and a few flowers. Things are looking good.
My oranges are growing well.
My eggplant has recovered from the attack of the bunnies and is finally flowering! Maybe I’ll have eggplant after all.
My zucchini plant has really started to grow in the last week or so. It’s expanding and is starting to flower. Hopefully I’ll actually get zucchini out of it this year.
And what’s this pokey little thing? One of my three spaghetti squash plants I grew from seed. All three are growing and doing well, but this one is the farthest along. My fingers are crossed, hoping they continue to grow.
How’s your garden coming along?
Is it time to plant in your neck of the woods?
My Foray Into Food Storage 
May 19, 2014 at 11:58 am
What a beautiful garden!
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May 19, 2014 at 12:10 pm
It’s deer in our garden. They leveled everything last year, even the tomatoes and potatoes, something deer ane not supposed to eat. your tomatoes look especially pretty. Still too wet to get the garden worked up, hopefully this weekend.
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May 19, 2014 at 12:23 pm
My peppers have not even started to bud! 😦 So my gardening isn’t going well yet, but it’s still fairly early in our season due to the long winter this year!
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May 19, 2014 at 1:10 pm
Lovely garden! Mine is still in infancy… I just transplanted some beans and greens this weekend. I had started the seeds indoors 3 weeks ago. Tomato and strawberry have some flowers… Squirrels are a major hassle for me. So have to see how i fair this year 🙂
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May 19, 2014 at 1:28 pm
What a beautiful garden! May it be very fruitful this year 🙂
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May 19, 2014 at 1:34 pm
Your garden looks great, Laurie! I just planted a few small tomato plants and 6 small strawberry plants. I bought some green, plastic netting-type stuff that I need to put around the strawberries tonight. Between the squirrels, birds, deer and rabbits, they won’t have a chance of surviving otherwise. My basil and cilantro seeds have also started sprouting in their containers, but I haven’t put them in the ground yet. I think the nights are still too cold. It’s not much of a garden, but it’s a start — and it’s all been inspired by you! 🙂 (By the way, I bought some mason canning jars at a garage sale last weekend – now I just need to figure out what to can!)
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May 19, 2014 at 2:16 pm
I had a problem with them eating my strawberry plants and I bought those little windmill’s at our local dollar store and it’s worked wonders. I also tied plastic bags (from the grocery store) on a stick and placed them around. Looks funny but has kept the bunnies and mice out. Maybe worth a try.
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May 19, 2014 at 2:27 pm
What a great idea! I’ll try anything!
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May 19, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Laurel, your nemesis is the cute and furry bunny rabbit…. mine is the disgusting earwig… http://runwritedig.com/2012/04/29/earwigs-nimby/
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May 19, 2014 at 3:11 pm
Bunnies and slugs ruin our efforts.I agree, it’s a constant battle.
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May 19, 2014 at 3:13 pm
wow your tomatoes look great!
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May 19, 2014 at 6:05 pm
Hey Laurie, to stop the bunnies from eating your radishes and strawberries you can get some Rep All at a local garden center and either spray the plant or spray the area around where your plants are planted. Rep All is a deer and rabbit repellent and there’s also an eco friendly deer and rabbit repellent. Either does not harm the animals just works to deter them from destroying your plants.
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May 19, 2014 at 7:32 pm
I’ll look for it. Thanks!
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May 19, 2014 at 6:37 pm
In Kansas, we were just able to start planting at the end of April, and even then we had a threat of frost two days ago (May 17th!). This year, we set up to 8×4 raised beds for tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, pole beans, peas, corn and broccoli. I started some plants inside, but we don’t have a lot of space inside or out in our townhouse. We will have a heavy abundance of peas, which will grow up the bamboo teepees along with the beans. A third, limestone bordered shaded bed boasts our herbs, lettuce and kale. A potato tower will be built up over the summer with several potato plants. So far, everything looks well. No bunny problems in these 12 inch tall beds.
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May 19, 2014 at 7:47 pm
Beautiful! Almost everything died during our horrible heat wave last week!
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May 19, 2014 at 8:26 pm
Laurie you’re making me so jealous! When we lived in California (central valley) we had corn that was shoulder high by the 4th of July, and tomatoes so red and wonderful they were unbelievable. I certainly am missing that!
Here in Virginia, it doesn’t seem like spring ever comes before May when the season is well underway everywhere else. Then it is over before things get a chance.
Here lately we are being visited by a new creature- the raccoon mama and baby. Between the fox, deer, squirrels and now the raccoon, we don’t stand a chance I fear. So we will live vicariously through your efforts! (Then visit the Farmer’s Market each weekend… sigh).
Thanks for such lovely, hopeful, photos!
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May 19, 2014 at 9:01 pm
We are building a new retaining wall to extend my garden out but our biggest obstacle is TIME! I’ve given up on the idea of having a garden this year. I’ll be happy when we get the retaining wall up. It looks like I will be going to Lombarde Ranch for my garden vegetables this summer. I buy their tomato 2nds by the lug and can them. Everything taste sooo good when cooked with them.
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May 19, 2014 at 9:47 pm
Here in Missouri we have our garden in, but had a frost scare this last week. Thankfully, everything made it through. All of our plants are still quite small. We live out in the country so we put up a 4 foot electric fence around our garden to keep the critters out. Otherwise, the plants would have already been eaten. We too have a spaghetti squash plant and am very hopeful that it is fruitful!
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May 20, 2014 at 8:05 am
I’m constantly surprised by how different the growing seasons are around the country. We had frost last weekend in SW Michigan! We’ve harvested some asparagus, but it stopped growing for several days due to the cold weather. We started harvesting it again this morning. Hopefully, the first salad mix will be ready by Friday so we can take it to market!
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May 20, 2014 at 9:55 pm
Yes they are… The kids at the school I work at have garden club and the bunnies are eating the strawberries and vegetables. Lol : )
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May 21, 2014 at 8:24 pm
Bunnies aside, your garden looks in great shape.
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