For months this winter my yard and gardens were under deep snow. Much of it has melted away to reveal a dense mat of wet leaves which needs to be raked away so that the grass can grow. I walked around the soggy yard today to see how much work I have. The short answer is: alot.
Although the winter landscape looked bleak, it was a boon for little creatures. Mice built a network of tunnels in the snow
where they were protected from predators and found much to eat. Like my roses.
I let the boys join me while I did some outside chores. Caper went right to his favorite rosebush to sneak a nibble, which he found, to his great disappointment, had already been nibbled to death by mice.
Pip looked for those delicious sunflowers that he remembered from last year and fared better than Caper. They weren’t edible, but a stalk is a perfect scratching post.
I always overdo it on the first warm gardening day. I raked, I trimmed, I pruned. I now have a heating pad on my back. I should go sit down and look through a plant catalog. I’ll be needing some new roses.
Put the roses in a wire basket this time… And it might have been voles. Coyotes like them.
Yes, it could easily have been voles. To protect the roses, I’d have needed wire cages two feet high! The critters ate the rose bark all the way to the tippy-tops. An unusual winter with never-ending, deep snow cover. Usually my good dog Lily keeps the little animals away. But, when I plant new roses, I’ll do a basket to protect the roots. I bet those voles had plenty of babies!
Sorry about your roses. Pip is so cute. I would like to have goats some day.
Have a nice day,
Vicki
Hi, im Kelly. I just wanted to say how much I LOVE your webite!!!
it is very fun for me to watch the HenCam whenever I have the time to, your hens are soo cute!!! And I think that you have a beautiful bunny too!!! I have chickens of my own, and I am getting baby chicks this Spring!!! I am sooo excited!!! Well I hope you comment back, because I would really love to hear back from you!!!
Kelly, I’m glad to be able to share my animals with you. I’m getting chicks next month, too. It should be a busy time for all of us!
:) I’m very excited for both of us!!!
Terry what they did to your roses is something I’ve never seen before. Amazing.
Terry any ideas about getting rid of moles? I have runs everwhere in my yard. I borrowered a trap from a friend and that has worked once. I’ve lived in my home since 1993 and never had moles.