Monday. It was one of those days, in the garden at least.
I went out brightly to cut flowers for my Monday vase, took a good look at the Central Bed, and changed my plans. Patching things up took priority.
There have been rabbits in and around the garden for many months, and I've been pretty sure they were raising some broods directly in the garden - underneath my enormous, magnificent Gaura, to be precise. BettyTheDog had decided to take care of this problem the day before, but I hadn't realized it immediately. Once I did, it was time to see what could be salvaged.
It looks like the plant as a whole will be all right. There was a lot of trimming off of broken branches, and a lot of shovelling dirt and compost back in around the exposed roots. This is the "after" picture; I was in no state to take a picture before I began!
I'm sure no one will be surprised that I was quite upset at poor Betty. As the day wore on, however, I came to the conclusion that, though she had certainly done more damage in an hour than the rabbits could have done in days, still they had done quite a bit over the last year and would be better living somewhere other than the garden!
This morning, my views on the subject were a bit shaken by finding myself filling in a large hole under the rosemary hedge...
But in this case, I believe the rabbits themselves took some of that soil from around the roots, given that it was piled up in a spot I don't think Betty could have put it into. The rosemary has now been put to rights as well. I am getting a bit tired of this!
Meantime, clippers in hand from the Gaura episode, it seemed a good time to do some long-anticipated trimming.
So I did quite a bit of pruning on Monday, and I had made plans to use the clippings in a vase. But I was tired by the time I brought them in, which led to my carelessly swiping them across a glass container in the living room. I think that is the biggest mess of broken glass I've ever created in my life. Suffice to say, a vase was eventually made up with some of the clippings, but I was too tired to photograph it!
On to Tuesday in hopes it might be a bit better...
Actually it was, despite discovering the damage to the rosemary. Still in a pruning mood, I finally cut back Muhlenbergia capillaris "Regal Mist" in the South Border. This changes the Tuesday View quite a bit! Above, the border this morning. Below, this afternoon after clipping the grass.
The weather has grown warm enough to make a little drinking water necessary while gardening. So my jug came out to the garden for the first time this year.
Here are a few highlights from the South Border now.
Self-sown seedlings that have been growing in the Muhly Grass's shade now have plenty of sunlight.
Salvia "Summer Jewels" will also be grateful. Mixed in with the little Salvia are leaves of Narcissus canaliculatus, which has adamantly refused to bloom in this garden. Leaves, yes; flowers, no.
The unending beauty of the lavender miniature rose...
...and similarly constant bloom from Eremophila hygrophana...
...along with the rare treat of rosemary in bloom.
Only in a desert garden: oregano growing densely in "full" shade under and between shrubs.
First buds on Ozothamnus diosmifolius at the very top of the border.
As you have been kind and listened to my sad tales today, here are some more cheerful beauties from elsewhere in the garden.
Narcissus tazetta noID, just opening its first blooms.
The very last rose of winter from The Alnwick Rose. After this, new blooms will be spring roses!
I've been doing other things with the clippers too, such as pruning the shrub roses. Here is St. Swithun. I love the look of a freshly pruned rose cane with red tips just breaking for new growth.
Here is another shot of the untameable Acacia salicina, still with a few blooms on it, against a yellow background of Senna nemophila.
So there is Monday and Tuesday - no vase, but I did manage a Tuesday View and will link it with Cathy's Words and Herbs. I still need to catch up on her blog and others, as well as with comments on my last post here. Hopefully tomorrow... It's been a busy week so far!
Weather Diary: Fair; High: 71 F (22 C)/Low: 47 F (8 C); Humidity: 43%-90%
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Cathy (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 03:20)
What a day, Amy! I am glad you managed to clear up after the rabbits and get some pruning done though and there will be many more Mondays for vases! You are right - the view looks quite different now - much lighter. I hope your week gets better as it goes on! :)
Kris P (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 12:55)
Ouch! As I just spent another morning cleaning up after yet another visit from the raccoons, I can fully sympathize. Your garden looks like it's had a good boost with the rain - your Ozothamnus has a head start on mine and your Eremphila hygrophana, as usual, looks gorgeous. The soil here is thoroughly saturated (something I never expected to say again) and I'm ready for some sunshine but we have another storm to confront on Friday before that dream will be realized.
rusty duck (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 17:06)
Oh no! It was chicken wire Fort Knox here last Spring, thanks to rabbits. I'm dreading a repeat encounter. Maybe I need a Betty. Or not.
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 19:57)
Cathy - Yes, lots more Mondays ;-) I am so wishing the Lagerstroemia at the back of the border would hurry up and grow a little faster as, with the grasses gone, it would make such a difference, even now when it has no leaves. No major disasters discovered today, so a definite improvement!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 20:04)
Kris - I felt silly getting so upset as both the Gaura and the rosemary will almost certainly pull through, but it was such a shock to see one of my bigger plants trampled and partly shredded... Your raccoons have done far more damage, and actually my rabbits have too.
You might wave a bit of your rain inland... It all seems to be moving up and down the coast now! But I'm thrilled your soil is actually saturated; and ours has had some good, long soakings at least. What a wonderful way to start the gardening year!
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Wednesday, 08 February 2017 20:16)
Jessica - I'm telling myself that if she actually convinces them to live elsewhere, it's probably worth it... ;-)
Ian Lumsden (Friday, 10 February 2017 02:35)
The little details of spring emerging are enticing. As for pests, I'm not troubled unduly by rabbits, or moles, but we doe have mice I discovered yesterday when I peered into the winter gloom first thing in the morning. I rarely use slug pellets for environmental reasons but have experimented with a new so-called bird and hedgehog friendly product in the past week wondering why they disappeared from the raised pots. Now I know.
Amy@smallsunnygarden (Friday, 10 February 2017 19:43)
Ian - Rabbits seem to follow my gardens... ;-) Fortunately mice have not been a problem (outdoors!), but they must be equally frustrating. I shall take note on slug advice as I may need it eventually. When I began here, the garden soil could not support them; it was much too hot and dry during our long summers. But I have been working hard to get it cooler and moister! And last time I purchased plants at the nursery, I discovered a large slug on the counter. The nice lady at the register promptly annihilated the little beast, but I suppose it's only a matter of time till I bring one home from someplace!