Wow, can you believe that?! "Rabbits consider Hyacinth Bean plants a delicacy!" That is a quote from several sources.
And I have a yard full of hungry rabbits ...
... and baby bunnies.
And tender Hyacinth Bean plants ... oh no!
I was so excited the other day to see that the Hyacinth Bean seeds I'd planted had germinated, broken through the soil, and were growing fast. And then I was thinking, gosh Hyacinth Bean plants look similar to Peas and Beans. I wonder ... do rabbits ... eat them? My first thought was "Duh!" And then, "Oh no!"
I rushed to look it up on the Internet, and found out not only do rabbits eat them, they actually consider them a delicacy! I guess I can see why.
But we can't have this! So I ran to the garage, grabbed some simple wire fencing material, and created a rudimentary protective cage around the tender plants.
It doesn't look very impressive, but hopefully it will keep the rabbits away until the young Hyacinth Bean vines have a chance to establish their footing.
By the end of the summer, hopefully they'll be gracefully arching up and over the arbor.
Speaking of gracefully arching, the Mock Orange I described in my last post is now in full bloom, so I had to share...
Next up: Garden Lessons Learned during the spring of 2012 and Seasonal Celebrations with Donna at Gardens Eye View. It sure has been an educational season!
I love your arch and the whole area in your photo.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary. It's definitely a work in progress. My husband made the arbor out of copper piping. I've been trying to find a climbing plant that works in this dappled shady spot. If the rabbits don't destroy the Hyacinth Bean vines, I might have found it...
DeleteI agree with Mary, the arch and the Hostas, Lamiums and ferns look wonderful. I had to look up Hyacinth Beans. They are very pretty! I hope the bunnies don't mount a sneak attack.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lyn. Good point about the sneak attack--these pesky rabbits do tend to hit when we least expect it, in surprising ways. I think I'll add more fencing. ;-)
DeleteExcellent captures of your unwanted visitors. They are cute until they start eating all the plants. Your mock orange is very impressive!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karin. I discovered a new setting on my camera, and the optical zoom really helped. I wish rabbits weren't so cute--I really dislike what they do to plants!
Deletebeautiful arbor--great design and use of materials! i'm glad to know hyacinth bean will grow in the shade. i've only seen it in the sun.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Daricia. We shall see! It's in a kind of dappled shade/sun spot, so it might work--and it might not. I'll keep you posted. :)
DeleteKróliki są śliczne i ich zdjęcia też. Nie muszą jednak zjeść Twojej fasoli, mogą zjeść co innego. Dobrze zrobiłaś tworząc osłony wokół nich. Liście będą duże, to osłon nie będzie prawie widać. Pozdrawiam.
ReplyDeleteRabbits are cute and the pictures too. There must, however, eat your beans, they can eat something else. Well done creating a shield around them. The leaves are large, it covers almost not visible. Yours.
I wish the rabbits weren't so cute--then my frustration with them would be easier. I put more fencing up today...just in case. ;-)
DeleteI have bunnies sneaking in so we are netting all the veg gardens....I love your arbor and the mock orange...my goodness....been a busy weekend.
ReplyDeleteGood luck, Donna! Scallions planted around the perimeter of the garden sometimes help, too. Pesky rabbits!
DeleteWell, now I found out why the hyacinth beans I planted a few years ago came up, then disappeared. I am having fits with rabbits and bunnies munching on my native plants in the front yard. I have some cages and upside down baskets that are for hanging plants that I'm protecting some with. I wouldn't mind sharing, but they eat plants clear down!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check to see if the mock orange I planted across the street looks like it will bloom this year. Yours sure is pretty!
I feel your pain, Sue. I have been waging war with the rabbits for years. Lately I prefer to plant plants they don't like, but I wanted to give Hyacinth Bean vine a try. The Mock Orange was so pretty today, with the sun shining through it. But the heat is fading the blooms. :(
DeleteI love your bunny photos and had a chuckle when I saw the title of the post. I bet you don't think them cute at this time of year!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Donna. No, I do NOT think they are cute (well, I can't deny it, I guess). But they are the most frustrating critters around. Although this year, the chipmunks seem to be giving me more trouble. Argh.
DeleteI was given a mock orange cutting two years ago and it is now a good size (2' x 2' or more) but NO flowers! Any idea why?
ReplyDeleteHi Karen: I wonder if it needs more sun? My Mock Orange is planted in one of the few sunny spots of the lot--on the southeast side of the house. It gets a lot of morning sun and the top branches get plenty of afternoon sun. I recently read that Mock Orange likes a sunny/dappled sunny spot. Maybe that's why?
DeleteShould be OK on that score - must just have an attitude!
DeleteBTW - must have been a bunny-scuffle last night. Lots of fur and paw prints in the middle of one of my borders...
Hi Beth,
ReplyDeleteIk reageer maar even in het Nederlands. Waarschijnlijk kun je dat wel vertalen.
Ook hier hebben we soms last van de konijnen die heerlijke jonge planten aanvreten.
Gelukkig....niet in onze tuin.
Jouw "mock orange" ziet er werkelijk prachtig uit.
Hele, hele mooie foto's waarop de konijnen toch wel lief lijken, ja toch?
Lieve groetjes, Elly
Hi Elly: Yes, I was able to translate using Google Translate. Hopefully it captured most of the meaning. I guess rabbits are cute, but I get very mad at them! I'm glad you don't have trouble with them in your garden. It was a good year for the Mock Orange, for some reason. My photos on a cloudy day don't really do it justice. I might add one from yesterday--when the sun was out. Gorgeous shrub!
DeleteLove all your bunnies and rabbits in the yard....glad you protected the vine. They can be a little rough on the vegetation at times:) We have Javelina here and they LOVE eating anything tender. Your garden looks wonderful...and that Mock Orange is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Javelina--now that would be interesting! I'm not happy about the bunnies, but I'm trying to live in harmony with them as much as possible. The Hyacinth Bean plants look a little fragile right now so I'm a little worried.
DeleteI hope that does the trick! Waskly wabbit! And your mock orange is just lovely. It must smell fabulous!
ReplyDeleteIt was a good year for Mock Orange here, apparently. It was beautiful with the sun glinting through the blooms the other day. The photos on this post were taken on a cloudy day--but it was still pretty then, too.
DeleteYour quick thinking probably saved the hyacinth beans!! I have a visual of your arbor covered & it's going to look great.
ReplyDeleteWish we could smell your mock orange ~ I bet it smells heavenly in your garden right now. I really need to find a place to put one...
So far so good. :) The little plants got a little wind-blown today, but I gave them good water when I got home from work. I worry so about plants until they get established.
DeleteThe Mock Orange has a light scent--it seems more pungent as it starts blooming. It sure is pretty in full bloom.
Oh naughty rabbit, but how can you not forgive him? He is so handsome... :)
ReplyDeleteTee hee. Handsome maybe, but he's a pest, along with the rest of his big-eared family members. I don't mind them eating the grass, but they've destroyed so many of my plants. :(
DeleteI hope you manage to save your pretty plants and they grow well for you. I love the pictures of your mock orange, the fragrance must be overpowering!
ReplyDeleteHi Masha: I hope so, too. They look so tender now, and with a cold snap I worry about them. :( But they do seem to be protected from the rabbits. Thanks!
DeleteGood job they don't eat mock orange. Hope the fencing keeps the nibblers at bay - their feet are as much a problem as their teeth
ReplyDeleteYes, they don't seem to eat the Mock Orange bark--they'd have to be giant rabbits to reach the buds and flowers (scary thought). They are pesky creatures!
DeleteYour rabbits are so cute, I could almost forgive them for eating hyacinth beans:)
ReplyDeleteI'm crossing my fingers that they won't get to the plants. So far, so good. The vines aren't growing very fast, though. Maybe it's because they're in the shade. We'll see...
DeleteOh, I love your copper pipe 'trellis' - it is so different and a great work of art!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post!
Thanks, Barbie! I'll let the hubby know you approve of his design. We added crook hangers on either side for decorative items and hummingbird feeders. It's fun to be creative with these things! :)
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