Last summer one lone small bunny made himself known to me as he hid under the Bronze Fennel and the Rosemary last summer. I wonder if a bunny’s scent is hidden from prey by the scent of the herbs. At first I was concerned he would start eating up all my plants but he seemed to be content munching on the Ruellia. I have Ruellia brittoniana ‘Katie’ dwarf pink and white varieties as well as the tall Mexican Petunia form of this plant.
This little bunny was called Mr. Browntail. This is officially the Eastern Cottontail Rabbit. This little rabbit when grown is 15 to 18 inches long and will weigh 28 to 54 ounces. Their lifespan is short, about 3 years and many times due to predators in the wild and dogs, cats and yes people some don’t live past a year. I was able to watch him grow as the weeks went on and at the end of the season he was quite a large rabbit.
Photo by LBelcher
It was fun watching him eat the leaves from the top down, just munching away with his little rabbit teeth. Once I saw him eat a dried gladiola leaf. I wondered if he needed just a little bit of fiber that particular day. He got very adventurous and would hop all over my yard and gardens, sometimes going through the fence to my neighbors gardens. He even hopped right past my feet across the patio one evening. I could hardly breathe thinking how close he was.
There are blueberry plants in my flower garden that were shared with Mr. Browntail so he had his fill of fruits to go along with his greens. It was of particular interest as he got bigger that he would eat birdseed that had dropped from the bird feeder alongside the ground feeding birds. I was able to get some of the last photos of him in this place.
Photo by LBelcher
As the summer days ended and fall came upon the gardens Mr. Browntail was nowhere to be found. It had been a real pleasure having this delightful creature living in my yard. Rabbits do not hibernate during the winter and stay close to food sources like twigs, bark and leaves. I never saw him during the winter months but I know he was somewhere close by.
As this current spring came to an end and the days became warmer there was a sighting of another bunny. What fun this would be to watch another Cottontail grow. Then there was a sighting of not one but two bunnies. Now I don’t know if there is enough growing in my garden to take care of both bunnies. But this time I see these bunnies are spending time in my neighbors’ gardens as well as my own. So I am thinking they will be OK.
The only problem in my neighbor’s yard is her sweet dog Macey a black Labrador Retriever. Macey is a wonderful dog who loves to pretend to be a pointer. All we have to do is tell her there is a squirrel and she is right on that garden critter. Of course a small bunny is no match for a big black Lab with a heart of gold. After all she only wants to play, however; big teeth and small bunnies do not go well together. So this summer we will be on guard to see that dog and bunny do not clash.
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Comments
I, too, get delighted when I see wild animals enjoying my garden, but I know most gardeners get upset at the prospect of rabbits eating their plants. I try to think of wild animals as "garden features", and tolerate a little munching.
Cute article. I like bunnies but don't live in a house so I don't have the luxury of a garden. I'm pretty sure if I did have a garden and a bunny came around my two dogs might try to chase it. One would want to lick it to death and the other would join in trying to play with it.
No space here for a garden. In TN we could see the same things you describe here and it was so exciting for the kids.
I had bunnies in the yard before I moved and I SO miss them!
aww, macey has a friend!
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