.Anemone x hybrida
One of my favorite plants seems to be a favorite of a garden rogue.
As I was planning to write this blog, I checked to see if I had blogged about anemone before. In the September 24, 2008 post I said, “The flowers are almost 3 inches in diameter. They are rabbit and deer resistant.“
I don’t remember where I got that (mis)information. This year I have had a terrible time keeping the critters away from the anemone. Several times during the summer the leaves were chopped off and left lying on the ground uneaten. Deer, rabbit, groundhog? That meant war.
Like s
ome kind of demented gardener, I regularly kicked the nearby patch of ivy to watch a rabbit run out of the garden. I sprinkled cayenne pepper on the leaves. We had a lot of lovely rain this summer so sometimes I didn’t always get around to reapplying the pepper promptly. I carried cayenne pepper in my tool bucket all summer.
The white anemone made it through and started blooming in the middle of August. It is still blooming. Lovely white, delicate blooms in the partial shade of the French lilac.
The pink anemone was not so fortunate. Just as the buds were forming, they were cut down. My heart sank when I saw the carnage. A growl came out of my th
roat.
Then, several weeks ago I noticed a few buds and conscientiously began the pepper sprinkling. I finally got a couple of raggedy pink blooms.
I’ll be ready to continue the battle next year. I’m beginning to feel like Carl Spackler in Caddyshack.
One of my favorite plants seems to be a favorite of a garden rogue.
As I was planning to write this blog, I checked to see if I had blogged about anemone before. In the September 24, 2008 post I said, “The flowers are almost 3 inches in diameter. They are rabbit and deer resistant.“
I don’t remember where I got that (mis)information. This year I have had a terrible time keeping the critters away from the anemone. Several times during the summer the leaves were chopped off and left lying on the ground uneaten. Deer, rabbit, groundhog? That meant war.
Like s
ome kind of demented gardener, I regularly kicked the nearby patch of ivy to watch a rabbit run out of the garden. I sprinkled cayenne pepper on the leaves. We had a lot of lovely rain this summer so sometimes I didn’t always get around to reapplying the pepper promptly. I carried cayenne pepper in my tool bucket all summer.The white anemone made it through and started blooming in the middle of August. It is still blooming. Lovely white, delicate blooms in the partial shade of the French lilac.
The pink anemone was not so fortunate. Just as the buds were forming, they were cut down. My heart sank when I saw the carnage. A growl came out of my th
roat.Then, several weeks ago I noticed a few buds and conscientiously began the pepper sprinkling. I finally got a couple of raggedy pink blooms.
I’ll be ready to continue the battle next year. I’m beginning to feel like Carl Spackler in Caddyshack.
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(Historical Japanese anemone information from University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.)
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Oh my god Marie, how terrible, I would cry if it happens to my anemonas... I love them so much that I wait until march to enjoy them. I also have the rabbit problem here, too much of them that so many times I´ve cried so hard for my roses even!! they eat almost everything here, exceptd agapanthos, irises and some other things.
ReplyDeleteCome to enjoy a new post of my garden.
Cariños
María Cecilia
The rabbits (if they are the ones doing the damage) don't seem to like to eat the anemone. They stems are chopped off and left lying one the ground. Infuriating!
ReplyDeleteYour post is beautiful. It will be wonderful to check your spring and summer garden as my garden goes to sleep for the winter.