It’s raining again today and it looks like it is going to rain off and on all day long. In the previous 24 hours, my rain gauge measured one inch or so of rain.
So many plants seem happier when it rains. Like the Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’. Before the rain, the flowers were droopy and limp and seemed dull.
Now they are bright and perky and soaking up the rain.
Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes sp.) actually bloom when it is rainy outside. I usually refer to these as Fairy Lilies but today, they are Rain Lilies.
Even though they were watered every day, the lilies didn’t bloom when it was so dry out. They waited until this weekend to bloom. I assume it was the rain that caused them to bloom and not Midsummer’s Night?
Today, the bird bath fills itself.
Rain is such a miracle after you’ve been without it for so many weeks. And even though everyone has seen rain and wet gardens before, I decided to go out in the rain with my umbrella and just see what was going on and what I could find.
Look what I found.
A rabbbit in my trap. I put the trap in between rows of green beans several weeks ago, where the bunny was eating constantly. I figured at some point Mr. (or Mrs.) Bunny would go down that row and end up in my trap. And I was right.
After making the rabbit pose for pictures, I picked up the trap to put it in the back of my truck and take the little bunny for a little drive. My plan was to take Mr. Bunny to a nearby park that was across a creek and a few miles from here so he couldn’t find his way back.
But when I picked up the trap, the rabbit got all jumpy and wild and ended up pushing open the one end of the trap and escaping! Escaping and running off through my garden, finding shelter under a nearby snow ball bush.
I guess I forgot to flip down the wire “hoops” to further secure the trap doors, and because I was holding the umbrella with one hand, and the trap with the other, as the rabbit moved to one end, the trap flipped downward and gravity and “rabbit super-strength from eating my bean plants” was enough for the rabbit to push open the door and jump to freedom.
So there I stood in the rain, with my empty trap in one hand and an old umbrella in the other, getting wet and watching my catch of the day run off. Was that the little snickers of garden fairies I heard, laughing at my thwarted attempt to catch a rabbit?
Drats! The rabbit wins today’s round but the trap has been reset. I’m not giving up yet! I hope the rabbit is telling his family, “You would not believe what I’ve been through! Stay out of Carol’s garden, it is just too dangerous”. Or I hope that I re-trap the rabbit, and next time I remember to secure the doors!
What a great story, Carol! Sorry about your escaped rabbit. On the garden walk yesterday one lady had a “fairy garden” with mini’s and I thought of you.
What a beautiful hydrangea. I enjoyed reading your story.
Sara from farmingfriends
That story of the rabbit is too funny. Hope he’s either smart,and decides to stay away from your garden in the future ( what hope!) or dumb, and doesn’t realize he shouldn’t go into the trap.
I had a similar problem with wild chickens a few months ago, and constructed all these wire fences around the tomatoes and peppers, but since I got PottRott, the part Rottweiler puppy, they’ve relocated! Maybe I can do business renting him out…
I also love your hydrangea.
LOL.
I am sorry you lost the rabbit, but I couldn’t help laughing over the story. I wonder how smart rabbits are? We will see.. if he/she ventures back in, they must not be terribly intelligent.
I wish it was raining here today. My poor grass is all brown again.
I saw the cutest little baby rabbit this morning, thankfully he was in my neighbors yard, (hope he stays there). I hope you can catch your rabbit again soon.
Your hydrangea is beautiful, mine hasn’t bloomed yet.
What a funny rabbit story and that hydgrandea photo is just luscious! We’re getting rain too but my hydrangeas are still sort of thinking about blooming. Meanwhile, have you read the book “$64 Tomato”? I read it last year and could not put it down. think you would like it–it’s full of stories like this. ~A 🙂
Sorry about the rabbit! Your hydrngea is beautiful. Mine is just beginning to bud. I have some “rain lilies” too but they are different than yours. Mine came from Florida. I’ll post when they bloom. Yours are lovely.
I guess the rabbits have the last laugh. Is it true the rabbits can’t find their back to a sumptious feast?
Poor bunny. Poor you! This sounds like something I would do.
Wish we had rain…I must spend an hour or more watering every day it’s been so dry.
Robin (Bumblebee)
Carol, that is so funny! Shades of Farmer McGregor’s garden. Better luck next time!
What fun to read your rabbit story. I hope he really does tell his family to stay away from your garden. 🙂 Greetings from German, Andrea
Very funny post! “After making the rabbit pose for pictures…” cracked me up — and then it got even funnier from there. You’ll get him next time!
I like your Rain Lilies, I don’t have that kind, my are all white. Better luck with that Rabbit next time.
Have you tried sprinkling ~blood meal~ up and down the bunny trail as they are vegetarian and this deters them! Works for me around the garden with squirrels and rabbits.Perhaps the bunny had a family to get home to and that was why she desperatley escaped!! Rain sounds great right about now as I am tired of watering..I agree the plants LoVe the rain
sprinkling! Lovely flowers in your garden!hugs NG
BUMMER!!! It is hard enough to catch them, but then to lose one, that’s just not right. Even so, I would like to have had a picture of your face when that rabbit jumped out of that cage. Oh well, Better luck next time.
FOILED AGAIN! Those wascally wabbits! Be vewy, vewy quiet….
good luck to you on the reset, my guess is that the rabbit went home and told his family how he wiled his way out of the trap! Keeping my fingers crossed for you, those rabbits can be so destructive!
On my blogs of 17th and 18th april this year, I told the story of my first pet… Your lovely story today reminded me of that. Want to see a midsummer thunderstorm in Scotland? Come on over for a visit to our little corner of paradise.
Carol:
So glad you are getting some rain! I know that you can probably hear the plants sighing in relief!
As for the rabbit, he will be back. I have found that if you throw a sheet over the SECURED cage, it eases their distress. Can you imagine what it must be like to be in a cage and then be picked up for a ride in a car? LOL Good luck catching him again.
Love your blog – very beautiful pictures
All, thanks for all your kind comments and notes. I still can’t believe I let that rabbit get away like that! I check today and the trap is empty. Maybe, just maybe, he left for good on his own!
You crack me up Carol – and I’m so glad you are finally getting rain. Having too much here in Austin while you were in dire need of moisture was making me feel guilty.
Your fairy lilies are gorgeous!
The rabbit is probably having some camomile tea with Floppsy, so why don’t you relax and do the same, with maybe a Fairy cake on the side ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Oh, please send some of that rain our way. We’re horribly dry! I’m sorry that your rabbit escaped (I know that they can do quite a bit of damage). Fortunately, my two larger dogs keep them from taking up residence at my place. (Can I secretly say that I’m a little glad that it escaped? It could have still had a group of babies it was caring for, maybe it’s a bit late for that – but just maybe. Okay, okay, I’m a sap. I let the mockingbirds eat a huge share of the figs).
Annie… don’t feel too guilty about the rain, I know you can’t help it… just feel a little guilty.
Pam… I don’t want to be stingy with the rain, but so far, we haven’t gotten enough to send to anyone, or I would.
All.. I forgot to mention that I’ve been setting that rabbit trap off and on for FIVE years before I caught the rabbit. FIVE years! Let’s hope it takes far less time than that to trap him again.
Rain! What is that? I envy you. We are so hot and dry here. It seems all I do is water plants.
I enjoy your blog and appreciate all the lovely gardening posts.
Carol, how DARE you hog all the rain???
Seriously, I’m glad for you and I sure hope we get some soon, because it’s bad out there. I have rain lily foliage, but no blooms.
I’ve got violas blooming now, too. They just started a little over a week ago, but they ARE in the ground. :-p
Congrats on being featured in your work newsletter! 🙂
What a drag! Better luck next time!
Too funny! He (almost) literally slipped through your fingers.
If it makes you feel any better he was not feeling very well that evening and his mother put him to bed with some chamomile tea. But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail had blackberries and bread and butter for supper. 🙂