It’s nearly impossible to grow flowers or vegetables without ending up with a few animals in the garden. That can be super helpful at times, like when the birds snack on the slugs eating through your salad greens.
But some animals in the garden can be, shall we say, not so great. That’s what Bob McCray learned when his new puppy discovered the “flattened irises, mangled peonies, and crushed marigolds.” Let’s be honest, puppies might be the cutest thing ever, but you still don’t want them barreling through your flowers.
While Bob’s puppy was as cute as can be as it lay sleeping in the midst of the daisies, writer Emily Edwards had a very different adventure with animals in the garden. In her case, the animals weren’t cute at all.
Emily found that a horde of Japanese Beetles was greedily feasting on the “newly opened leaves” of her grapes when she decided she had the perfect solution to get rid of them.
Unfortunately, the solution didn’t work quite as well as Emily would have hoped. But thanks to her experience, neither you nor I need to suffer through the same mistake. Take a look at How (Not) to Get Rid of Beetles in the Garden. You’ll learn a thing or two about ridding your garden of beetles, and you’ll get a good laugh through Emily’s animated storytelling.
What about rabbits? They’re awfully cute, but also destructive. (You didn’t really want those strawberries, did you?) Usually, rabbits run away when you head to the garden, but writer Beth Surdut found out that sometimes, rabbits can be “very” friendly. When she goes to a neighbor’s garden to dig up unwanted plants to sell at her garden club’s fundraiser, hilarity ensues. Read Gardening Critters Gone Wild to find out just how friendly this rabbit was.
Feel free to stay a while and enjoy all the stories about animals in the garden we have to share below. And be sure to check out our Animals in the Garden Sampler while you’re here, which features a hand-picked selection of our favorite stories from this category.
Today’s story appeared to me ironically enough after I took some heat for suggesting marigolds might deter rabbits (among other pests like aphids). My experience gardening comes from real life, trial, and error, and conversations with my gardening friends and groups. Like anyone, I hear a good tip, I try it, and if it works […]
Does the thought of backyard chickens appeal to you? City dwellers interested in country living or those tired of the rising cost of eggs at the grocery store might consider it. However, seeing how quirky and adorable they are, it’s easy to forget to weigh the pros and cons of chickens before bringing them home. […]
For years, I noticed wild Lupine growing along highway roadsides, their colorful spikes standing out against the asphalt and guardrails. These flowers always caught my eye, but I didn’t know what they were called until I finally looked them up in my late twenties. Intrigued by these wildflowers, I decided to try growing Blue Lupine […]
The star of my Autumn garden is undoubtedly the New England Aster. This native wildflower has become my secret weapon in keeping the butterfly party going long after other plants have hung up their petals for the season. Now, I’ll admit, when I first stumbled upon the New England Aster at my local nursery, […]
Did you know that there are entire books written for dogs in the garden? They call it dogscaping! This past spring we lost our pup suddenly at the youthful age of 10—practically middle-aged for a Goldendoodle. And while today’s story is about a lovely dog and the garden she loved, my story is a little […]
I don’t usually let garden bugs live in the house, but did I ever tell you about the time I had a pet spider? It wasn’t all that long ago, actually. The spider was small, maybe the size of a nickel. It was black with two bright green eyes that shone in the light. I […]
I’ve learned a lot about hummingbirds in the garden over the years. I’ve learned that they are not only incredibly beautiful creatures, but that they are also quite delicate. I’ve also learned that they are one of the most agile animals in the world – able to fly backward and upside down with ease. What […]
As almost any gardener knows, deer are beautiful, graceful creatures. But when you have deer in the garden, they’re evil beings set on destruction. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration. They do need to eat, right? I just wish they would stop eating my flowers and vegetables! Even if you aren’t out in the country, your […]
While I spend a lot of time wallowing over winged Japanese beetles that devour my dahlias each Summer, they’re not the only aggressive flying pest that woes me. That’s right, I’m talking about birds in the garden. Four years ago, I planted four blueberry bushes, imagining a bounty of blueberries every Summer. I’d be serving […]
Once upon a time, when I was just a young lad, my father decided to embark on one of the most unique adventures of his life: monkey-sitting. It all began one sunny Friday afternoon when my father showed up at our doorstep with a mischievous glint in his eye and a furry friend in […]
