Peter Rabbit

We have a baby rabbit in the garden.

Peter Rabbit

It's not the first time: a good many years ago, during a couple of summers we had one appearing, staying for a week or two and then vanishing.  I believe that rabbits can breed from six weeks old, and I’m guessing that they reached maturity and went off in search of company of the opposite sex.  But that was a long time ago, before this blog started, and there has only been one very brief sighting of a rabbit here since then.

Then a few evenings ago, baby Peter Rabbit turned up on the drive, checking out the woodpile by the garage.  It’s mostly covered by a rather tatty tarpaulin which doesn’t reach the ground but is weighted down by the upturned wheelbarrow, and there are plenty of places where Peter could get in to hide among the logs or under the wheelbarrow (wheelburrow?).  He sat there, like an adult rabbit outside its burrow, until it became too dark to see what he was doing.  Since then he has moved down into the veg patch, probably hiding in the long grass and garden debris that is behind the greenhouse (old pots, pallets, builders’ sacks, etc) and that would provide plenty of burrow-like hiding places.  The last few days have been very warm and sunny (after what seems like weeks of chilly and windy weather), and he doesn’t seem to care much for the heat as he lies low during the warmest part of the day.  He doesn’t seem much bothered by my being around, nor does he do much damage to plants.  He had a nibble of one of my young borlotti bean plants, and yesterday he did a little light pruning of a couple of kale plants until I gently made my displeasure known and he bounced off towards the apple cordons, which seem to be his daytime safe place.  But unlike his Beatrix Potter namesake, he hasn’t touched the lettuces or carrots.  I hope he stays for a little as he’s quite endearing.

Last night we also had a visit from Mrs Tiggywinkle (or perhaps Mr T, as he was quite a large hedgehog), who came to the patio for a drink and then trundled off again.  He or she is probably a regular here, as we see plenty of droppings but this was the first actual sighting this year.

Plant protection against nibbling and pecking (the kale plants also look as though the pigeons have been at them) is under way.  The kale is too big for bottle cloches, but the French beans, which have also been attacked, are now under cover.  I think some wire netting might do the trick with the kale.  The climbing beans seem ok.  I’ve constructed a rather rickety-looking frame for them to climb up, which I’m hoping won’t fall over as last year’s did!  It looks like my home-made dogwood supports for the sedums and achillea are doing the job; at least the achillea isn’t sprawling outwards just yet.

A bit rickety?

Achillea, upright for the moment

The flowers in the veg patch are keeping me going nicely in cut flowers: sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) and antirrhinums have filled vases, and there are foxgloves as well.  The dogwood bed by the patio is looking very colourful in a rustic, romantic sort of way: mostly sweet rocket (Hesperis matronalis), largely blue and purple aquilegias and Allium christophii.  The sweet rocket and aquilegias aren’t too good in vases as both are prone to dropping lots of spent flowerheads all over the place.  However that bed is now starting to fade, with the peonies and roses just starting to come into bloom in their place.

Sweet rocket, blue aquilegia and Allium christophii

Antirrhinums

Sweet William 

The first fledgeling sparrows are coming to the patio, there are young tits around, a baby robin down by the summerhouse and two young blackbirds who seem to get everywhere.  Something small was in the greenhouse yesterday, fluttering about and taking refuge in the mess of old pots, seedtrays and other detritus at the far end when I popped in.  I couldn’t see what it was.  Baby blackbirds usually panic and flap about at the glass, but this one seemed to freeze and stay completely still, and I couldn't spot it.  I was in a hurry and had to leave it, having assured myself that there wasn’t anything that it could get tangled up in, and it seemed to have gone when I got back.  Possibly a wren, like my little visitor last year?