Dear Mrs. Gardener,
I want to thank you for providing the perfect place to raise a young rabbit once again this year.
I know that, after you found my fur-lined rabbit hole under the pretty magenta flowers, you must have thought that I would not return again to make my nest.
On the contrary, experience has taught me to do the unexpected. The dense canopy of scented geranium leaves provides the perfect hiding spot for my tiny babies.
On the contrary, experience has taught me to do the unexpected. The dense canopy of scented geranium leaves provides the perfect hiding spot for my tiny babies.
I also must thank you for all the food you so kindly provided. It proved to be the perfect means to give a young rabbit a good start in life.
The strawberries were simply delicious!
And the parsley truly divine!
My baby bunny's favourite food however has been the violets along the pathway to the back gate.
Please be so good as to plant more violets again next year!
Yours truly,
Mrs. Brown Bunny
Dear Mrs Brown Bunny,
Thank you for your kind words. I have always hoped that my garden would be home to lots of wild creatures. I am always happy to see the hummingbirds and bees flitting among the flowers. And I have never begrudged the robins and grey doves any of the berries on my trees.
I didn't even mind when a tiny garter snake took up residence in the front garden (although to tell the truth, I was a bit alarmed when the garter snake decided to swallow a toad whole in plain sight of the front porch).
I have to say that the jury is out on the groundhog that has taken up residence under the back shed (at least I think it is a groundhog: brown, about the size of a small cat, with a short, dark tail). He seems harmless enough, although we have eyed one another suspiciously a few times now.
The dogs have yet to discover the groundhog, or for that matter your baby bunny, preferring to spend their afternoons lazing around on the cool ceramic tile in the kitchen.
I can live with leafless violets, although they look as if they have been beheaded. I know they will come back in next year.
But...
I didn't get to taste a single strawberry this spring. Not one! Ditto on the swiss chard. They have all disappeared save for one very sorry specimen that looks too bedraggled to even think about eating.
Most heartbreaking was the loss of the beautiful parsley which I nurtured all through the bitterly cold days of this past winter. It was all gone after a few quick afternoon snacks.
I don't mind sharing. Really I don't.
All I ask for your dear, sweet little offspring to return the favour!
Yours sincerely,
Mrs. Gardener
Sweet photos. Your garden looks like a bunny's heaven! I hope you don't suddenly have 100 rabbits nibbling away at your garden, though! :O
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely funny Mrs. Brown Bunny story. Such a sweet pictures. A pity of the parsley and strawberries, but well....there will be another year. May be with more bunnies, but I suppose your three dogs will chase them.
ReplyDeleteI think your letter was the epitome of restraint and good manners.The little bunny needs to go to bunny nursery school and learn about sharing, personal space and boundaries.
ReplyDeleteAww - sorry for that, but goodness how cute they are! :-)
ReplyDeletehttp://tinajoathome.com/
A lovely story, set amongst a pretty garden, we had a bunny visit us a few years ago and refused to leave no matter how many times he was returned to his owner. He seemed to enjoy munching on my plants in the garden, however I wasn't particularly fond of seeing half eaten plants.
ReplyDeleteYup - rabbits are an adorable pain-in-the-neck nuisance.
ReplyDeleteSharing in the garden is a delicate art. And rabbits are not very good about that. I hope your letter to the mom rabbit has some effect -- she needs to raise better behaved little bunnies!
ReplyDeleteSuch a darling post!!! Your letters to each other made me smile. I love that you were able to capture a snap of Mrs. Brown Bunny for us.
ReplyDeletehugs...
I laughed out loud; oh you do write well. It gave my heart a boost cause you know what Jennifer, you are blessed to have those bunnies. We lost most of ours to Mme. fox and we think Mr. bobcat. We used to call the hares Easter bunnies, as they sat like moulded chocolate candy sculptures eating the plantain in the lawn. Gosh we miss them.
ReplyDeleteAs always, love the photos.
I know I shouldn't say this but I'd love a bunny. Oh it is so adorable but how frustrating to lose your strawberries and violets. I think I'll settle for a bunny statue.
ReplyDeleteYikes. All I can say is - rabbits multiply like lightning...
ReplyDeleteAlso, my dog killed a baby bunny unintentionally when he picked it up in his mouth. He was a pup and got excited and bit down. I cried. I think he cried too.
Just thought I'd share before something happened. xox
Glad you're begin enough to laugh through the pain. You're a bigger Mrs. Gardener (or Mr Gardener, in my case) than I, honey.
ReplyDeleteThose bunnies! I tell ya! What stinkers for eating all of your strawberries and parsley! Sounds like you have a lot of fun creatures taking up residence in your beautiful garden..I can't blame them! I think I would fall over if I watched a snake in my yard swallow a toad! My goodness! Have a great week friend!
ReplyDeleteJennifer, I loved this post. I do hope the bunnies in residence take heed to your request for more restraint in gobbling up the goodies, too.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, you have a lot more patience for them than I do. My Shih Tzu's love to chase them. They never caught one, but it is a funny sight to see.
A wonderful story. They look cute, but I don´t think they really know the meaning of sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI hope you can enjoy your strawberries next year and your parsley :-)
What a wonderful post this is, Jennifer, and although quite an eater, Mrs. Brown Bunny is absolutely precious.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day!!
Oh Jennifer - you do have your problems. But I have to say you posted about them beautifully. Lovely bunny pictures despite everything.
ReplyDeleteHow sweet! And how annoying, of course. But they are just so darn cute it is hard to really hate them. How on earth did you get those fabulous photos?
ReplyDeleteJennifer girl !
ReplyDeleteHow cute is your story here with such an endearing "conversation" between you two .. I haven't seen my bunnies in a while .. the asters seem to have recovered from their munching. I feel for you with all the goodies you so hoped to sample this year though ..it is disappointing indeed.
But ? .. the wildlife in your garden not only survives, they are happy and seemingly grateful by the tone of Mrs. Brown Bunny ?
Yes .. the humidity is outrageous lately .. I feel like I am breathing in water .. I may have to nurse the plants through until I can actually tolerate it enough to plant the poor things .. sweating too much is dangerous for me so I have to consider that first .. lots of "G-Force" drink is recommended .. so you should drink that as well .. it will help !!
Good luck with the "garden friends" and planting !
Joy : )
She looks so innocent. Like the blackbirds who left me two blueberries last year!
ReplyDeleteAlas, a guest who has definitely outstayed her welcome. Lovely story - had a good chuckle. I wonder if you could put some sort of cage over the strawberries for next year. No doubt, Madame Bunny and her boys will take advantage of your gentle demeanour and easy hospitality next year if only given the chance.
ReplyDeleteWhat an absolutely charming post, I really enjoyed it.....lol and such a sweet bunnykins, awwwwhhhh.....Sorry about your strawberries and parsley though.xxxx
ReplyDeleteJennifer, nice conversation with rabbit. I think this creature was not sorry parsley and strawberries, she didn't grow these vegetable and only came and eat all. Go away, rabbits!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness that little bunny is so adorable. I'm so sorry about your strawberries and parsley but my goodness what fun it must be to see such a sweet little creature like this in one's garden.
ReplyDeleteHmm, I don't think I would have been so forgiving! Although the photos are absolutely adorable, but having your harvest demolished by uninvited guests are so disheartening, I know from experience. I have everything in my garden from tiny spider mites to foxes the size of dogs – but no bunnies, nope, not seen them in inner London yet!
ReplyDeleteYou are a kind-hearted soul, Jennifer:) I think rabbits are cute, too, and baby bunnies are adorable. But the theft of the strawberries especially would have made me point out this little thief to my dogs.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images on your last post--August does look golden!
Mrs. Bunny is absolutely precious, Jennifer! Sorry about your strawberries, but I am sure he is very grateful that you "shared" them with him! :)
ReplyDeleteSome of my plants were bunny munched repeatedly until they died. I don't mind sharing, either, but they need to diversify by also eating the weeds or grass! But I still think they are just so cute.
ReplyDeleteReally cute "tail" Jen. I also have bunnies dining in the front garden. The asters are like bunny candy. Since the garden is packed tight, I too don't mind sharing. They don't live here, and I worry for them crossing the road when they go home. The neighbors all want them as road kill, I guess because they live in their yards. They even hired trappers to come in. PS. Thank you for voting for GWGT. This was a surprise yesterday and I have no clue how I got entered. I also left suggestions on the macro lens for you in the reply to your comment.
ReplyDeleteVery cute! But you can't reason with rabbits, they are greed personified. Rabbitified? They eat my woodland phlox down to the ground.
ReplyDeleteJust where did you find this sweet little letter from Mrs. Brown Bunny? Did the chickadee deliver it? I wonder. I had a relation of Mrs. B. Bunny living in my garden in the spring, and wouldn't you know it! I've spied a new baby bunny bottom scurrying along the edge of the fence when he thought I wasn't looking. Why oh why are little rabbits so adorable?! I think so that when they take such a chunk out of a garden we remember those bright button eyes and soft twitchy noses, and our hearts do a little melt ... but you're right, they need to learn to share. Many of my flowers were stunted this summer because they had to grow tall, not once, but twice! Rascally rabbits. I send my dog after them anyway, because although he's really fast, the rabbits are still faster. The pup thinks it's a big game and that he's not really supposed to catch them. Maybe next time, instead of a letter, you need to leave Mrs. Bunny a little suitcase and a bus ticket ;) Wendy
ReplyDeleteSharing is, indeed, a part of it all. I laughed as I read, remembering why I no longer grow strawberries. For me, it was not the bunnies (the fox keep them away - mostly), it was the chipmunks, who now help themselves to the organic chicken feed when they can. :) Balance. Sharing. Harmony.
ReplyDeleteYeah. :)
Oh he is adorable. I have to cover my veg gardens and mine seem to be happy munching on all the clover that grows in the grass out back...they have kept away from the other herbs and veggies.
ReplyDeleteI think it's an honour that she decided to raise her babies in your garden. I think bunnies are actually quite fussy and she clearly knew there would be food there and although you have dogs, she didn't see you or them as a threat. Nature has its way of controlling (most of the time) the wildlife, one day the bunnies will go elsewhere as there will be more strawberries somewhere else, or perhaps they'll change their diet to something else. In the meantime, enjoy them! Loved your letters!
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