Peter Rabbit – A Change in Perspective

Every year I plant a garden in my back yard.  It is not very big but I grow tomatoes and string beans and an assortment of herbs.  In the 30 years I have lived here there has always been bumper crops of tomatoes and beans.  Not this year!  I planted my beans in June and in a week or so they sprouted and started growing leaves.  About a week after they sprouted I went out to look at them and every one had had their leaves eaten.  All that was left was the stem.  I had seen a rabbit several days before hoping near my shrubs.

Friends had commented that there seemed to be an unusually large number of rabbits around.  Even one was a lot to me because I’d never seen them in this area before.  Amazon had some fox urine granules that was supposed to frighten the rabbit away by making them think a fox was nearby.  I bought some and planted more beans.  The same thing happened again.  They sprouted and then a few days later when the leaves were growing something chewed the leaves off every one.  So much for the fox urine idea.

I may try again but I am doubtful that I’ll get any beans this year.  As a kid I loved the story of Peter Rabbit and sympathized with Peter Rabbit who got punished for eating Mr. McGregor’s plants..  Now my sympathies are with Mr. McGregor.  Funny how your perspective changes when you stand in someone’s shoes.