Keeping Peter Rabbit Out of the Garden

One of the things I enjoy about visiting the little town of Hartland, Minnesota is its quietness. Even though there are houses within a rock throw of each other, it is almost as peaceful as it is here in the country. Birds dip into the birdbaths and feeders and wild rabbits calmly hop in the yards as if they were invited.

Many people have gardens in their backyards there. Keeping Peter Rabbit and all his brothers out of backyard gardens has proven to be a challenge for some. But the Schmidt’s, seem to have found a solution. “We’re the only ones that haven’t had any of our garden eaten by rabbits this summer,” Pastor Schmidt told me. Here’s what helped. First, they bordered the garden bed with a low fence; only a foot high is necessary. But then came the inventive part. A quick glance into their garden bed isn’t for the faint of heart. Why, you ask? The Schmidt’s placed realistic looking snakes into their garden. There are several lying around like watch dogs guarding the site. When a rabbit begins digging a hole into the garden at night, one of the grandchildren place a fake snake in that area the next day. When rabbit eyes meet snake eyes, it turns tail and hops away! And ‘ole McGregor, I mean Pastor and Judy Schmidt have saved their garden.

Deborah Tukua, coauthor of Pearls of Garden Wisdom.

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