Yarrow Flowers getting eaten
Posted: Sat Jun 13, 2020 9:54 am
I planted some yarrow and other perennials in a bed that said to be rabbit resistant. My wife wants to try things that we don't need fence around to protect (no choice with the garden and enormous rabbit pressure around here). But I agree, having wire fences around flowers really does detract.
So earlier this spring, the newly planted yarrow was getting nibbled by rabbits, so I put some chicken wire around it to let them get established, as often it seems rabbit resistant means for established plants, not necessarily new growth. This was working well and then the yarrow started producing flower stalks. I noticed some of the flower heads were getting eaten off, at the edges, where the chicken wire was. I suspected rabbits were able to reach those flowers, which had me discouraged because it makes me think the yarrow won't be safe once I remove the chicken wire. This morning my daughter spotted the bandits, not rabbits, but song sparrows sitting on the chicken wire, eating the flowers they could reach. We went out for a closer look and those damn sparrows are even eating the buds on my newly planted Eastern Prickly Pear cactus. Crazy stuff. Sparrows are the reason I need to put bird netting over my peas in the spring until they are sufficiently large. For years I thought I had bugs eating my peas when newly emerged and I'd get a very poor stand of peas. After closer watching, I found it was sparrows pecking and pulling at the new pea shoots. We like the birds in our yard, but ugh, stop eating the damn flowers!
So earlier this spring, the newly planted yarrow was getting nibbled by rabbits, so I put some chicken wire around it to let them get established, as often it seems rabbit resistant means for established plants, not necessarily new growth. This was working well and then the yarrow started producing flower stalks. I noticed some of the flower heads were getting eaten off, at the edges, where the chicken wire was. I suspected rabbits were able to reach those flowers, which had me discouraged because it makes me think the yarrow won't be safe once I remove the chicken wire. This morning my daughter spotted the bandits, not rabbits, but song sparrows sitting on the chicken wire, eating the flowers they could reach. We went out for a closer look and those damn sparrows are even eating the buds on my newly planted Eastern Prickly Pear cactus. Crazy stuff. Sparrows are the reason I need to put bird netting over my peas in the spring until they are sufficiently large. For years I thought I had bugs eating my peas when newly emerged and I'd get a very poor stand of peas. After closer watching, I found it was sparrows pecking and pulling at the new pea shoots. We like the birds in our yard, but ugh, stop eating the damn flowers!