Wednesday, February 07, 2007

The varmints . . .

I took this morning off to hear Zoe read a poem out at the school's Scottish Assembly and then took Jasmine for a long walk as it was such a fantastic day.

This was the welcoming committee when I got home - 3 beautiful does in the field next door. It is the first time this year that I have seen them in the daylight.


Though I knew they were about. . . . They have actually been doing a fair amount of damage in the cutting garden - this photo is of some tulips shoots nibbled level with the ground.

Still, I couldn't possibly get someone in to shoot them - much as I like venison. They are beautiful creatures, in much better condition after the mild winter than they were this time last year.

They stop eating our plants once the grass and wild flowers begin to grow again in the fields.

I have stretched netting over the tulips- they will have raggy looking leaves but the flowers will be fine.






8 comments:

Primrose Hill said...

What a treat to see them Jane, even if they do eat half your garden! We've got a lot in the woods around us too but they never seem to come into the garden.
L x

Anonymous said...

Oh that everyone had the same attitude as you, I rather imagine that you consider yourself lucky to have such beautiful creatures on your doorstep.

Jane said...

Carolyn - we are very privileged to live here and I do think that the wildlife that was here first has priority - we try to discourage them but couldn't kill them.
However - if rabbits began to invade (there are some over the morain)I would have no problems in having them shot so I do have double standards!
J
x

Nonnie said...

How fantastic to have them so close by even if they do get in your garden and cause damage. I'm sure it's worth it to see such lovely animals.

Anonymous said...

I love to watch the deer out my window. But I am reviving our vegetable garden this spring, so we will have to come to terms....

Jane said...

During the main season the deer have plenty of other stuff to eat and they are easily discouraged from coming into the garden by a double fence along the field boundary. It is only 3 feet high but as there are 2 fences they can't jump over them both.

At the moment it is frozen weather here and they are roaming further for food - they are getting into the field via the front gate! I refuse to have a high fence at the front though.

Jane said...

Christine - is the revival of your vegetable garden in response to the Michael Pollan article you spotlighted in your weblog?

I enjoyed reading it. It was very well written - it takes a lot of skill to get me to read 10,000 words on a computer moniter.
J
x

weirdbunny said...

Free range bunnt has eaten all my grape hyicenth bulbs and I think the iris too. I'd much rather have beautiful deer eating them !!