around the perimeter of their gardens: calendula, clover, Swiss chard, and lettuce and apparently deer also love sunflowers.


Rabbits Little bunnies abound in the early


days of spring and summer. Who can resist their soft furriness – you just want to hug the little critters because they are so cute. Then they multiply and somehow


they aren’t so cute anymore, especially if you’ve been waiting all year for that crop of tulips to bloom. And they can be downright annoying when they prune back shrubs, such as spirea, ciste- na cherry or ornamental plum. They seem to love the tender bark of these plants to supplement their winter diet. The thing is, though, in the city


rabbits are generally only a problem in the early spring. They stop by for a green meal once the snow recedes but seem to prefer the sweet clover that will populate your lawn if you’ll only let it. Vegetable gardens may be a bit more


at risk because rabbits do enjoy cabbage and other tender-leafed plants. They might nibble carrot tops, but they won’t dig them up. Try planting daffodils in the flower


beds. Daffodils are poisonous to rabbits and they will often stay out of the beds that contain these cheery flowers.


Above: Cats can leave unpleasant surprises in the garden. Below left: A baby bunny helps itself to the petals of some daisies.


To keep rabbits away from tender-


barked shrubs in winter, protect the shrubs with a wire fence in the fall. There are the usual sprays and paints


containing ammonium soaps, capsaicin (hot pepper), naphthalene (moth balls), and blood meal, but they have to be reapplied after rain.


Voles and moles Although these two animals are


different the deterrents are similar. Moles tunnel under the ground and make runways just below the surface. This creates ridges in your lawn. At the end of these feeding tunnels you will find little volcanoes of soil. This is how you know the problem is moles. Voles live on the surface of your lawn,


under the roots and debris – if you have a thick thatch buildup you are at risk of attracting voles. They mainly eat the stems and leaves of grass and leave your lawn a mess. They will also gnaw on bulbs and the base of shrubs and trees. They can burrow in the root system of a shrub or a tree, causing it to lean or


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