I had a disturbing rabbit issue this week. A butterfly gardening friend sent Blue Pea Vine (Clitoria ternatea) seed. I very carefully started the seed, potted the seedlings up and grew them up a trellis before installing them in my garden. The morning after the installation, the plants were gnawed back to the ground. Arggh. I have been seeing this plastic fork solution here and there and decided to give it a try for rabbit abatement. So far, so good – the plants are growing back. Has anyone else tried this? I have also read blue tea can be made from the flowers of this vine…anyone try this??
It finally rained this week..yay!!! and the flowers are popping out in appreciation of the drenching. This is a Tree Spinach (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius), the flowers provide nutritious nectar for butterflies. The leaves are good for people. This is a tropical vegetable native to Central America. I have not eaten any as it must be cooked properly or it is poisonous.
Flowers starting in the cup of a Painted Fingernail Aechmea Bromeliad. The blue star shaped flowers eventually fill the cup.
Guzmania Bromeliad flowering again. I have had this Bromeliad for years in a clay wok container. It flowers every summer and lasts for months. Sometimes I cut them for arrangements.
Rain Lilies (Zephyranthes) I am not sure which species this is – though it is tropical. One of my favorites and a not too prolific reseeder.
This is the result of having a Papaya tree chopped off a few months ago. I am not sure what is going to happen next, though the shoots seem too narrow to cope with summer rain and wind. The top of the cut also dried out leaving a shell. I have a back up Papaya tree coming along.
That’s my Six for this Saturday. Join the crowd and visit http://www.thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com to see a world of gardening sixes.
Happy Gardening..
The Shrub Queen 
I will be interested in the evolution of your cut papaya tree. Mine is still potted, about 1.50m high but grows too slowly because the spring was not warm enough here. Now it only starts in June whereas last year it restarted at the beginning of May.
Also interesting the fork to scare rabbits: I did not know! 😂
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The Papaya is interesting. The trunk is like a tube as are the leaf stems, sometimes used as straws. It doesn’t seem like it will be structurally sound to bear the heavy fruit now. We will see this summer. When the rainy season starts they grow like mad.
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I have never heard about the fork use for rabbits. It would take way too many in my yard. My rain lilies have been blooming like crazy as it has rained everyday. I like the dark centers in yours. Someone gave me a “special” one and I have forgotten its name, but it does not reproduce or bloom like the others.
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Are your rabbits back? Six or so years ago I bought a pot of Rainlilies at a garage sale..they have spread throughout the garden, I am really enjoying them now.
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No rabbits and plants that I haven’t seen in years are growing back.
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Weird the giant, fat rabbit was sitting near my big greyhounds favorite spot in the garden this morning. I had been wondering what was driving the dog crazy (and Me) An audacious bunny. Can I rehome bunny with you?
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It was Barley’s spirit visiting you Queen.
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😂.. Barley is hanging out with me for a while.
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He was so spoiled. He eats what he wants. My herbs were in fence circles so he could trim them without damaging the plants.
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What herbs did he eat?
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Loved dill and rosemary. Ate weeds also.
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🐇
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My niece and her niece (my great niece) are familiar with what they know as ‘pea tea’. My sister, their mother and grandmother respectively, thought that sounds weird. I have heard that it has almost no flavor, but is a delightfully colorful and caffeineless substitute for tea for a little girls’ tea party. It probably adds nice color to lightly colored teas too.
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Thanks, Tony that would be fun for a tea party. Smurf tea.
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Tea is tedious enough without the Smurfs.
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Our rabbit population is ginormous! SO much damage. I put up rabbit fencing and last evening saw three little bunnies had squeezed through to greener munchies. I have heard of the fork idea, but haven’t tried it. I’m a barefoot gardener and I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t end well for me. I hope you’ll report on the outcome over time…might be worth putting on shoes to try it.
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I put up rabbit fencing around my vegetables, not realizing how much trouble it would be. Gave up on veg in the ground and went to containers. It had not occurred to me how much Blue Pea vine would be like vegetable pea vine, Duh! super rabbit food.
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I love the shape of pawpaw leaves, and the wonderful shadows they cast.
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I’ve never heard of using forks as a deterrent for rabbits. I saw a baby bunny last night heading for the garden, argh. Might have to try that.
I love the leaves of Tree Spinach, so attractive. Hydrogen cyanide sounds kind of risky, I looked it up and if it has to be cooked for 20 min. just how palatable would they be? Blah! I’ll stick with chard, kale and spinach. 😉
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It’s working so far, but a big,fat rabbit. Adding some tiger sticks to the area. Same here with the spinach! A garden plant, not veg.
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Thanks for the plastic fork idea… the hares here have been nibbling my perennial sweet pea! The tree spinach is a really pretty plant. Interesting leaves. And I love your rain lilies. 😃
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Thanks, peas must be a rabbit favorite.
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Hmmm… I do have some plastic forks somewhere! I allow clover to grow in one part of the lawn so the rabbits will stay away from my plants, but I’m not sure it helps.
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I will be trying the fork trick.
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I wondered what you would think being rabbit savvy. The big fat rabbit who probably ate the vine was sitting in the garden this morning..
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