As expected, a milder, the not-as-snowy winter like what we’re having this year won’t come without consequence; many plants normally insulated from the cold won’t get the usual winter protection so some plants may not survive from it. However there has been another unexpected consequence of the milder winter; more animal activity.
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FRONT GARDENS AND SHADE GARDEN, there have been holes EVERYWHERE! Digging out my Lilies, Tulips, thick-rooted plants, and even in random areas, ruining my gardens in the most nightmarish way possible. Even my dad said “I’ve never seen anything like it!”. I have been fortunate that the back gardens weren’t also mauled.
As to what animal has been doing this, it’s difficult to tell; it’s definitely not squirrels (too few, and too many predators here), but possums, skunks, and groundhogs are definite suspects (the paw indents by one hole show whatever’s been digging has paws the size of a cat’s, and either of them would either eat bulbs or bugs that like bulbs).
After shaking off the shock I took advantage of the problem, and filled the majority of the holes with cow/horse manure. Many of the gardens they dug in have been rather poor in soil quality anyways! Here’s to hoping that with the freeze and snow back on the ground now that the animals will no longer attack my gardens! In the future I may plant stinky Fritillaries, onions, or poisonous bulbs like daffodils into the problem areas so as to discourage future diggings!
Ahhh I had a marmot living here in the summer. My cat and I spent a few afternoons sitting with it. Then I noticed it ate all the leaves off a tray of lupines. So I cleared away the stacked wood it was living under and it moved on, hopefully back into the wild. We have a couple squirrels and a chipmunk too but there's enough nuts to keep them occupied.
