Gardening

Having bought my home in a new subdivision, I love that I got to start landscaping my yard from scratch. I've had a few false starts, and I've had to make a few changes, but it's been a labour of love. (There's still a long ways go go.)

My biggest disappointment in living in a new subdivision has been the lack of wildlife. I'm sure that's because there are so few trees or bushes. What few trees are around are very small. Most of my neighbours have what I call Bowling Alley lawns... flat, green rectangles of pristine weed-free lawns. If there are any gardens, they are small rectangles of annuals, directly in front of the house, beside the front door.

My front yard is very different from the ones around it. It's got curves, gardens and (small) trees; but it never did get any sod. I chose to spend my money on rose bushes instead of sod that first year. That was probably a mistake, since what grass I do have is pretty sparse; and now it's too late to lay down sod without ripping it all up. I've been seeding the lawn regularly, but it's still got a ways to go. I also refuse to use chemicals. I keep it all mowed to help prevent spread of any weeds, but my lawn is more like a mowed meadow than the lushly sodded lawns around it.

Yesterday, I was mucking about in my gardens and was out there for a couple of hours. It was just about a perfect evening. The weather was gorgeous. The dogs, who had been confined to the front porch were staying (relatively) quiet, and a few neighbours had stopped to say a quick hello as they walked past.

One of my jobs yesterday was to dig out the clover.

For the record, I like clover. It's pretty, it smells nice, and it's a great source of nectar for bees. The only reason why I was digging it out is because I know that my bowling alley-loving neighbours frown on my weeds.

I'd managed to dig up about half the clover when movement caught my eye. It was a wild rabbit behind me. It was on the opposite side of the garden as me, and was happily nibbling on my lawn. The dogs had a clear view of it, but oddly didn't bark.

I sat perfectly still for a while, not wanting to scare it away, but eventually wanted to get back to work. So, I shifted over a little bit, turned around and abandoned the clover to pull weeds from the garden, while still watching the rabbit. My movement didn't seem to bother it. In fact, it moved a little bit closer.

This went on for a while. I kept working, and the rabbit hopped closer and closer, munching on the lawn. Eventually, the ultimate goal became clear; and that was the clover. The rabbit eventually worked up the nerve, and came within a few feet of me to have a taste. It was so close that I could almost reach out and touch it. It stayed there for a while and munched on the clover as I weeded. I was amazed that my moving around didn't scare it away, but it stuck around until I'd almost finished with the weeds in that garden, and then it hopped away.

I decided then not to dig up the rest of the clover after all.