squirrels with murderous intent

So I continue my rush to get everything in the ground as the heat of summer shuffles toward us on its heavy, sweaty feet. Always, always I plant with the furries and winged things in mind — and what do they do, the little ne’er-do-wells? They slay the newly planted! Well, okay, not usually. But they did yesterday.

A fledgling datura was coming up as a volunteer in one of my pots so I popped it in the ground…

plant disasters... datura alive

The next morning it was dug up and shrivelly…

plant disasters... datura dead

Sadface.

Not a single castor bean plant reseeded itself this spring — they’ve had a tough time being forced into pots for the last few years. So I finally got my hands on some actual plants the other day just a little over a foot tall…

plant disasters... castor bean alive

One of them has been reduced to a pathetic nub of a stem…

plant disasters... castor bean stem

The top of the plant was snapped off and halfway down the hill. I doubt they chewed the top off as every part of the castor bean is highly toxic. I only know it was the squirrels because my crafty neighbor, Frank, tried to capture it all on video.

Cute little f**kers. They should watch this and be afraid. Very afraid.

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5 Responses to “squirrels with murderous intent”

  1. Brook says:

    .23, .24… whatever it takes.

  2. Frank says:

    .177 Benjamin Sheridan…then a couple of Brook’s tasty ‘squirrel melts’!!!

  3. Mark C. says:

    Have-a-heart trap; garbage can full of water; hard cold black heart of a true gardener.

  4. Brook says:

    ooh, not sure I’d actually have the stomach to do it, Mark. more like the heart of a wuss. btw, my 5-year-old cried today when he saw a squirrel eating the raspberries off his raspberry bush. i had no idea they liked berries! live and learn. guess we’ll be constructing a squirrel shield today.