Dogs and gorgeous gardens can co-exist but it isn't always easy- you have to stay two steps ahead of them and think everything through from their viewpoint and their eye level. I have literally over 250 of these little cages around plants. My dogs are 180-200 lbs. and the puppies are very clumsy and the cages do work. It's just enough of a deterrent to cause them to go around instead of through LOL. I buy the fencing in bulk and cut to fit. When the plant reaches a size where it can hold its own I cut the cages off and discard them. I also think it is important to keep some paths clear. My beds have room between the fence and the plant farthest back for the dogs to run- I can't stress this one enough. They're gonna do it regardless so I just incorporated that thought into the bed designs. And everything is dog proofed- even those reindeer there are impaled on steel fence posts driven deep. Here is a link that might be useful: more yard photos

ARE NEONICOTINOIDS KILLING BEES? A Review of Research into the Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Are Neonicotinoids Killing Bees? Neonicotinoid pesticides were first registered for use in the mid 1990s. Since then, these chemicals have become widely adopted for use on farm crops, ornamental land scape plants, and trees. Of the six neonicotinoids com- monly used on plants, the most widely used is imida- cloprid. Neonicotinoids are systemic chemicals; they are absorbed by the plant and are transferred through the vascular system, making the plant itself toxic to insects. Legislators, regulators, and municipal leaders across the country should consider banning the use of neonicotinoid insecticides for cosmetic purposes on ornamental and landscape plants (as the ban now in force in Ontario, Canada). Approved application rates for ornamental and landscape plants, as well as turf, are often much higher than for farm crops. All neonicotinoid products used by commercial and agricultural applicators should include a clearly stated and consistent (standardized) warning on the label about the hazard to bees and other pollina tors, including the unique exposure issues posed by contaminated pollen and nectar. This is particularly important for products marketed for garden and ornamental use. This is information that SHOULD be labelled, but I do not think it has yet. I have a concern about where my garden plants are grown and what chemicals are used. We are killing our bees.

to make it simple.. like i did for esther ... turgidity .. if it is actually a word ... lol.. is the water pressure in the petiole.. the celery stalk ... when you disturb the roots... they temporarily lose the ability to keep the pressure up ... to hold up the leaves ... when this occurs.. the plant flops... once a plant flops.. the leaves are down for the rest of the year... big leaves that is.. they just weigh too much to stand back up ... so when you go to plant/transplant ... tape the leaves so they remain upright... after planting.. when the roots get pumping again ... they raise the water pressure.. making them turgid ...... and the tape can be removed ... and they will be standing there as if nothing happened ... i leave it for a week or two.. or until winter.. lol .. i don't know the shortest time to leave it on ... i use this on all kinds of plants that have a tendency to flop ... ron williams told me about the system when i was potting the hosta to move here ... there are 2 ron's in hosta.. i cant remember if this is chicago ron [pretty sure it is though] .. or the up north ron .... he and his wife used to stalk us with our babes, fawning all over them .. because they were dreaming of grandkids ... lol ... now they have g-kids.. and we never see them at MI meetings.. probably fawning at home over their own ... lol .... does that clear it all up?? ken

Sharon, your first pic is not Purslane,(Portulaca), it's chickweed,(Stellaria). It would probably be good for rabbits, because it's edible and nutritious for humans. The second plant is not Echinacea, It's goldenrod, (Solidago). They are native plants, but some, like the one you have, are weedy and invasive. The seeds blow in on the wind, and they can take over a garden in no time because of their fast spreading root system. When removing them you have to comepletely remove all the roots, or it will just come back. I don't know if goldenrod is good for rabbits or not, but the wild rabbits in my yard never eat it. I can remove all the goldenrod each year, but the next spring there is always more. Your third plant looks like a weedy Veronica. Most species of Veronica are edible and healthful so you can try those for the rabbits. Some Veronicas taste like watercress. I live in Joliet, 40 miles south of Chicago.Sharon, it's kind of puzzleing what the wild rabbits in my yard are eating. They sometimes munch on the legumes, but I haven't seen any damage this year. I went to pull up a horseradish stalk I was trying to get rid of, and there was a bunny nest under it's large basal leaves, so I left it undisturbed. I heard you can grow new carrots from the tops that still have leaves, so I tried it, and the next morning I discovered the rabbits had eaten every last one of them. I guess they really love carrot leaves, though I'm also guessing that eating too many carrot roots is not good for them. Purslane is a weed that might make it to your yard on its own. Echinacea you would have to aquire. If you did have Echinacea last year, it may yet be still alive and choking inside the huge clump of Solidagos. Echinaceas don't do well if they are crowded by nearby taller plants.