Grandmother of Rabbits

I wasn't always a green thumb gardener. I used to kill plants regularly from over watering and too much fussing around. Stubborn I am, and I forced myself to learn and do better. Now, gardening is my very second favorite thing next to art.

I experiment with gardening, like I experiment with art techniques. Last year I tested out a garden pilot project. It failed spectacularly, and the end result left a bale of hay in my garden over the winter.

This spring I was surprised to discover a rabbit hole right in the hay bale.

I was even more surprised to discover a family of baby bunnies that took over my yard for the next few weeks.

Curious little bunnies who would hop up the step to look inside my house.

They knew my old dog wasn't a threat, and that he is half blind. They would get bold and stick around the yard while he went doing his business. They felt very safe in the yard.

The babies would grow and start leaving the yard. All, except for one. She claimed the yard as her own. She would lay out in the sun in broad daylight, ignoring my dog's barking. I would be nervous for her because of roaming stray cats and hawks flying above. But she has always been bold since a baby and does her own thing. I would leave a bowl of water out for her, I'd drop apple slices and carrots. Feeling responsible for her like she was a wild pet of sorts. I never named her because time is fleeting and I didn't know how long she'd be around.

I had the greenest yard of all the neighbors because my rabbit ate the dandelions and clovers up. Have you ever watched how a rabbit eats a dandelion? They bite it from the base of the stem and eat it stem to flower, engulfing the flower in one big gulp. So fascinating.

She looks so young still, I didn't realise she's a teenager here. She disappeared for a few weeks and I was certain something killed her.

Till one morning she was in my yard again.

But with a baby of her own.

Learned a lot about rabbit biology that day. I was SHOCKED at how quick they can reproduce.

I'm a grandmother of a rabbit now?

It would appear my rabbit planted her baby in my yard to claim as it's new territory. I hardly see “mom” anymore, she doesn't lay around my yard like she used to. She can be seen munching on clovers at the edge of the property line once a week in wee hours. But her offspring hangs out. This one doesn't feel as comfortable to lay around exposed and in the sun like her mom did- but she hangs out nonetheless.

This was taken two days ago.

I might turn this into a kids story. The rabbit adventures continue! I wonder if the one in my yard is male or female, if there will be more youngin's…the upcoming winter will tell. I will leave the snacks out for rabbits just in case. (Sheltered from flying predators at least).

By the bowl of water I leave out for wildlife (her).