Sustainable Gardening a la Rabbit Hill

The animal characters in the book are many of the same mammals that we have on our, Hummingbird Hill. Some of these animals (rabbits, deer, field mice, raccoons) will munch on an occasional vegetable or tender sprout at our place, but we have found that a little fencing and a balance of natural predators keeps these populations under control. Also planting native food plants in areas away from our yard so that they will not need to come here in search of food has been successful in keeping everything balanced.

Biodiversity among predators is extremely important so we should not pick and choose the one that will be allowed to survive. Each predator eats a different set of prey at a different time of the day. For instance Flycatchers, Swallows and Swifts eat flying insects by day, while Bats devour thousands of mosquitoes and other bugs each night. Hawks and Kites keep the rodent and insect population down during the day and Owls and Night Hawks do the same after dark.

There are many wild creatures that we welcome into our garden because they devour thousands of harmful insects and larvae organically. Pesticides indiscriminately kill good insects along with the bad, while polluting the earth and water. Electric bug zappers are no better. They advertise that they control mosquitoes, but in reality they kill only flying insects (mostly pollinators) that are attracted to the light. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that is exhaled by mammals, so they do not go near a Bug Zapper. Bats, Dragonflies, Swifts and the many other natural predators are much more efficient and less costly mosquito eradicators.

One of the fantastic earthly insectovores from Rabbit Hill that comes to mind is Little Willie the field mouse's friend, Mole. In the story, when Uncle Analdas, the grouchy old rabbit, worried about the cutworms eating the garden, Mole proclaimed, "We'll patrol, me and my brothers, night and day, turn and turn about." That's what moles do when they tunnel through the soil. They are searching for cutworms, grubs and other insect larvae. We don't worry about the mole tunnels in our yard because we know that the Eastern Moles are hard at work protecting our root crops and other plants from attack from below. We do just what the Man told Tim McGrath (when he was irate about the mole ridges in the lawn), we just roll or tamp them down. Years ago we stopped exhibiting the insane fixation on exotic turf lawns, that is so rampant in the U.S. We would rather have flowering and/or fruiting trees, shrubs, vines and perennials instead and Moles and Shrews, along with some other wonderful little creatures enable us to successfully grow these plants without the use of pesticides.

The Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus), which is the most common one in our area, lives a solitary life, except during the spring mating season. In fact, when moles encounter each other during other times of the year, it usually results in the death of one. Earthworms and white grubs are their basic foods, and are supplemented by other insect larvae, pupae and adults occurring in the soil. Spiders and centipedes are also eaten occasionally. Eastern Moles have 2 sets on tunnels. The shallow, temporary feeding tunnels that we see in our lawns and meadows and the deeper (about 18 inches) elaborate, permanent maze. The deep maze provides many functions which are beneficial to both the mole and to the earth. These deep tunnels provide aeration for tree roots and drainage for rain water which is superior to any that humans could build. Generation after generation of moles use the tunnels to build dens for their spring litters, to keep cool in the summer and warm in the winter and to travel between feeding areas. Each mole's territory usually covers about 2 acres. Mole tunnels are also used like underground highways by other small mammals, like the Shrew.

Shrews are the world's smallest mammal and serve as an important link in the food chain. Their diet consists primarily of insects and other invertebrates, but plant materials often are a small part of their diet. Their principal animal foods are earthworms and the larval and adult stages of various insects including beetles, caterpillars, ants and flies. Snails, spiders, grasshoppers and mice are also eaten. Predators of shrews include owls, hawks and snakes.

In our part of the country, there are three types of Shrews; the Southern Short-tailed (Blarina carolinensis), the Least (Cryptotis parva) and the Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris). Shrews capture insects as they crawl along the ground. The Short-tailed Shrew has venomous saliva, a trait that is very unusual among North American mammals. Short-tailed Shrews live but a year, but in that year consume twenty-five pounds of insects and give birth to thrity offspring. Quite a bang for the buck, I would say.

If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men.

St. Francis of Assisi

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Other creatures that are beneficial to the garden, in particular, and the environment, in general, include many animals that are mistreated and misunderstood.

Bats consume thousands of mosquitoes and other flying insects each night. They are our only winged mammal. Bats are also important pollinators of many types of fruits. In fact, the Agave plant, from which Tequila is made, and the Saguaro cactus are both pollinated solely by bats.

Lizards, like the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis), eat a multitude of insects. My Mother used to say that lots of lizards were the sign of a healthy garden. Green Anoles are about 5-8 inches long. They are usually green but can become mottled or solid brown. The males have pinkish red throats that they can fan out to display their prowess. They live in trees, shrubs, vines, and on walls and fences.

Snakes are very efficient predators that keep rodents and insects under control. Most are non-poisonous like the Kingsnake, Garter Snake and the tiny Ring-neck Snake and should be welcomed into the garden with open arms.

Toads and Frogs are the Gardeners friend. These amphibians devour countless numbers of insects each night. Toads have thicker skin so they can survive in drier conditions than frogs. Toads hunt on land at night. During the day, they stay cool by burrowing into the soil or under a rock. You can use broken clay flower pots as "toad houses" by placing them under shrubs in the shade. Toad eggs are laid in a long string, like a necklace, in the water. Frog eggs are also laid in the water, but in a clump.

Spiders are another of the gardener's friend. Most are non-poisonous and some are quite beautiful. They spin their webs to capture flying insects each night. When an insect hits the web, they quickly capture it and secure it with more silk, to be eaten later. The Golden Orb Spider and the Banana Spider are beautiful, non-poisonous members of the arachnid family that spin golden webs.

Let us not forget the millions of tiny microbes and bacteria that break down the soil and aid in fertilization. When you use herbicides and pesticides, many of these tiny organisms are destroyed and before you know it, your soil becomes depleted because they are no longer there to do their jobs. Many native plants and old fashioned flowers will attract predator insects (as well as butterflies, birds and hummingbirds) to the garden so that pesticides are not needed.

Designs by naturegirl7

We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals... In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth.

Henry Beston

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One of the hot topics and new buzz words in gardening is Sustainable Gardening. Basically, sustainable gardening is to garden with sensitivity toward the environment and in harmony with nature. A sustainable garden will thrive naturally for years without excessive watering, cutting, pruning, fertilizing or using petrochemicals for pests. Sustainable gardening practices include composting, mulching, adopting smart watering practices and using natural means of pest control.

Most sustainable gardens are organic gardens, that is, gardens that grow food without the use of petrochemical pesticides, herbicides and non-organic fertilizers. An organic garden relies on the use of beneficial insects, diversity of plants, and the use of compost to supply the soil with nutrients.

The unmulched garden looks to me like some naked thing which for one reason or another would be better off with a few clothes on.

Ruth Stout, The Ruth Stout No-Work Garden Book, 1971

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Children can learn about the cycle of life in the garden. The never ending circle of producer, prey and predator is everywhere you turn. I've recommended some non-fiction books for children that are about some of the beneficial animals you will encounter in your own backyard. But the best way to learn is to observe the drama as it occurs. As Ms. Frizzle says, "Get out there and get dirty."