The Snows of March
Our recent March snowfall is trying to tell us something. What it is trying to tell us is this: there are too many damn rabbits in the garden.
This week we’ve had a couple of snowfalls, each of an inch or two. It’s been just cold enough for the snow to keep from melting. A bit more wet snow is predicted tonight, but tomorrow should stay above freezing.
Looking at the rabbit tracks in the snow, you get the feeling that there are whole tribes of rabbits crisscrossing the garden, looking for goodies. Everything they can get to is chewed to the ground. Fortunately, this winter I protected most of the plants they like to eat with chicken wire.
The March snow itself is not welcome. It covers the Snowdrops, which we were just beginning to enjoy. This is annoying, but does not provoke outrage or despair.
If the Crocuses or Narcissi get snowed over, though – well, that’s another story. And it certainly can happen. April blizzards in Chicago are rare but not unknown.
How do you feel about March snow, with or without rabbit tracks?
gardeninacity 
Snow? What’s that?
Ignorance is bliss.
Schools were closed today for a millimeter of snow, give or take the actual millimeter. But last year the powers that be ignored a snow warning and all hell broke loose when everyone hit the road. There were over 27 bus accidents in my county alone. I don’t mind March snow because it usually melts so quickly and isn’t accompanied by brutally cold weather.
Chicago schools are famous (or infamous) for never declaring a snow day except in the most extreme circumstances.
In Ontario, we expect March snow. It’s the April ones that are totally unpredictable! I hear you about the rabbits. One year they ate most of our vines right down to ground level, but they did come back in late spring.
A lot of plants will come back (roses, for example), but they are sometimes weakened. The worst is when the girdle the bark on young trees and shrubs.
We’ve had snow for two nights, but each day that warmer March sun is melting it away –thank goodness! I hate rabbits. I don’t care how cute they are –I’d like to kill them all! I spend all spring spraying Liquid Fence in order to save my flowers. I wish they had more predators here!
I also would like more predators. There are supposed to be coyotes around but I think they are falling down on the job.mI’ve never tried Liquid Fence.
I personally don’t like this shift of seasons. But then again, back home in mountainous Austria, winter officially lasted to Mai, with even some snow in May to be expected, although much warmer spells were possible earlier in the year. But as a rule, the potato field was dug up on May first (which is a bank holiday) and the potatos were planted on May 8th (another bank holiday). Not any earlier.
Our frost free date is usually around May 15 – that’s when it’s safe to plant the tomatoes. However, most people think of spring as starting on April 1, with March as the transition.
…and I thought all the rabbits had moved to Australia for the summer…they are a major pest here…
We have had an overabundance for a few years now.
No snow here for three years now… I love the look of it and how it muffles sound and makes the fields into a playground but I’d hate it in the garden. Your opener made me laugh. Rabbits! We have foxes, squirrels and at least one greedy badger…
I’d like to see some foxes around, they could cut down on the number of rabbits.
Our dog would like to help with that!
The year after we moved to Italy, there was snow in March, a very rare but possible occurrence, I like looking a snow in the mountains but I don’t really want to live where it snows!
I like a reasonable amount of snow for a reasonable amount of time. So often around here the weather is pretty unreasonable.
Ah! Weather – the gardener’s friend and foe.
We have had years where the snow has continued all through March into April, but thankfully not this year where we have hardly had any! I am tired of it by the time February comes round. Hope your crocuses are not squashed, The snowdrops often recover pretty well.
The snow is pretty much all melted by now, maybe next weekend I will rake the leaves off the crocuses.
Oh no for the rabbits Jason, I hope the mesh did its job. We had a tiny amount of snow this morning and its not welcome in March. Crocus once in flower are so delicate, I hope once they flower for you that its sunny and dry.
The chicken wire definitely worked, though I neglected to put it around an Aronia that did suffer non-catastrophic rabbit attack.
That’s really a nice view you have of your garden overlooking the arbor.
Thanks – it’s from our bedroom window.
Rabbits! Rabbits! We don’t need no rabbits!
I like March snows because they are a fact of life here. It would be weird if we didn’t get a snow. It doesn’t usually stick around and it doesn’t destroy anything. Rabbits on the other hand are a nuisance. They are cute but destroyers of any plant they take a notion to browse.
I refuse to concede that they are cute. They are infernal rodents.
Hi Jason
Oh dear that is a lot of rabbits. Are the narcissus and crocus past the point where they would push through the snow? I was going to say at least the snow is protecting the young shoots from the rabbits!
No, the Naricissus and Crocus have just pushed their green tips past the soil, so they are safe for now.
The one time we had snow in March it came as quite a surprise. Everything here is feeling quite springy.
Well, in that case – enjoy!
My dog chased a rabbit out of the garden last week; it was the first rabbit I’d noticed this year. Love the look of snow when it is still white!
One of the useful things about dogs.
Our March snows tend to melt early but they can be serious.
I’ll bet. Your winters are probably longer than ours.
I’d rather not have snow in March, or February for that matter. I could live with just a dusting at Christmas, in fact.
You’re lucky to have any plants left with that many rabbits.
Yeah, I think some rabbit stew would be just the thing about now.
At least rabbits are cute. Voles are a different story.
Cute is in the eye of the beholder.
Same weather here, but up to 60° by next Friday. Hope for your rabbits to feast yet. 😀
Oh, thanks.
We had a dusting of snow last night. We don’t see rabbit tracks, but I think we have Bambi and her entire family tromping through our property. 🙂
I’ll admit that Bambi can do a lot more damage than Thumper. No deer here, I’m happy to say, but plenty further out from the city.
Your snow looks beautiful but I do not enjoy it ever. We had a dusting yesterday but thankfully it did not last. Rabbits are vermin as far as I can tell. I hate them in the garden as the damage is often irrecoverable thanks to their habit of digging out and eating the roots. I hope the wire works.
It does work pretty well. I agree about the vermin. The worst is when they girdle young trees and shrubs.
Hello Jason, I think the local foxes around here keep rabbits in check as I’ve not seen any. I’m hoping that the tracks in the snow are from just a few rabbits running around otherwise that’s an invasion!
I’m afraid it is an invasion.
Looks like you could use a fox in the garden.
Wow. I just love these moody beautiful photos. My husband was thinking aloud about visiting Wisconsin sometime in March and I had to remind him about mud and slush. But you make it all look so beautiful.
Wisconsin in March? Have you considered Siberia in February?
Indeed, indeed. Way too many rabbits in this world. 😉 I didn’t protect my Hydrangeas and the rabbits helped me prune them. Our snow is nearly melted now. Is yours?
Yes, they will eat the Hydrangeas. Though mine are ‘Annabelles’ that can be cut back hard and will still bloom the same season.
With spring coming ready or not, I think our chance for snow is gone this year. We do have rabbits, though not as many as in some years past. I once had a rabbit who loved to eat the weeds in my front lawn. I would like to see him again, but not the one who ate an entire flat of recently planted pansies! (Surely it was not the same rabbit!)
Our rabbits like to eat the clover in the lawn. I like clover in the lawn, but I don’t grudge the rabbits their nibbles. Better that than my shrubs, trees, and perennials.
In Maine, March is the dreaded month—not quite winter, not quite spring, mostly miserable. The only thing that gets us through this month is maple syrup. What a heartening sight to see the tree being tapped. Good luck with those rabbits!
I think March is like the November of the new year, only without Thanksgiving.
I’m glad you protected most of your plants. Gosh! You certainly DO have a fair few rabbits! I’m surprised that we never get them here. I haven’t seen a flake of snow this year, despite it being freezing. I do enjoy a fall of snow although it’s a pain when it lingers. It’s so transforming.xxx
I’ve had enough of it for this year.
I usually enjoy March snows, because I love the way their crisp white contrasts with the deep blue of March skies. This year, though, we’ve been having remarkably warm weather which has made it feel like spring. (I had windows open in the house today!) Any snow after this will probably make me grumpy — unless it’s one of those light overnight dustings that melt by mid-day.
I’m definitely not going to welcome any more snow.
By March I am tired of snow….and that is too many rabbits…ouch! We only had a few dustings here in early March while I was away…I didn’t miss it!
I have no doubt.