I will let Brain handle this one. I kill succulents...even if I ignore them...for some reason they don't like me! LOL!

My MIL gave me a Christmas cactus that has been in the family for 40 years...it only took me 3 years to kill it!

I can take a pic of it if that will help. It just looks sad.

Once they start turning bad....they don't recover. At least that's my experience.

It's the same with my expert opinion on evergreens = brown does not turn green. Conifers are not deciduous except for one family, the tamarack. It does lose it's needles each year and regrow new ones every year. Also the dawn redwood...it is a member of the larch family...tamarack.

Succulents are not for me. LOL! I live in the desert! But not the sandy desert, the high desert. I can make sagebrush live, but not cactus!

Lots of light, well drained soil, not too much fertilizer and water more than a cactus but let the soil dry well between waterings.

When/if you repot it, use soil for succulents and keep it in a small pot - they tend not to have more room than their roots really need. Just enough space and weight to hold them up.

They like a bit of neglect as long as they have light.

Are you sure they're rabbits? Them are some tough rabbits, woman!

They must really be having a hard time to resort to eating a lilac and roses. Keep the chicken wire, I'd say. And get a big dog - one who likes the taste of bunny.

I agree Brain. I think she's got something more than Wabbits eating her shrubs. Deer? We have Wabbits but they don't eat Woses...and Wiwacs...You got some serious Wabbit probwems Wiz...Chicken wire isn't going stop those wascally wabbits!

In all seriousness...I think with the bad weather you've had where you live (same problem here, we have had elk in our yard lately!) the deer population has migrated into the city and I bet that's what has been munching on your shrubs. Rabbits tend to stick to small stuff on the ground...a little lighter fare if you catch my drift here.

Check on the websites I posted earlier about Deer and Rabbit resistant plants and there are also some links there about Deer and Rabbit proofing your yard. If you need more help, let me know!

Yes, it's just rabbits, I've seen them in action! They breed under our deck. They've chewed holes in the sides to get access. We can look out in the backyard and see 2-4 rabbits most times of the day. I know there's more too. The neighbors all around us have dogs, but they've fenced them in! We didn't have as much of a problem before they did that. The rabbits also eat under the bird feeder. They like seed too.


No it's only wabbits Cheryl, as I said to Brain, I've seen them eating the aforementioned victims. I've taken some steps, and will do more this year. I'm trimming the lower branches of our evergreens, which have gotten pretty big. Also, I'm thinking of having DH yank out one of them that's gotten gnarly looking over the years. If I eliminate some of their hiding places it might help??

It seems like they find all my favorite plants exceptionally delicious!

I think you need to call your local pest control center and have them physically relocated! Catch and release...some sort of local animal rescue league or something. You have a huge problem. It's going to get worse if they are doing that much damage. I am serious.

You can't cover all your plants in your yard with chicken wire ...

Thanks Cheryl,

I hadn't even considered that. That's a great idea! I love my plants and that would make my gardening much more enjoyable!

After being used to living in the country with a lot of yard for my flowers etc. I am going crazy about not being able to plant anything here at my small apartment in Houston! Is there any kind of hanging flowers and/or container flowers that would do well in this awful heat we have? I have a small area in front that I have put birdfeeders and a birdbath and would like to add some kind of color.

The problem I have been running into is so far is everything that I have liked and wanted to get I've been told wouldn't do well because of the sun/shade situation. We only get about an hour or 2 of direct sun in the front but it is the hot evening sun and very little shade at that time. I would need something that would go well in shade/bright light. (I think?) Something that needs full sun or full shade wouldn't work. What I would really like is something that would attract the hummingbirds and butterflies. Maybe what I want and what would do well are 2 different things...I dunno. lol

I would appreciate any input I could get. If y'all can make sense of this. LOL

Thanks,
Susan