Sort of related, but not - my mother said that the one thing you should use to fend off the wraith rabbits is human hair. A friend of hers would get hair clippings from salons and spread it on the soil around her garden. The rabbits stayed away. You just have to lay fresh hair down every few weeks or so.

Had you heard about that?

No, that's a new one. Not quite a racy as Cake-Eating Kathy's wee-wee option, and not quite as appealing as putting a pellet between their adorable little ears, but I'll definitely keep it in mind. As it happens, I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow, so perhaps I'll make inquiries.

Jen - I have heard of that, but only through the movie The Rookie. They sprinkle human hair, gathered from local barber shops, on the baseball field to keep the deer away.

Beautiful. No wonder your sinuses have been wreaking havoc w/you. What with everything blooming at once...

Anyway, here's a less messy solution which is environmentally safe... Sprinkle ginger powder around the perimeter. Animals of all sizes (including cats/dogs) hate this spicy scent, and best of all, it doesn't harm them.

Another interesting option! Thanks!

Good work! (Yes, columbines rock.) Another bonus feature is that columbines mix and match (so to speak) rather enthusiastically, so you'll have even more "surprise packages" where those came from.

I planted some & they're beautiful, but avoid the clever hybrids with double blooms, the flowers are TINY

I'm also Sam Gamgee for my sister, which is great because I can experiment. I planted a verbascum pyramidatum that's shooting up, little does sis know it can get 7 feet tall. Also a gorgeous plant called geranium madarense, that's now heading towards 5 feet.

Nah, as a general rule I don't like doubles. Classic lines for me.

I've got a Buddleia butterfly bush that I whacked back to its foundations but which is easily going to make seven feet this year - I grow more afraid of it all the time.

Random unsolicited garden advice (you probably know all this, but...) from an avid gardener who is painfully transforming a neglected yard:

The Southern Living Garden Book is very good (yes DC is considered southern for this purpose).

Blood meal will keep the herbivores away from your plants and "green them up" too. The drawback is that it will attract dogs that are allowed to roam free.

Hydrangeas are becoming very popular (again) and there are an increasing number of 'designer' varieties such as Lady in Red.

Good luck with your garden.