Alas, it seems that there is always something that will eat whatever you plant. The good news is that with the rains we just had, there should be a flush of succulent shoots popping up soon and at least for a while; they may leave your plants alone. Is there an outlying area you could seed with sacrificial plants? There are a number of people here who not only have to put up with the little critters but javelina and deer too! You could try fencing or trapping and relocating the critters. There have been times when I had to resort to the final solution. It's regrettable but when it comes to gophers and ground squirrels the destruction can get pretty costly. If youÂre living on the fringes, there are snakes to consider. They'll be coming out soon and looking for their food source and packrats and ground squirrels are high on the list. Plants like gopher purge and garlic have worked in the past for me but not 100%.

Wow. The ultimate Arizona gardening question. When I finally moved to a home where I could have gardens, I was so excited to go out each morning and see the new growth and progress... until it turned into going out each morning to see what the critters had eaten since yesterday! The only way I have been able to keep my garden protected is to keep it completely enclosed... My main garden is at the pool, so we had the stucco wall, but critters were entering through the drainage openings in the wall and under the gate! So, we had to block off the drainage holes with large bricks, and pour concrete under the new solid wood gate that reaches all the way to the ground. I still had one bunny get trapped in there last year, she must have run in when I went in the gate and left it open for a few moments. It took me weeks to get her out while she enjoyed her fabulous buffet! Good luck, but it's worth it when the garden is happy and blooming beautifully!

Some plants that have been spared from crittereating at our house are salvias, dusty miller, pyracantha (in the ground and in pots), nandina, oleander, dwarf olive, society garlic, and lavendar. If you're looking for annuals, good luck. I have always grown sweet peas, but this year the sprigs didn't get past 4 inches and they were chomped to the ground. I see you are in Tucson. Rilitto Nursery used to have a list of rabbit resistent plants.

my only solution was to fence everyhing I wanted to survive otherwise the critters ate everything except oleander, bougies, and sage bushes.
jan

I have lots of rabbits and most of the time I have to surround flowers and most bushes with chicken wire. However I do have a couple of plants that are living in the open with no protection and they are lantanas and rosesmary plants.

Thanks to everyone for their helpful suggestions.

I am going to put in some oleander in the hopes that some of these dastardly rats will eat it and die! Seriously, the only thing I have been able to plant and not have eaten has been geraniums. Everything else they (ground squirrels and packrats, not rabbits) devour. I even tried spraying plants with diluted Tabasco sauce. But these are desert rats, and they seem to have a taste for the stuff. Oh, well!

I have 2 dogs they work great to keep out critters. :)

"I have 2 dogs they work great to keep out critters. :)"

An old guy with a .22 will work wonders, too. More upkeep, though.

Patrick Alexander

Thanks, Patrick.

I have, actually, looked into the possibility of using a firearm, assuming I could learn to use one without shooting myself in the foot or some other bodily part.

Turns out, Wild West or not, here in Tucson I would need the "permission" of every neighbor within 250 yards before I could discharge a firearm legally, (unless I were shooting a home-invader, and I don't think packrats count, though maybe they should!)

Given that one of my nearest neighbors is probably certifiable, I don't think I'll go that route, though it is fun to think about!

I haven't found much that is critter proof yet other than Rosemary ,Myoporum, Palms, and the bush type lantana. The rabbits even eat my the bottom leaves of my bogainvillea and my trailing lantana. I recently planted some Red Apple Ice plant and so far they are leaving that alone.