Baby Black Grass

     Better fences make for better neighbors, right?
     I had a problem. my neighbors had been cutting my lawn as if he thought it belonged to them. Typical. So I told the one it wasn't alright to destroy the grass in my yard by over mowing. He claimed he couldn't tell where my yard started. I assumed the other neighbor had the same issue.

     So I cut some of the Napier grass and stuck them into the bare sand, as if daring them to grow. The method is simple, make sure each cutting has three nodes on it. Then bury two of the nodes, keeping the third above the soil. Water occasionally.

The cuttings on the far side of the yard, freshly planted.

      The thing I like the most about Napier grass is that it looks like a beautiful black bamboo. Or maybe I like it because it grows very well here with no care. Or maybe because it makes a great easy to harvest rabbit food.

     I am dying to plant some of this grass out at my forest near the road. There it can aid in the prevention of erosion and create some more natural privacy. Plus it looks cool.

     After winter ended, I trimmed it down to the ground and mulched the trimmings. Then the napier grass grew uniformly, healthily, not unlike its smaller green counterparts. 

Mice, Not Wabbits

     Last fall two of my three rabbits passed on, likely due to old age. I had originally acquired them ten years ago to be a breeding trio, and to be eating the kits they produced. Back then I had someone who would help me with the slaughtering. Time passed, and things changed, and I stopped breeding the rabbits. 

     They became my little garden buddies, and they only required daily water and about three bags of rabbit food a year. I had them under strict orders to mulch or manure all of the (safe) trimmings and weeds that I provided. And they were good at it. I am particularly proud of the water hyacinth - rabbit combo to pull nutrients from the ponds and turn it into nutrients for my favorite cannas and loquats.

      As I look to the future I wonder if it wouldnt be smarter to raise mice instead of rabbits? They are smaller and easier to manage, breed just as readily as rabbits, and can be easily maintained on a garden-provided vegan diet. They should also eat the water hyacinth and produce a nutritious manure. 

     Moreover, the meat could potentially be used to feed my cats. It would be a good complete diet for them. And cheap! One of the girls at work says that she buys mice for her 🐍... Perhaps I could be selling additional mice. They would probably be easier to unload than rabbits! And any escapees would be hunted by the neighborhood cat strays.

     I am liking the idea of this. What do you think?