Fortress Julia Child

We planted our Julia Child rose, one of my favorites. Unfortunately, some of the local wildlife has taken a fancy to it, also.
Yesterday morning the area around the rose was dug out, but luckily there was no root damage. I replaced the dirt, tamped it in, and placed bricks around the rose, thinking the weight of the bricks would deter the digger.
Wrong! This morning the same thing. Julia is now surrounded by a chicken wire cage tied to three sturdy stakes and surrounded by a double row of bricks, one on top of another so if the digger returns, he may get bopped by a falling brick.
I've ordered a cannon for the fortress, and am thinking of boiling oil . . . .
By the way, Critter Ridder granules don't work.

 

Pictures or it didn't happen!

 

Eileen, I think it might be a skunk. That is why I haven't sat on the patio with a rifle over my knees. I'm a terrible shot and if I just scared the skunk, well . . . .

 

Ohhhhh..... your very own Midnight Muncher. You might also think of a motion detector light, razor wire and claymore mines. Probably in that order. You could think of a scatter gun....just shoot AWAY from the plant. Pictures? The second Alamo?

Jerry

 

Mines, yes! Why didn't I think of that? Mines are probably cheaper than cannon.
Jerry, we lost at the Alamo, and I don't want to encourage delusions of grandeur in the skunk, whom I shall now call Santa Anal.

 

at your name for your skunk! You could try old fashioned moth balls around Julia. I've also hear that lemon, lime or orange peels are a deterrent if he keeps bothering your rose.

 

2ofus, I'll try moth balls--they worked around some tree seedlings I'd planted in the ground, but I'd forgotten about their efficacy. Thanks for the reminder! If that fails, I'll try citrus peels, and if that fails, we are back to claymore mines.

 

Fortress Julia Child was not breached by the Midnight Marauder last night! Everything was in place--no holes, no digging, and no damage. I don't need to look into how to build a moat, or appropriate containers for boiling oil.

 

A morsle of information from the middle ages about fortresses: Gardeners were tasked with making sure that vines did not climb the castle walls least an attacking army find an easy way to scale the walls of the fortress. If the enemy breached the walls it might mean the gardeners head on the chopping block. Gardening is a bit easier today.

Jerry