About 20+ years ago one of my neighbours had planted several small rhodos outside his fence next to the road. On my way home from work, I noticed one of the small plants lying on the side of the road, where deer had pulled it out of the ground. The deer problem was bad around here. If you wanted to grow anything, you had to have a fence around it.
Since the frontage was out of the neighbours’ line of vision, and they might not know their pIant was uprooted, I stopped, picked up the rhodo, and brought it to their door.
“The deer must have pulled out your rhodo. Thought you might want to replant it.”
“Oh, thanks. Yeah, those darned deer. Just set it over there,” the neighbour said, and pointed to a shady spot near the door.
A few days later, another of the rhodos was pulled out and the scenario was repeated (I stopped, delivered the poor plant so it could be saved).
This time I was met with a sigh as they took the plant from my hand.
The third time I passed by and saw a rhodo uprooted, I stopped and knocked on the door. The neighbour’s adult son answered.
“Sorry, but the deer keep pulling out your rhodos. They don’t seem to like eating them but they don’t know that until after they pull on the leaves and uproot the plant.” I handed over the foot-high shrub.
The son took the plant from me. “Thanks,” he muttered, and flung it into the shrubbery a few feet from the house.
I noticed that the two or three rhodos left on the neighbours’ frontage were drying up and dying. I had tried three times to save the ones that had been uprooted, but when I saw that they didn’t really care about them, I changed my attitude.
“Okay,” I thought. “Three strikes, and you’re out.”
The fourth time I drove by and saw rhodos in trouble, there were two of them lying on the ground, several feet from where they had been planted, looking limp and near death’s door.
I took them home, stuck them in the ground, and gave them a drink of water.
Today, the neighbour has no rhodos on his frontage, but in the photo below, you can see the two I rescued. They have been happy for over 20 years.
May 20, 2018 at 10:29 am
Great positive action!
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May 20, 2018 at 11:25 am
Thank you. I felt a bit guilty at first, but I couldn’t just let them die.
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May 20, 2018 at 10:41 am
I’m glad you cared enough to try to save the plants, also wonder if maybe the son was supposed to care for them. But you found the best spot for the plants, beautiful!
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May 20, 2018 at 11:27 am
The rhodo seems to be happy. It thanks me every spring.
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May 20, 2018 at 11:07 am
I’m happy you saved the rhodos, Anneli. We have one exactly the same color and size. It’s magnificent when it’s in bloom.
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May 20, 2018 at 11:23 am
I had no idea it would get so big. I’m glad I saved it, as it would not have survived in the place where it was, even if the deer had not pulled it out. Too hot and dry there. Nice that we are rhodo twins.
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May 20, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Yes we do!
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May 20, 2018 at 11:15 am
Beautiful! What lovely chances (or deer pullings) come into our lives sometimes. 🙂
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May 20, 2018 at 11:22 am
It was lucky for the plants, and lucky for me.
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May 20, 2018 at 11:24 am
I think the rhodos planned it all that way. 🙂 They saw how happy all the other plants were in your garden and wanted to move in. Very clever tactic indeed. Ha ha ha. Beautiful plant!
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May 20, 2018 at 11:25 am
Interesting point of view. You may be right. 😉
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May 20, 2018 at 11:28 am
TLC…wins every time. Green thumb helps immensely. Lovely photo Anneli 🙂
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May 20, 2018 at 11:31 am
I feel good every year when it blooms as if it’s saying thank you.
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May 20, 2018 at 12:07 pm
The same rhodo is in my garden and has as many blooms as yours on it. But the blooms won´t develop any farther. I think it was too hot for a while and too dry. I gave it about 30 litres of water during this week despite of our watershortage. Makes me so sad. Nice to see yours in all its beauty. At least I could look at a wonderful blooming rhodo and especially if its in your garden. Well done with saving the uprooted little poor- and neglected plants!
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May 20, 2018 at 3:20 pm
This picture is actually of two rhodos (both from the same rescue) planted side by side, but they got so big they look like one. I had no idea they would get so big but they get a good watering every fourth day from our drinking water tank cleanout, and they love it.
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May 20, 2018 at 12:20 pm
It goes to show: Be kind and you will be rewarded 😃
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May 20, 2018 at 3:17 pm
Thanks, Hans. It felt right.
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May 20, 2018 at 12:57 pm
what a happy rescue
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May 20, 2018 at 3:17 pm
It was, and they’ve thanked me so many times.
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May 20, 2018 at 2:03 pm
The rewards of rescuing.
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May 20, 2018 at 3:14 pm
The SPCP (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Plants).
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May 20, 2018 at 2:24 pm
I love this story. It reads like a fairy tale, and yet it’s true. Wonderful happy ending, too. My favorite.
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May 20, 2018 at 3:13 pm
Yes, the rhodos have had a happy ending for sure.
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May 20, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Anneli to the rescue!
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May 20, 2018 at 10:26 pm
Yeah, Superwoman, haha.
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May 20, 2018 at 5:31 pm
Good for you. They’re lovely!
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May 20, 2018 at 10:25 pm
Thanks, Belinda.
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May 21, 2018 at 6:18 am
Shame the others didn’t make it to your place too !
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May 21, 2018 at 7:26 am
Yes, in hindsight, knowing that none of them made it, I would have been happy to give them a home next to my own rhodos, but they weren’t mine to take until they were discards.
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May 21, 2018 at 5:55 pm
Such SHAME 😦
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May 21, 2018 at 7:01 pm
Yeah, too bad.
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May 21, 2018 at 8:30 am
Anneli to the rhodo rescue. 🙂 No deer by you, or do you have a fence where they can’t get at them? Beautiful bush.
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May 21, 2018 at 8:36 am
At first I put a small fence around my orchard and garden area but soon I had to get a fence around the whole property because our area has become the neighbourhood dog walk and very few people are responsible enough to put their dogs on a leash. Their dogs were tearing through my herb garden and getting into confrontations with my own dogs who don’t leave the property. But with so many other dogs around now (running loose), we’ve had to fence our one-acre lot and things are much better, keeping deer and other dogs out.
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May 21, 2018 at 10:27 am
Oh geez. Loose dogs here are a no-no. Not that I haven’t seen them, but it’s rare. They’d likely be snatched up by animal services if it happened often. Thanks for answering, Anneli.
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May 21, 2018 at 11:36 am
Our area is getting very “built up” but we are (so far) still out of the city limits and so the dog bylaws are relaxed. They say your dog should be under control at all times. And they always are, until they aren’t and then it’s too late. I find it really annoying to see such irresponsible people who think they have perfect control of their dog and then when it tears through someone’s yard they look at you like you’re not a nice neighbour if you suggest that they should have the dog on a leash. Within the city limits it’s a different story. People tend to obey the leash law more often.
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May 22, 2018 at 10:25 am
What a great story! I’m glad you were blessed with healthy rhodos, Anneli. 🙂 I can tell they are happier with you. I laughed when you said the teenager flung them into the shrubbery. What weird people, though! 😉
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May 22, 2018 at 10:52 am
He was older than a teenager, but obviously didn’t care about gardening. But yes, the plants are happier here with me.
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May 22, 2018 at 10:53 am
Oh well, I guess I don’t get why anyone would plant stuff over and over and not care about the plants! Weird~
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May 23, 2018 at 4:10 am
So glad you tried and then got to have the fruits of your labor. Lovely!
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May 23, 2018 at 7:12 am
Yes, thanks. That worked out well for the plants and me.
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May 24, 2018 at 3:28 am
🙂
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