Written by Online therapist Dr. Gloria Vanderhorst, Ph.D.

LEAN INTO NATURE

Rabbits, Gardens, and the Wild Truth Beneath the Cuteness

Nature isn’t always gentle—it’s persistent. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection explores the tension between idyllic wildlife imagery and the gritty reality of gardening, and how leaning into nature means embracing both beauty and chaos.

What could this possibly mean? I am surrounded by nature. Even in the concrete depths of the city, nature abounds: birds in the park, bugs on the screens, rats in the sewers… Oh, and tons and tons of people! Nature is inescapable. The mice that find their way into the kitchen are a part of nature. The squirrels that ravage the potted plants on the porch are a part of nature. And let’s not forget the rabbits invading the garden.

Rabbits get center stage in children’s books. They are cute, sometimes mischievous, and always loved. Remember the mischievous Peter who sneaks into the garden and gets chased all over the place before escaping and returning home to his disappointed mother? And how about the little girl with the bunny that she loses on the way to the laundromat, but she is so young that she cannot make a verbal report. She and her parents must be good sleuths to uncover the mystery and find the bunny. Many children get stuffed bunnies as their first plush toy. Christians have an entire holiday devoted to the Easter Bunny!

Clearly these people have never planted a garden!

Bunnies are the terrorists of the animal kingdom. They come at night! They destroy your plantings while you are sleeping! And they do not actually eat the plant! They saw it off at the base where the stem enters the ground and leave the flower decorating the soil. They even deign to leave “teeth marks on the woodier plants” as an announcement that you are helpless! And they come in crowds. Coming home after dark one night, the headlights shone across the backyard revealing dozens of reflecting beady eyes as the rabbits munched on everything available.

I know that my fellow gardeners will understand that rabbits are just not my favorite animal. Though I will admit that I have purchased them stuffed for numerous little girls! That is their best look! And my front door is graced by a composite stone rabbit. What can I say?

Want to explore how to coexist with rabbits while protecting your garden? Visit Nature’s Mace guide to rabbit-proof gardening, Humane Gardener’s tips for gardening with rabbits, and Farmstand’s permaculture strategies for rabbit management.

If nature’s unpredictability is stirring frustration or reflection, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support emotional resilience and environmental harmony.