Q: I purchased some 'Georgia Blue' veronica plants, and some animal (I'm thinking rabbits), ate them to the ground. I've tried to spray to keep them away. That doesn't seem to help a lot. I think I'm going to purchase a water scarecrow. Any thoughts?
A: Darn rabbits. They usually don't mess with veronica, but if they can't find anything better, they are capable of nibbling that perennial to a stub.
If repellents aren't working, motion-activated, water-shooting, animal-scaring gizmos like the ScareCrow (the best known of several types) work reasonably well. You attach them to a hose, and when a hungry animal comes along, the sensor picks up the motion and turns on the hose spray.
The trick is getting them set just right so they go off when an animal comes by and not every time a leaf blows by.
If it's not aimed right, the device won't go off, and the animal eats your plants while the hose-attached scarecrow just sits there smiling.
Another side effect I ran into is forgetting about the device, walking into its field and getting sprayed.
You also have to make sure the batteries are fresh.