I'm heartbroken, there's a small rose that's been the victim of something awful twice in a row! I found this little rose bush that began growing in the fall so I protected it until spring when something (?!) made off with it. I was overjoyed to see it bounce back and it's been doing lovely for the last two months until today when something gnawed both stems clear cut at the base and left the remains just sitting there. What would do this and why? And if my mystery rose rebounds how can I protect it?

If you can post a photo of the damage there may be someone who can tell you what type of critter you have. Has any other plant been eaten? What animals do you have in your neighbourhood?

I have some very evil squirrels in my neighborhood, it could be them. We also have chipmunks, rabbits and occasionally raccoons. The damage probably wouldn't show well, the plant was only 12" tall and only two skinny little sticks are left at soil level. It looks like it could've been gnawed. I've tried to root the two detached stems, fingers crossed it works!

Probably rabbits. They gnaw off the canes and just leave them. You can make small gauge chicken wire tubes about two feet tall to help prevent them from getting at the canes.

Thank you, that's what we were thinking. We had to do the same to our tulips, even when in bloom the squirrels would reach over the fence and grab the tulips to bite off the top, terribly wasteful creatures they don't even eat what's there just destroy it. We're going to have to come up with some prettier solutions because I foresee the local wildlife as always being a problem.

I have seen rabbits completely devour a mature 3-ft.-tall rose right down to the ground. And in just a couple of days.