Thanks for the tip about covering them - I hadn't thought of netting ( I know - I don't feel clever admitting that).
I've tried several times the garlic/washup liquid/water mix and still the leaves are all eaten away - I guess the rain washes the mixture off before it dries in and that makes it totally ineffective.
I'll try covering them in a last-ditch attempt to get some to grow on - cheers, Demeter, I hope you enjoyed yours, never mind what stowaways managed to get in along with them.