Lay My Hat

Rabbits have been rampaging around all last year and destroying my flowers. They don't seem to like daffodils and other bulbous plants, but does anyone have an idea of what I could put into my planters for a summer display without having to drape them all in ugly netting?
Surely someone in the hatter community has the answer?

I have the same problem. They seem to less favour Begonias, Fushias and Geraniums in my garden but I find they will nibble anything when it is just poking through as young tender delicious shoots. I'm normally safe to remove netting once the plants are more established in the summer. I've just put in some small roses in the hope they won't like the prickles.

They must be a different breed then! It's the cute little babies that do the most damage with us-they nibbled small roses despite the prickles! They even nibbled the flowers off one of my geraniums-that is the wild geranium, not pelargonium.
Our neighbour came round on several occasions with his airgun, sat at the bathroom window taking pot shots as they frolicked on the terrace. He even managed to dispatch a few of them, so the next batch which appeared a couple of weeks later had been warned by Mummy and Daddy and didn't set paw on that terrace at all!
They didn't seem to like lilies, but they only flower in June/July and I want a display for the whole summer.

Jemima Copping wrote:Rabbits have been rampaging around all last year and destroying my flowers. They don't seem to like daffodils and other bulbous plants, but does anyone have an idea of what I could put into my planters for a summer display without having to drape them all in ugly netting?
Surely someone in the hatter community has the answer?

Semtex.

We used to have problems with rabbits - OH dealt with it via lead pellets until the dear little critters worked out they were safe about 30m away! They scoffed all my parsley and strawberries until we fought back Well established plants seemed to survive - heather, flax, agapanthus, lavender, rosemary, holly, roses. Happily, we don't have rabbits to contend with now we've moved to Cyprus - unfortunately, the hunters have got 'em all!

However, after a quick Google for rabbit proof plants, I've come up with this:

"No plant is said to be really rabbit proof. Young rabbits investigate by nibbling most plants. They soon learn which plants are tasty and which ones to leave alone. In general rabbits dislike very aromatic plants, plants that ooze caustic milky sap, prickly plants, plants with spines, or plants with tough leathery leaves."

You will probably find that permanent planting, rather than showy annuals, will survive better.

Acanthus, agapanthus, columbine (Granny's Bonnet), bergenia (elephant ears), crocosmia, digitalis (foxglove), sunflower, red hot poker, hydrangea, lavender, honesty, lemon balm, osteospermum, poppy, Jerusalem sage, New Zealand flax, sedum, comfrey, verbascum, borage, Sweet William .... the list goes on

Good luck!

PW in Polemi wrote: Happily, we don't have rabbits to contend with now we've moved to Cyprus.
Good luck!

A bit drastic moving to Cyprus over a few bunnies

GB says semtex - try instead a nice bowl of anti-freeze hidden in beds, much cheaper, although, just as illegal!

Love your reply Greenbarn! and thanks for the suggestions PW, will give them a try.
A very sweet friend of mine who happens to be a lady vicar suggested pouring concrete down any holes and then trapping 'em,
Hubby has already poured cement down one of the holes-unfortunately he is rather sentimental about rabbits, and is resisting my gentle encouragement to do the same with the other hole that we know is there.

Just read your suggestion Essar-might even do it! We live in the Wild West here anyway so no-one would object. Each man a law unto himself!

Jemima Copping wrote:Just read your suggestion Essar-might even do it! We live in the Wild West here anyway so no-one would object. Each man a law unto himself!

Well if you do make sure you warn the local cats, dogs, hedgehogs, deer, badgers.......

Jemima Copping wrote:A very sweet friend of mine who happens to be a lady vicar suggested pouring concrete down any holes and then trapping 'em,

What does she think she's achieving? Concrete paws for the rabbits? So they're cemented in place till they starve? Or does she think pouring concrete in blocks the holes? In which case her logic paths need a reboot. Rabbits dig out as well as in.

Essar wrote:...try instead a nice bowl of anti-freeze hidden in beds, much cheaper, although, just as illegal!

And in addition to poisoning the rabbits should give a vile death to passing cats, hedgehogs and anything else that drinks it.

Jemima Copping wrote:A very sweet friend of mine who happens to be a lady vicar suggested pouring concrete down any holes and then trapping 'em,
Hubby has already poured cement down one of the holes-unfortunately he is rather sentimental about rabbits, and is resisting my gentle encouragement to do the same with the other hole that we know is there.

Trust me, blocking their holes will not work; they'll just dig their way out! Only if you continue to fill them in on a daily basis will they finally get fed up and move their burrows elsewhere. We waged war in a 7 acre field that was riddled with burrows for months. We literally had to dig out the burrows with a digger in the end. Some of their burrows go on for ever underground with numerous entrances.

For my bedding plants there is a product that I use to spray onto the plants which is harmless to the plants but makes them taste horrid to rabbits. Can't remember the name of it - possibly Grazeaway. It does work but you have to spray about once a fortnight in the rapid growing season or if it rains heavily.

Jemima Copping wrote: They don't seem to like daffodils and other bulbous plants, but does anyone have an idea of what I could put into my planters for a summer display without having to drape them all in ugly netting?
Surely someone in the hatter community has the answer?

You need some whippets Jemima!

KathyG wrote: You need some whippets Jemima!

Agreed, get yourself in touch with the local Ferreters

KathyG wrote: You need some whippets Jemima!

Isn't that a line from a Noel Coward play?

We got the local ferreters in with the promise of numerous rabbits. The ferrets had trackers on them but the burrows went so deep that they lost the signal and the ferrets! After a very lengthy and anxious wait the ferrets finally re-amurged, a significant distance from where they went in. Result, no rabbits flushed out and disappointed ferreters. They never came back.