Rabbits a Pest in the Garden
Hungry Rabbits seem to eat virtually anything and I am not keen to satisfy their appetite. Not only that but they can cause other damage to plants and young trees. So in general I am disapproving of rabbits.
Symptoms of Rabbit Damage
- Rabbits feed on a wide range of vegetables and ornamental plants grazing them close to the ground. My Muscari bulb shoots provided a tasty spring snack.
- All they leave are short sprouts that may or may not grow back (to provide the rabbits with a second helping)
- Even rose shoots have been gnawed away on my neighbours prize shrubs.
- The bark of young trees is often gnawed to sharpen the teeth of the pesky rabbits.
Control of Rabbits
- Erect a Rabbit proof fence all around the garden of 1″ wire mesh. It needs to be 4 feet high and 12″ buried below ground to stop Colditz style break ins over or under.
- Use an animal repellent like Renadine or Wild Animal repellent
- Get a Jack Russel or other suitable dog.
- Move home
Some Rabbit Resistant Plants
- Alchemilla mollis or Aquilegia
- Bergenia or Foxglove
- Clematis or Euphorbia
- Dahlia and Peaony
- Primula and some Hemerocallis