Last year I grew Bachelor Buttons and scabiosa outside my veggie garden fence and the rabbit didn't bother them, although it ate all my bishop's lace before it ever bloomed. It was right next to some sunflowers and bachlor's buttons. I've never seen the rabbit in the unfenced flower garden which is right off my patio, but that might have as much to do with the dogs as anything else. I have seen it in the fenced garden, though, which is farther back in the yard -- it squeezed under the wire to escape, so I know the fence doesn't keep it out.

When I was a little girl (decades ago) I used to garden with my mother. We had rabbits as pets. As an adult gardener, it dawned on me that the rabbits were never a problem and my mother was never at war or at odds with them. One day while visiting her and walking through her gardens, I noticed a couple of wild rabbits calmly hopping about and chewing on greens. I asked her why it was that some gardeners were constantly battling rabbits and deers while others enjoyed their company and had no bone to pick with them. She said that she once sat and just looked at the rabbits we had as youngsters and realized that their favourite food was Dandelions. Since then all Dandelions growing outside the gardens were left to grow.

Another thing she did when she moved to a property which had wild ones was that she watched where they were coming from and planted some of their favourites in a small garden close to their path.

To her, these simple things were well worth it.

Good luck!

Alyssum, cleome and penstemon have not been bothered by rabbits in my gardens.

Young dahlias and pansies were/are some of the first eaten.

Your mother is a very wise woman, Tiffy.

Tiffy, we have plenty of dandelion, that's for sure, but they get cut every time we mow the lawn. I'll have to watch and see what mine like (besides the flowers and veggies). Great story about your mom.

Ok, I just rejoined this site after several years, and this posting may gross some of you out, but it really does work on keeping rabbits, squirrels, and deer away from your garden. I live in rural Southern TN on 117 acres, so this had really become a problem. Two of my children are boys (now 12 and 14), but they have been "helping" me keep the bunnies at bay for years. Once a week or so, I have them go and urinate around the edges of my garden beds. NOT directly on the plants, but around the perimeters. I have not had a problem with rabbits, squirrels, or deer, ever since! Seems these animals smell what they think of as a large predator, and they stay away. Sorry if you think this is gross, but it REALLY DOES work! The boys loved it when they were little, because I used to fuss at them for peeing outside, and they were thrilled when I asked them to do it! LOL!