Whatever you do, don't feed them. You know how fast they grow. I have been blessed with a decent size patch of clover away from the house, so they have left my flowers alone.

I would be afraid that if you fed them, they might even bring a couple friends.

To keep the dogs out of the flowers I got this metal 18 or 24 inch fence with a green coating on it. I know it isn't the prettiest, but it is better then letting the dogs in the flowers

In the permaculture world, you often plant enough for all the critters, two and four legged. Maybe plant some tender lettuces?

Someone told me nothing works to repel rabbits? Now that my schnauzer is blind, the rabbits are trimming lots of my plants too.

Compared to rabbits, deer are no problem, I'm told.

I, too, have several rabbits eating my plants. Also, way too many tree rats to count who dig holes & about dig up plants in my gardens.

If I wasn't in the middle of the city, I'd be eating rabbits & squirrels for dinner!!! Rabbit just happens to be my favorite game.

I'm wondering if some fox urine would deter these pests. Problem is, it's expensive & would need to be re-sprayed after a rain. I guess we could also build some rabbit boxes but that wouldn't stop the squirrels either.

Nancy

here's the cutie that ate my roses last summer. nothing else - just roses.
{{gwi:557441}}

Why do these munching critters, deer and rabbits, have to be so danged cute!

rabbits completely ignore lettuce in my yard.
They will eat peas to the ground if given the opportunity.
They trim the first sets of buds off all of the Johnnie Jump-ups, pansies, beans, etc.
I cannot grow shasta daisy, they eat that plant to the ground.

I have to use rabbit fencing around the peas to protect them. The pansies, etc, I just face the fact that the rabbits will prune them severely in the spring, and wait for them to ignore the next set of blooms (they inevitably do as the clover comes out.)

You could try Liquid Fence. I've heard really good things about it from others (they have a formula for deer and rabbits). I just bought some today because I have noticed quite a few deer in my front yard recently and I was planning on putting in about 50 new hostas in a nice, big bed in the front yard in April!

It's kind of expensive (I bought 1 quart of the concentrate for $40 today, and it makes 4 gallons). However, it's safe for the environment, which is really important to me. Since I haven't applied it yet, I can't speak from my own experience, but I'm expecting it to have a really putrid smell of rotten eggs and garlic when I spray it. Supposed to tone down quite a bit when dry. I think the eggs (being an animal product) are what keep the deer away. The packaging does say it works for deer and rabbits. I found it locally at Fairview Garden Center, but it's also available at several sources online.

Good luck!
~Angie

Here is a link that might be useful: Liquid Fence

I have been lucky with the rabbits so far. I've got them, but they mostly eat grass.

My biggest problem with the rabbits is softwood over the late fall and winter. All those rooted cuttings from the Fall swap have been nibbled. A Sweet shrub cutting I planted a year and a half ago has been cut to the ground again this year. I think I'm gonna have to hide it in the foundation plantings until it gets some size(I *really*need a cold frame!). They also ate my fall planted daylily foliage to the ground but it's coming back. I hope to have a repaeat of last year- no more nibbling from spring thru late fall.

Milorganite. It's high-N fertilizer too that can't burn plants. The deer and rabbits don't like the slightly industrial/chemical smell. I have to re-apply once every 5-8 weeks, but it's cheap at the big-box stores. And yes, I know what it's made of, but the deer, rabbits, snakes, toads, squirrels, and so on are already using our gardens as toilets.