Rabbits

[divvy]

Does anyone here have experiance with gardening with a rabbit pest . I am trying to make my static caravan garden in Dorset look nice , so far we have planted grass seed , which is growing nicely despite being nibbled and I have started on a small flower border. So far I have put in Lavender , thrift , some purple spire plants that I don't know the name off and 2 of the most lovely rose bushes I have ever seen or smelt. Moody Blue. I also have put in 3 dwarf fruit trees to fan against the wall. With trunk protection round them What are my chances of any of these still being there in 2 weeks when I go back ? and can anyone advise me what plants ( if any ) that the rabbits don't like to eat or dig up. Any advice on planting this border and keeping the plants safe would be most welcome. Thank you. x

[mothhawk]

the RHS has a list of rabbit resistant plants here

Rabbits are nosy nibblers though, and will sample most new plants they find to see if they are palatable, so a bit of netting when you first plant them will help get them established before being nibbled.

[binley100]

They are not meant to eat lupins but they do ......

[tamsin]

I wouldn't bother relying too much on being resistant to rabbits - most things are moreless tasty ie they'll eat them last.

Rabbits are actually pretty good for grass, apart from the spots them dig. They keep it nicely trimmed and well fertilised. So once it is established that should be okay.

As long as your trunk protection is good then trees should be fine, remember not to make it so close to the trunk they can nibble through and about 2' tall (they stretch well). You could try standard shaped plants too (there are quite a few shrubs that can be trained that way) and protect them the same way.

Upside down hanging baskets are good for getting plants established - they'll survive a bit of nibble better once they've settled in. Leave the basket over and let them grow through and there should always be enough left to survive.