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Pictures of herbs and wild plants suitable to feed to rabbits

janice

Wise Old Thumper
I am working on some information for MMC about feeding rabbits particuarly with herbs and wild plants which can be gathered either in the garden or in the countryside.

If you have any identified pictures you would be happy for MMC to use as an educational tool, please would you post them on this thread.

Thanks
 
White dead nettle

b425b46f.jpg

626ff4c6.jpg


Hawthorn

82e7787e.jpg

7b8c99d8.jpg


That's all iv got pics of atm
 
Some less 'wild' than others ;) but here's my offering for now:

Cornflower
Cornflower001.jpg


Roseleaves & petals
Yellowrose.jpg


Coriander
Coriander.jpg


Lemonbalm (part of mint family)
Forage2.jpg


Rocket
Forage3.jpg


Lovage
Forage4a.jpg


Dandelion
Forage5.jpg


Bramble
Forage6.jpg


Hawthorne
Forage1a.jpg


Apple or Pear sticks & leaves
Applesticks001.jpg
 
Some less 'wild' than others ;) but here's my offering for now:

Cornflower
Cornflower001.jpg


Roseleaves & petals
Yellowrose.jpg


Coriander
Coriander.jpg


Lemonbalm (part of mint family)
Forage2.jpg


Rocket
Forage3.jpg


Lovage
Forage4a.jpg


Dandelion
Forage5.jpg


Bramble
Forage6.jpg


Hawthorne
Forage1a.jpg


Apple or Pear sticks & leaves
Applesticks001.jpg

Thank you there are some lovely picture in there
 
I'm just subbing so I can try and remember to take some.
I've got a few bunny plants in the garden so should be of some help.
 
Possibly not the best photos and nothing is flowering yet.
They're not all wild but they are all easy to grow in a small space in your garden (if I can do it, anyone can!)

bramble
bramble.jpg


campanula (grows everywhere!)
campanula.jpg


lavender
lavender2.jpg

lavender.jpg


lemonbalm
lemonbalm.jpg


thyme
thyme.jpg


lemon thyme
lemonthyme.jpg


marjoram
marjoram.jpg


mint
mint.jpg


oregano
oregano.jpg


different variety of oregano
oregano2.jpg


rosemary
rosemary.jpg


strawberry (hanging baskets are great when you have limited space and despite no looking after these are doing better than the ones in the ground)
strawberry.jpg


violas
violas.jpg


twisted willow tree (in herb patch at the end of my run)
herbbed1.jpg

The patch at the end of the run doesn't get much sun so I thought most of the plants would fail but they're doing quite well. Low and slightly wobbly fencing does a good job of keeping the rabbits off when they free range but still looks pretty and isn't a pain to reach over to pick the plants.
The willow tree in there should provide some good sticks for gnawing on at pruning time as well as providing some extra shade when it's bigger.
 
Last edited:
This is really useful. I have loads of the nettles in one of the early posts - my garden is a total overgrown wilderness, sadly. Do they not sting the buns' little mouths though? Same as the brambles - I have them growing everywhere but they have sharp thorns which I thought would cut the buns?
 
These are more ones that you grow in your garden rather than see wild.

Nasturtiums (easy to grow, easy to save the seed and have free plants for next year)
This one has a variegated leaf, but they often have plain green leaves. Will look tomorrow to see if I have a better photo of the plain leaved ones.

GardenBunniesandTomatoesOctober2011038.jpg


Sunflowers (leaves and petals are safe, not sure about the seeds when they come in the flower)

GardenAugust11040.jpg


Chamomile

GardenAugust11028.jpg
 
helgalush, will the nasturtiums self seed for the next year or do you actually have to collect the seeds and reseed them?
 
helgalush, will the nasturtiums self seed for the next year or do you actually have to collect the seeds and reseed them?

Yeah some will self-seed but I have found a better germination rate by picking them up and drying them out on some kitchen paper and then resowing in modules/pots in the following year. Where I had nasturtiums in the ground last year, I have 4-5 (from maybe 10+ plants last year) germinate, whereas 100% of the ones I collected up and dried have germinated. The seeds are big like chick peas so easy to spot and collect, after a while you get annoyed at how many of them there are to collect, but hey every one is a free plant!!! :D
 
Possibly not the best photos and nothing is flowering yet.
They're not all wild but they are all easy to grow in a small space in your garden (if I can do it, anyone can!)

bramble
bramble.jpg


campanula (grows everywhere!)
campanula.jpg


lavender
lavender2.jpg

lavender.jpg


lemonbalm
lemonbalm.jpg


thyme
thyme.jpg


lemon thyme
lemonthyme.jpg


marjoram
marjoram.jpg


mint
mint.jpg


oregano
oregano.jpg


different variety of oregano
oregano2.jpg


rosemary
rosemary.jpg


strawberry (hanging baskets are great when you have limited space and despite no looking after these are doing better than the ones in the ground)
strawberry.jpg


violas
violas.jpg


twisted willow tree (in herb patch at the end of my run)
herbbed1.jpg

The patch at the end of the run doesn't get much sun so I thought most of the plants would fail but they're doing quite well. Low and slightly wobbly fencing does a good job of keeping the rabbits off when they free range but still looks pretty and isn't a pain to reach over to pick the plants.
The willow tree in there should provide some good sticks for gnawing on at pruning time as well as providing some extra shade when it's bigger.

I am impressed with the variety in your herb garden. Thank you for sharing
 
This is really useful. I have loads of the nettles in one of the early posts - my garden is a total overgrown wilderness, sadly. Do they not sting the buns' little mouths though? Same as the brambles - I have them growing everywhere but they have sharp thorns which I thought would cut the buns?

If you dry stinging nettles they do not sting rabbits, if you cut a bundle and hang them in a dry place for a couple of days your rabbits will enjoy them. Rabbits cope well with the thorns on brambles.
 
These are more ones that you grow in your garden rather than see wild.

Nasturtiums (easy to grow, easy to save the seed and have free plants for next year)
This one has a variegated leaf, but they often have plain green leaves. Will look tomorrow to see if I have a better photo of the plain leaved ones.

GardenBunniesandTomatoesOctober2011038.jpg


Sunflowers (leaves and petals are safe, not sure about the seeds when they come in the flower)

GardenAugust11040.jpg


Chamomile

GardenAugust11028.jpg

Thank you
 
This thread is mega useful for lil old novice me :lol: thanks everyone!

What are you guys' views on daisies? Some sites say yes, others a total no go :?

We have loads of that sticky weed in our garden too, I'm not sure if buns can have that?

I've de-buttercupped the run area for them as I know they're poisonous to little tums! :)
 
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