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Rabbit Garden ideas?

mokwa32

Alpha Buck
Hi,

I want to grow a bunny garden border for Binx and Belle this spring/summer for within there run in warmer weather. I already grow loads of flowers but unsure what plants, herbs and flowers are nice for bunnies to nibble, other than parsley. What would be the best things to grow?:D
 
hi, i also plan to do some bunny gardening this year i have done some research previously and also have some knowledge from helping out my mum with her allotment

I have so much stuff to get down so i am going to categorize and i apologise in advance for any rambling :lol:

HERBS
these are the herbs that save a fluff recommend ( a list i use regularly)
Basil
Coriander
Dill
Mint (peppermint)
Parsley
Oregano
Rosemary
Sage
Thyme
i don't think these grow very well in a bed as you were suggesting but you could plant them in a pot window box or hanging basket. they smell beautiful (especially the thyme) and my bunnies love them. great little add on to make there dinner a bit more interesting!
I have also noticed that Tescos sell most of these already potted up.

VEGETABLES
again these are recommended on save a fluff

Artichoke leaves
Asparagus
Baby Sweetcorns (but not full size ones)
Beetroot (care with leafy tops as high levels of oxalic acid)
Broccoli (and its leaves, including purple sprouting varieties)
Brussel Sprouts (leaves and sprouts)
Cabbage (can sometimes cause digestive upsets)
Carrots (& carrot tops) – not the roots as they are high in sugars
Cauliflower (and the leaves)
Celeriac
Celery leaves
Chicory
Courgette (and flowers)
Cucumber
Curly Kale
Fennel
Green beans
Kohl rabi
Peas (including the leaves and pods)
Peppers (red, green and yellow)
Pumpkin
Radish Tops
Rocket
Romaine lettuce (not Iceberg or light coloured leaf)
Spinach (only occasional)
Spring Greens
Squash (e.g. Butternut)
Swede
Turnip (only occasional)
Watercress
these all have different requirements and skill level to grow ( if you want more info let me know, i don't want to ramble unnecessarily)


i cant find a list of garden flowers that rabbits can eat so probably best to avoid. it did say that all flowers from a bulb are lethally poisonous. so steer clear!!

there is some wild flowers though. you would have to take some cuttings or go seed collecting for these as i don't think anywhere would sell them!

WILD FLOWERS AND WEEDS

Borage
Calendula
Camomile
Chickweed
Clover (leaves and flowers)
Coltsfoot
Comfrey
Dandelion
Goosegrass (cleavers)
Lavender
Mallow
Nettle
Nasturtium (leaves and flowers)
Shepherd’s purse
Sow Thistle
Plantain
Yarrow

also if you wanted something more permanent you could plant: a rose bush, rabbits can eat the branches, flowers and buds! fruit trees, apple is good but a big commitment! and then stuff like blackberries raspberries and so on.

hope this helps and as i said if you want any more information about the particular requirements for the different things let me know!
 
Anything in the run will be decimated very quickly :D But growing just on the outside is a good option so they can nibble the bits that grow through. If you pick a side or shade the plants slightly to encourage them to grow into the run, that ups what they can reach to eat too.

Climbing nasturtiums are good, they'll go up and over, look great and poke lots of leaves through for nibbling and offer a bit of shade, pansys would look and taste good too.
 
Wow thankyou!:shock: thats an amazing list. I already grow mint, rosemary, sage, nastersiums and roses, and I really love the pot idea as I can grow veg and plants in pots. Im going to make it a project and plan it out, maybe a diagram with dimensions and such. Ooooeeee fuuuun to be had :lol: oooooooo imagine little pots with bunnies carved or painted on them too, with a little hut or 2 for sunshade :)

Oh please post your ideas for your garden to this or your own thread, id love to see your progress, and pics please. Oh imagine the possibilities (if you were rich) a little bunny fountain water feature for them to drink from.... now I know im sleep deprived, been up 2 nights with my children.....:lol:
 
Anything in the run will be decimated very quickly :D But growing just on the outside is a good option so they can nibble the bits that grow through. If you pick a side or shade the plants slightly to encourage them to grow into the run, that ups what they can reach to eat too.

Climbing nasturtiums are good, they'll go up and over, look great and poke lots of leaves through for nibbling and offer a bit of shade, pansys would look and taste good too.

Oh ok, good point! Thankyou. Oh great idea, growing from a shady side so for me south east but I have a wrap arround garden so sun is stronger and longer south/north west. So planting in the east end of the run. Yes nastersiums are amazing, I do grow them too, so this is a fab plant for growing over the run slightly. Thanks, great ideas!:D
 
My OH and I have quite a small garden, much of which will shortly be taken over by bunnies, so he had the awesome idea of building a "herb wall". It won't take up much space and we intend for all the low herbs/plants to be bunny-friendly so we can put their run up against it and they can nibble on any leaves that grow through their run.

All going well it should look something like this:

Herb-wall.jpg
 
My OH and I have quite a small garden, much of which will shortly be taken over by bunnies, so he had the awesome idea of building a "herb wall". It won't take up much space and we intend for all the low herbs/plants to be bunny-friendly so we can put their run up against it and they can nibble on any leaves that grow through their run.

All going well it should look something like this:

Herb-wall.jpg

Oh this really looks very beautiful, I like it how they grouped plants of the same variety together to give a bigger statement and create a defined pattern. And a lot of herbs flower too so you could imagine an array of colours and textures. Very pretty :D
 
Things that grow back quickly can be a good idea, especially in the summer months if you find them just drawn to one or two particular favourites! My buns love the mint in our garden, they eat loads of it between the six of them but it recovers fairly quickly. Best to grow it in a large pot as it can take over the garden otherwise. They also love lemon balm which gives off a fragrance with deters flies, and this also seems to survive lots of nibbling, as do my established large lavender plants. The rosemary, sage and thyme seem to survive as well. Sunflowers have no chance, they are usually felled near the root just as they are about to bloom! :lol:

The wall looks a great idea! :D
 
Things that grow back quickly can be a good idea, especially in the summer months if you find them just drawn to one or two particular favourites! My buns love the mint in our garden, they eat loads of it between the six of them but it recovers fairly quickly. Best to grow it in a large pot as it can take over the garden otherwise. They also love lemon balm which gives off a fragrance with deters flies, and this also seems to survive lots of nibbling, as do my established large lavender plants. The rosemary, sage and thyme seem to survive as well. Sunflowers have no chance, they are usually felled near the root just as they are about to bloom! :lol:

The wall looks a great idea! :D

Thankyou. Iv grown lemon balm before and its just beautiful.... oh the smell. And I have made the mint mistake too, im still pulling it out my boarder 3 years later! Grrr. I have just cleared out my pots so they are all empty and ready for planting. I like the idea of a mix of herbs and flowers together. Maybe a hanging basket on the decking rail overhanging the run with trailing yummy plants..... can they eat sweetpea?:)
 
Thankyou. Iv grown lemon balm before and its just beautiful.... oh the smell. And I have made the mint mistake too, im still pulling it out my boarder 3 years later! Grrr. I have just cleared out my pots so they are all empty and ready for planting. I like the idea of a mix of herbs and flowers together. Maybe a hanging basket on the decking rail overhanging the run with trailing yummy plants..... can they eat sweetpea?:)

Sounds lovely! Lucky bunnies!

I am fairly sure sweetpea is a no no for bunnies.
 
Maybe a hanging basket on the decking rail overhanging the run with trailing yummy plants..... can they eat sweetpea?:)

Nasturtiums will also trail nicely if put in a hanging basket and they are beautiful . . . and edible (for us and bunnies!). :)


nasturium+basket.jpg
 
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