Gardening/Foraging 2013 Diary

[kt6382]

Sorry to post again but another Q... (its coz I'm out tryin gto do my garden!!!!)

Is Hollyhock the sama as mallow?? I just looked it up and got confused?! I have some hollyhock seeds from my friends plant last year and wondering whether to put them down the outside edge of the bun run? but want to know if they are safe first? Thanks!

Double check on these plants too as I;ve seen some mentioned: echinecea, campanula, violet, aquilegia, geranium, marguerite, and anyone know about osteospermum?? (if thats how you say it>?! dasiy type things?)

I'm trying to graduakly rid my garden on unsafe plants and fill up the beds with (low maintainence) bunny safe plants. They don't have to all be bunny dinner, but just safe in case they try and nibble!! The plants I've got that I know are safe are roses, lavendar... and that maybe it?!!! I also have hydrangea, fiushcia, marguerite, campanula, hebe, escalonia, etc .... and I have lily of the valley and euphorbia that I know are poisonous and I need to get out!!! Although buns have never gone for either of them?!!! Fenced off now so safe! but I know the buns would enjoy foraging around int he flowerbeds rather than just on lawn so want ot make it safe

 

[thumps_]

Hi, I'd be interested to see if anyone knows about marguerites too... I bought one the other week and asked on here if it was bunny safe, people seemed to think it was so fingers crossed it is! Buns aren't allowed up that end of the garden at the moment so they're safe anyway!

Anyone have indeas for something bunny safe that I can plant in a thin strip of ground trapped behind their run? Is about a foot wide and 6 feet long with a rose and a fushcia in it at the moment. I'd really like to plant something tall so it sticks out over the top of the run (3feet ish) but I really don't want it to be anything that spreads?!! I was just hunting through old threads and was thinking maybe marshmallow or raspberry canes?? Ideally would like something that is pretty good cover to stop weeds and grass coming up too.

Thanks

The traditional idea going back 3-4 years is that they're not safe.
I mostly go by what wild rabbits eat. Last year, I noticed that even when they've eaten out all their forage in an area they won't eat oxeye daisies which multiply & take over in their area, as do creeping buttercups, moss & liverworts & the recognised poisonous plants.
I also crystalise flowers & leaves for cake decoration. Humans can't eat marguerites or chrysanthemums either.

 

[kt6382]

Thanks thumps... I may have to dig that marguerite back up again, oh dear!! The buns have a safe section of garden at the moment so I can let them out to binky about when I'm pottering in garden.. think the rest of the garden is too dangerous! ... Although I used to let them out for probably a whole year before I joined this forum and found out that soooo much stuff was poisonous!!

 

[thumps_]

Thanks thumps... I may have to dig that marguerite back up again, oh dear!! The buns have a safe section of garden at the moment so I can let them out to binky about when I'm pottering in garden.. think the rest of the garden is too dangerous! ... Although I used to let them out for probably a whole year before I joined this forum and found out that soooo much stuff was poisonous!!

I have mildly poisonous things in the garden where a trial nibble doesn't matter. I even have a privet hedge (just cut off any berries they can reach (the most poisonous part). Goodness but I watched them like a hawk for the 1st few months they went out & found that they don't eat things which are bad for them. However I can't say that this applies to all bunnies, so we're ultra careful on here.

I'm meticulous about what I put in the feeding bowl & also what is dried.
I'm reliably told that it's much more difficult for buns to distinguish between safe & poisonous foods when they're dried.

 

[kt6382]

I have mildly poisonous things in the garden where a trial nibble doesn't matter. I even have a privet hedge (just cut off any berries they can reach (the most poisonous part). Goodness but I watched them like a hawk for the 1st few months they went out & found that they don't eat things which are bad for them. However I can't say that this applies to all bunnies, so we're ultra careful on here.

I'm meticulous about what I put in the feeding bowl & also what is dried.
I'm reliably told that it's much more difficult for buns to distinguish between safe & poisonous foods when they're dried.

I'm ultra aware of what mine eat too, my husband thinks I'm mad! Especially any greenery or anything feed by very eager kids!! Aargh! I watched mine and they survived for that first whole year but still now that I have more knowledge I'm paranoid about them nibbling something poisonous. Especially as I don't know a lot about it all.... I removed the foxgloves a long time ago as I knew they'd kill and I know that rhubarb is and wehave a huge plant, but the buns never touched it before, I'm just too nervous!

They'er happy for now anyways as they have a big loop of wire on the lawn to play around in binkys galore!!

 

[Willow_Warren]

Goodness some of you are really good forragers!!!

I may have a bit of a hunt around the garden this evening - the forecast for the next 4 day's is looking reasonable sunny so it may dry quite well in the conservatory!

On the growing front I'm quite behind, I only got some basil in at the weekend and havn't started coriander yet!!

As for the bits already out from previous years the sage, parsley, lemon balm and rosemary are doing well and being enjoyed.

Hannah

 

[thumps_]

I've just been out for 4 hours, checking over my favourite foraging sites & gathering 2 carrier bagfuls. I'll have to get a carrier bagful into storage every day now - the season's so late starting.

I'm so happy.
The council have got their verge mowing improved, so the purple vetch, & brilliant blue speedwell are coming back as well as meadow cranesbill. Maybe not good forage but without wild plant diversity there's nothing! No insects to pollinate our fruit trees, or food for nestling birds. No seeds for small rodents = no food for predators. Loads of dandies, dead nettle, & greater plantain but not much ribwort.

There were a few skylarks singing high in the sky. a common blue butterfly, & high speed bumblebee being blown on the wind.:lol:
I just love it out there.

 

[Elena]

I picked a load of plantain, grass, sage and goosegrass today. Will they touch the goosegrass? Will they heck. :roll:

 

[J&R]

Send it this way, fiver loves it :thumb:

My two have very different tastes, Rosie goes mad for roses and clover whereas Fiver always goes straight for the dead nettles and goose grass.

Does anyone know of a book or website with rarer herbs and whether they're bunny safe? Things like woad or soapwort?