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WW: Gardening with Rabbits

Tamsin

Administrator
Staff member
I thought it would be a good time of year to talk about gardening and rabbits. It's spring (ish) so time to think about sowing seeds/planning new flower beds or starting veg patches.

One thing I plan to sow think year is calendula (pot marigold). I've grown them before and they are nice bright flowers and I know they are bunny safe, but I haven't really bothered with giving them to Scamp. He had some hay/flower/herb mix recently though and he'd dig in and find the calendula petals first so I think I'd try him some fresh and drying some for next winter.

How about you, got any tips for what to grow or a question about your garden?
 
I haven't but I would love to hear about bunny safe flowers for flower beds and if there are any shrubs that grow to a decent size that are safe?

I am hoping to get the garden completely done out this year and I'm getting grass put in for Milo and Finn to go outside on! Obviously I also want some colour and things!
 
I have a shady bit of my allotment where i'm going to try some borage and nasturtiums. Helps the bees out as well :)

I've also had a move around after the sage bush got knocked down by my old plot neighbours so I have a couple of new sage plants as well as some fennel to go in sometime soon.
 
We grow lots of herbs, kale and bunny safe flowers for our massive patio which is part of where the buns do their free range time. They last about five minutes though :)


 
My camellia's covered in flowers so I've been giving them to the chickens and rabbits as they drop.
I've been digging up the wild leek in my garden in spring and autumn for 4 years, finally had it relatively under control but didn't bother for ONE SEASON and now it's everywhere, so I'll be making a start on that soon.

I can't wait to get it free-range suitable as I've never seen a rabbit enjoy outside like Mack does. They've all enjoyed it but mostly settle somewhere to eat pretty quickly. Mack binkies all over the place as soon as he's allowed out and keeps doing it for ages :love:
 
you cannot fail to please a rabbit and a human with the wide range of HARDY geranium (cranesbills). From teensy pink ones to giant blue ones - they are totally brilliant in flower, last all through the season (with a good chop back in June), grow year after year after year, clumps can be split and transplanted to make new ones - and rabbits adore them.
 
I haven't but I would love to hear about bunny safe flowers for flower beds and if there are any shrubs that grow to a decent size that are safe?

How big would you consider decent size? Roses can get shrub sized and they are safe, plus lovely flowers in a very wide range of colours.
 
you cannot fail to please a rabbit and a human with the wide range of HARDY geranium (cranesbills). From teensy pink ones to giant blue ones - they are totally brilliant in flower, last all through the season (with a good chop back in June), grow year after year after year, clumps can be split and transplanted to make new ones - and rabbits adore them.

Forgive me for the possibly daft questions, i'm rubbish with flowers, but do they grow from seed? And are they happy in dry shade?
 
I have bramble which I chop down to keep under control, but don't eradicate to feed the rabbits. A herb garden, mostly parsley, coriander and some pineapple mint that is established. Just planted the rocket and spinach for them for this year (and potatoes for us. The potato waste goes on the compost heap, of course!) Need to get some radishes, carrots, lettuces, swiss chard all going. My kale crop failed last year. My cabbage/cauliflowers/broccoli did too.

As we have a rockery garden, we uh, try and fit the veg in wherever we can. The rest is taken up by rockery and rabbit runs. :lol:
 
Don't make the mistake of putting Herb Robert in your garden, unless you want it growing EVERYWHERE. :lol: It is very pretty and the bunnies love it, but I didn't really want a garden full of it. :roll:

I love the different cranesbill varieties. I didn't realise I could cut them right back in June. Will do that this year as they have looked a right mess all winter. I picked quite a lot of it at the end of the summer and dried it for the bunnies during the winter, it went down very well. :thumb:

I also planted a couple of Mallow plants last year, the bunnies loved it. No doubt I will have that springing up all over the place this year too. :lol:
 
I have some mallow in a pot but it's not very happy really. Was considering splitting and putting a couple of bits in the plot. Kinda planning an area full of bunny safe edibles round my fruit trees.
 
Really excited that they can eat camelliea petals. Our garden is showered in pink atm from our glorious pink 10 foot high camellia.

Going to get my galens garden seeds out and plant some of them. Cant remember what I bought now.
 
How big would you consider decent size? Roses can get shrub sized and they are safe, plus lovely flowers in a very wide range of colours.

I'm thinking of getting some decking with a flowerbed running along the side, I was thinking of getting some round shrubs maybe the size of a beach ball to put along the side of the decking. Maybe four or five of them?

Then I'm going to have square-ish patch of grass with some flowebeds around the edges of the rectangle garden. I love having just a huge range of different flowers but obviously I want all bunny safe ones! I may eventually move Milo and Finn into a shed and run! I haven't decided yet!
 
you can't beat nasturtiums for first timers, also borage is easy to grow just sow direct

I have done the tasty dark leafed lettuce, well its for dad, though last year mabel nicked it :lol: along with the strawberries
 
While our garden isn't bunny-safe (we have yummy and pretty but rabbit-poisonous things like rhubarb and hyacinths), we do grow lots of bunny-safe plants. And weeding and pruning became a lot more fulfilling with somebun to dispose of the bits! I think the worst thing is it's so distracting being in the garden with Lopsy! He likes to follow us along his run, beg for anything we've got, that sort of thing. But we can add the extension on his run which isn't fully safe so he can have supervised time while we're out there :)

I would certainly recommend growing herbs in pots: that way you can move them out of bunnies' way (supposedly) if they get a bit worn! Also some have a tendency to proliferate (like mint). Grass is easily grown too, even if you don't have a lawn, and you can cut and come again for ages :) Shrubs that are easy (well, within reason) include shrub-roses, mallow, small fruit bushes like apples. Raspberries grow really well in pots too. And strawberries are best confined to pots as the darn things spread!

I do have lots of 'spare' plants I'd like to get rid of to a good home: I've got strawberries ready to go if anyone wants any! I can also root some lavender and rosemary (and probably roses) should anyone want some but that'll take longer. So if anyone wants some and they're in or around (south) Nottingham let me know :D
 
I'm thinking of getting some decking with a flowerbed running along the side, I was thinking of getting some round shrubs maybe the size of a beach ball to put along the side of the decking. Maybe four or five of them?

Sounds nice! There are miniature roses if you want smaller versions, but some herbs can look quite ornamental and a bit more small bush like e.g. thyme or rosemary and would be about the right size - lavender would be another one. Would smell lovely if you are out of the deck too.
 
you cannot fail to please a rabbit and a human with the wide range of HARDY geranium (cranesbills). From teensy pink ones to giant blue ones - they are totally brilliant in flower, last all through the season (with a good chop back in June), grow year after year after year, clumps can be split and transplanted to make new ones - and rabbits adore them.

eg

8a30ff311789c7ae84b69702fc2a8162.jpg
 
I have some mallow in a pot


I have a Mallow in a pot in my garden. He climbed on the garden bench, hopped on to the table and helped himself to the herbs (that were on the table because he would be unable to get to them :lol:)



Photo taken through the window because I knew he'd do a runner once he knew I'd seen him :roll:
 
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