Bunnies!

Bunnies

Garden Clippings for June 14, 2025

               Cute as a bunny.  Furry little creatures that hop away when you get near enough.  They are not hostile, do not eat other animals, and are not a danger to anybody.

               Rabbits are a nightmare.  They can easily eat up newly-planted seedlings the day after planting. They leave smelly turds behind and multiply like rabbits, as the saying goes.    

               Your best defense against rabbits is a physical barrier.  Chicken wire or hardware cloth is inexpensive and easy to put up.  You will need to go18 to 24 inches high, and a few inches buried into the ground. 

               Chicken wire is not pretty, but once the plants mature, the unsightliness seems to diminish.  Or put the chicken wire up fora month until the plants are large enough to hold their own. 

               Another suggestion?  Pound iron or wood stakes in the ground and run several lines of string back and forth to form a better-looking barrier.  If you are using fishing line, tie a few plastic flags on the lines to prevent people and pets from running through. 

               Rabbits are sensitive to smells and will stay away from anything that smells like danger, including humans.  Human hair is an age-old trick and can be gotten from barber and beauty shops.  Animal hair is even better so a trip to the dog groomer is worth a try. 

               Bloodmeal, available in granular form, is effective in keeping squirrels and rabbits at bay.  It will need to be reapplied every few weeks or after heavy rain.  Hen manure pellets are equally effective and should be put down at the outer edge of a garden.  Both double up as organic fertilizers for the garden.

               Many plants give off a scent that you and I love, but bunnies loathe.  Try lavender, basil, onion, mint, garlic, and catnip.  Perennials such as Astilbe, Foxglove and Yarrow have taste that rabbits don’t like. 

               I’ve had many gardeners tell me that soap flakes, particularly Irish Spring, will keep bunnies away.  Use a kitchen grater to make flakes and scatter at the edge of the garden. 

               Keeping your garden free of debris and extensive shrubbery may help because rabbits want to hang out near hiding spots for fear of predators. 

               Consider planting a decoy garden and filling it with all kinds of plants that rabbits love.  Beans, broccoli, lettuce, spinach, petunias, pansies, snapdragons,    hostas, coral bells, lilies and phlox are among rabbit’s favorites.

               If all else fails, get a dog.  Or invite a coyote or hawk into your backyard.