There’s nothing cuter than a little playful bunny running around and nuzzling everything they can get close to. However, while cute, wild rabbits can be a bit of a nuisance to local farmers and gardeners. Without much to stop them, they will tear their way through home gardens in a heartbeat. So, what can you do to prevent rabbits from destroying your garden in Colorado?
Rabbit Resistant Preparation.
Rabbits aren’t particularly picky eaters. They will gnaw on almost anything from shrubs and trees to flowers and veggies. The first step to defending against intrusive bunnies is to protect your plants and trees with a barrier.
Most rabbit resistant barriers can be installed rather easily in just a simple day’s work. These can be made by installing a fence of chicken wire around the garden. You should bury the chicken wire at least 6 - 8 inches deep in order to prevent the rabbit from burrowing underneath and getting in.
Another way to protect your plants is to cover the stems or trunks with plastic coverings made from polypropylene. These coverings can be found at almost any garden supply store and will keep the rabbits from chewing the stalks and trunks of your trees and plants.
If you are worried about making your garden look less aesthetically pleasing with these barriers, you can decorate them to improve their look! Chicken wire can be decorated and painted to match the garden feel, you can even hold it up with rustic wooden posts to provide a more ‘barnyard’ style vibe to the area. You can also plant some naturally rabbit resistant vines to grow up the chicken wire, such as wisteria or English ivy.
Rabbit Resistant Planting.
If you find that building a barrier is just not for you, then your next step is to plant a garden that rabbits won’t find enticing. This involves growing rabbit ‘resistant’ plants. These plants are naturally repellant to pests such as rabbits, and should remain beautiful throughout their season without any bites or chew marks killing them off.
Some common rabbit resistant plants that are good for Colorado are:
Annuals:
African Daisy.
Amethyst flower.
Dahlia.
Marigold.
Mexican Sunflower.
Snapdragons.
Verbena.
Zinnia.
Perennials.
Achillea.
Aegopodium.
Alcea.
Cerastium.
Delphinium.
Echinacea.
Helleborus.
Lavandula.
Polygonatum.
Silene.
Thyme.
Veronica.
These are just a small handful of plants that rabbits often find distasteful. However, it is important to know that rabbits will eat anything if they are hungry enough. That is why it’s always important to build a barrier against them if you want guaranteed protection!
Final Thoughts.
Keeping local wildlife from turning your garden into a snack is a battle that gardeners have fought since the dawn of time. It’s a trick that will take quite a bit of patience as well as trial and error. But, with a bit of time and careful planning you can deter any wild beast who wants to gnaw on your precious plants!