GARDEN Q&A: Rabbits are eating my flowers. Are there any they won't touch?

Whether you're a gardening beginner or expert, Irish Examiner columnist Peter Dowdall has the answer to your questions

Rabbits rarely go after ornamental grasses. File picture

Question

I live by the coast of northwest Sligo. All flowers we planted last year were eaten by rabbits who are in abundance in the area. They pretty much eat everything and their numbers are increasing year on year. Are there specific shrubs or flowers rabbits will not touch?

Answer

While no plant is completely rabbit-proof, there are many they strongly dislike due to texture, taste, or scent. Being near the coast, your plant choice is already limited, but try hardy fuchsia, rosemary, lavender, hebes, and escallonia; all of these should cope well with coastal conditions and are generally avoided by rabbits.

They also tend to avoid many aromatic herbs, such as thyme, sage, and oregano. Softer plants that you could try like euphorbia, hellebores, foxgloves, and aquilegia are all worth a try as well as ornamental grasses, which rabbits rarely touch.

Establishing plants behind temporary wire mesh for the first year or two gives them a chance to establish making them less vulnerable. 

Also, applying calcium chloride to the plants in liquid form, which is available in garden centres such as Grazers. It will help to make any plants less palatable to rabbits, but do be aware that you will need repeated applications to build up the levels of the calcium. Doing this will help the plants to protect themselves without harming any wildlife.

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