Rabbits and Their Leftovers in Maxine’s Garden

15.07.2024 - 05:49 / finegardening.com / GPOD Contributor

Happy Monday GPODers!

We’re starting off the week in Rotterdam, New York, visiting the garden of Maxine Brisport. Maxine has shared her beautiful garden with us several times in the past (check out some of her earlier submissions: Visitors in Maxine’s Garden, Blooms in Maxine’s Garden, and Celebrating End-of-Summer Beauty with Maxine), but today she’s discussing a challenging, and fluffier, part of her garden that she hasn’t mentioned before.

It is quite disheartening to wander through the garden each morning and see the plants that are eaten by the several rabbits and bunnies that have taken residence in the garden. Throughout the day the rabbits and bunnies can be seen foraging and even resting amongst the flowers. The bunnies appear to eat anything that is in bloom. They have devoured plants that are considered to be rabbit resistant such as marigolds, salvia and black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Zones 3–11).However, there is no doubt that the following are some of their favorites: ‘Storm Cloud’ bluestar (Amsonia tabernaemontana ‘Storm Cloud’, Zones 4–9), bellflower, coneflower, ‘Concord Grape’ spiderwort (Tradescantia ‘Concord Grape’, Zones 3–9)and ‘Black Barlow’ columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Black Barlow’, Zones 3–9).The plants that have been consumed are struggling to regrow. Seeing our precious flowers being gobbled up by the adorable bunnies is quite frustrating, yet we have made the decision to not actively repel them. Instead, we take pleasure in enjoying the flowers that they have left for us to nurture.

Too tall for small herbivores to make a snack of, this trumpet lily (Lilium regale, Zones 4–8) is still looking regal in Maxine’s garden.

Much loved my many pollinators but apparently not a