There's no such thing as a stupid bunny Q. Only stupid people. Seriously, marigolds won't deter a curious plant-munching rabbit. From my experience.

Didn't mean to offend with the stupid people remark. Just got done fielding a call from the shelter today about people obtaining two rabbits at Xmastime from pet store. Guess what? They now have five rabbits. Five lionhead rabbits, ma, pa, and 3 babies. Pet store people sell products, and humane societies take care of euthanizing...when cage space is full.

I walked out this morning and saw baby bunny fertilizer in the garden gazebo. :) woo hoo. Nacho Beeler, Beeler J, and baby beeler - !the whole family! - were out nibbling grasses and looking after each other. Mom Cottontail was whispering to her baby when the coast was clear, teaching her youngen safety lessons.

Attractive rabbit fencing with decorative accents might be your best bet, Heather. Keep us posted. Your marigolds will look lovely no matter where they're planted. Hope your lagomorphs lovelies will munch elsewhere; Clip the clover, petunias, and dandelions instead.

baby bunny droppings, :)

Yay!!! Nacho Beeler & Beeler J!!!

Heathrjoy, I haven't any cottontails in my front yard this year, and I am wondering if it is because I have spread used coffee grounds from Starbucks all around the front beds as a fertilizer late this winter and early spring. (Starbucks gives their grounds away free. Just ask for 'grounds for your garden.' Only the full Starbucks stores do this, not the mini-Starbucks in onther stores.)

I also found that if I just plant more, then the bunny damage isn't noticable anymore, so I can enjoy the furry little critters and nice flowers.

Good luck with finding a nice compromise for you and the bunnies. I like FCF's fencing suggestion too.

A stupid (or maybe just inexperienced) bunny was the one who placed her nest within reach of my dog's chain a couple of years ago. The result? Two dead babies. The dog truly enjoyed shaking and flinging them, and I could barely look at her for days. We have rabbits and their nests all over the place, and that's the only time that's ever happened.

Sorry to hear about your dog killing the babies, Elaine.

Hutch Beeler made her nest in the middle of our front yard, Summer '04, and I dunno if rehabbed beeler knew that our lab/retriever also used the front yard to go widdles. My DH and I wondered the same thing; why there? We always accompany our lab outside when she needs to do bathroom duty; We made sure she stayed plenty far away from the nest. !You've got a caring heart! Unlike the time my son's friend's neighbor found a nest and decided to throw the young babes as dog treats to Todd's big lab.

Thanx for caring.

I'll try and get a picture, CSG, but no guarantees. Hug your house bunns.

I heard marigolds kept away mosquitos. If that is true I am ripping up all my grass and having a yard full of them.

Thanks for all the info everyone. I like the idea of replacing all the grass w/ marigolds to stave off moquitos! I'll be working on just how to do that.

I did find some old chicken wire in our garden shed that I forgot I had, so maybe I'll put that into use. Maybe just around my *prized* flowers.

I agree wholeheartedly with overplanting so that what the bunny munches doesn't show. ANY excuse for more flowers makes sense to me!! :) LOL

THanks again everyone!
~H~

This year a dumb bunny seems to be digging her nest in a little shrub island that's smack up against the driveway and literally two feet from the sidewalk. Twice lately I've started her out of there while just walking around the yard, and both times she bolted across the street to escape. I also see evidence of shallow digging. I don't see anything else, but then we weren't aware of the nest the dog found that time, either. If she's placed a nest there she could hardly have chosen a worse spot (our dog can't reach it, but any dog that walks by on a leash can, easily). I was really tempted to replace the mulch to discourage her from using that spot, but I was afraid I'd wind up hurting some helpless naked babies. I also figured that if she's chosen a bad place this time, she'll do better next time--or die--and there are way too many bunnies and not nearly enough predators. Painful--like watching one of your kids make a mistake but knowing you can't do anything about it. Break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.

i planted marigolds about a month ago, and they are all gone. what the rabbits didnt finish the deer did, i figured because it had such an unpleasant odor it would be left uneaten, i was wrong. funny my petunias are still standing lol

Rodeo,
that is so strange. The bunnies here never bother my marigolds. I'm sorry to hear they've done so much damage to your lovely things. I guess that's the trade off for having wildlife around. When they aren't being destructive they sure are adorable to watch tho! :)
I hope you, and all of us, have better luck for the rest of the year!
~H~

its ok, they enjoyed it lol, if i didnt see the marigold sticking out of the bunnies mouth i would have blamed the deer. the thing i dont get is why havent they touched my white petunias yet? its within 6 feet from where the marigolds were. somethings digging though ive been seeing small pit holes in the mulch. nature is so fun i feel like inspector gadget sometimes lol trying to figure out who did what :o)