If you’re a gardener you’ve probably been the victim of rabbits or deer at one point or another. But planning ahead and choosing flowers that are somewhat rabbit or deer resistant in the first place can spare you a headache later.
But before we go any farther, none of these suggestions are 100% rabbit or deer proof. A hungry rabbit or deer will sometimes eat just about anything.
For perennials, rabbit and deer both tend to stay way from:
- salvia
- columbine
- yarrow
- poppies
- peonies
- bleeding hearts
- Russian sage
- anything in the allium family
For annuals, try:
- sweet alyssum
- marigolds
- wax begonias
- calendula.
And if it’s a shrub you’re looking for, plant:
- butterfly bush
- boxwood
- junipers
- viburnum
- forsythia
- lilacs
- cotoneaster
Another thing I’ve discovered in my own yard is that giving the rabbits something else to eat can steer them away from your more precious plants. In my case, the clover in my bee lawn works wonders.
But planting and replanting a salad mix in a few low containers can work too. And a $2 packet of seed might just be worth it.