How Does a Rabbit get into Your Garden?

The "How"

The answer to this question somewhat resembles the answer to the riddle, "Where does the lion eat his breakfast? (Anywhere he wants to)."

Rabbits will get into your garden any way they can, to feast on the delicious flowers and vegetables you don't really want to share. Rabbits are famous diggers and good runners. Confronted with a mesh fence, baby rabbits will flatten back their ears, get a running start and throw themselves through the mesh. While it is highly entertaining to watch the behavior of a rabbit caught in the act of garden-grazing--they clearly believe that holding absolutely still makes them invisible--the results remain exasperating.

In spite of their persistence, you can take several measures to limit rabbits' destruction of your garden. To discourage digging, bury at least six inches of your fence below the soil-line. While rabbits seem to slip through the smallest cracks in your defenses, six inches of blockage will usually discourage them. The finest mesh-fencing you can buy, secured with lots of staples will also help with the "look, Ma--no bones" baby-rabbit fence penetration problem.

As is the case for so many garden problems, start with weeding. Rabbits are drawn to cover. If you have bunches of weeds inside or outside your fence, they are a wonderful place to hide while working out the details of a garden-invasion. Keep the ground surrounding your garden completely clear, and it will discourage rabbits.

For extremely determined rabbits--after all, they have all day to work on getting into the garden while you're off trying to earn a living--try a different kind of repellent. Small strips of cloth, soaked in floral cologne or after-shave, make the garden a confusing place. It no longer smells like something good to eat. (This enables you to give genuine thanks for fragrances you receive as gifts and will never wear--off they go to the garden to confuse the rabbits).

Keeping rabbits out of your garden requires persistence and ingenuity, but you can succeed. As you do, the chore of baby-proofing your house will seem easy in comparison. What doesn't work for one gardener works for another, so collect tips from your embattled friends--hanging noisemakers or glittery mylar strips may be just the thing your rabbits hate. And keep at it--changing your strategy every few weeks keeps your predators a bit off balance.