Rabbit Talk at the Garden and Home Show

Recently I had the opportunity to answer gardening questions at the Colorado Garden and Home Show here in Denver. If you've never been to this yearly February event, give it a go, it's fun and you'll get in some serious walking, people gawking and view the latest hot tub features. It runs through February 17, 2019 at the Colorado Convention Center.

The questions were very interesting, yet similar considering the gardeners were from different Front Range counties and all around the state. The number one question asked of me is how to keep rabbits from eating the landscape. Second question was where's the booth where they give free foot massages, didn't see one, but I saw the booth with the relaxing back shiatsu chairs.

Internet Photo

Rabbits - those cute, furry cotton-tailed trouble makers in the garden. Hey, all they want is a free meal and to be left alone while eating, unless their whole family has been invited to dine, count on it. 

I'll start with my rabbit story, see if it coincides with yours. It's short, one day I didn't see them, the next day I did, and the next day, and the next day. I only saw them eating the lawn because it was early spring when plant leaves were still emerging. The lettuce hadn't even been planted yet. We started with one rabbit, then their friend or friend with benefits showed up. If they could talk, I'm sure they'd say we had the best tasting grass turf in town. I'm not too proud to say it, we grow yummy lawn (you probably do too).

Ferris loved the rabbits, not that he ever caught one or even got close. He'd head outside after his free breakfast and immediately smell foreign herbivores on the premises and commence to seek and find. The rabbits caught on quickly that their meal needed to be cut short, time to dine and dance out the way they came through the wide spaced wrought iron thirty foot fence. 

Gone for the day, but not forgotten, this rabbit herd had the keys to the backyard. The sad part, no key was ever needed, the wrought iron gate south fence was easy entry whenever Ferris wasn't outside on guard duty. 

My first line of defense was to try the anti-critter granules. A little doesn't go a long way, nor does the entire box. The rabbits laughed and returned each night. I wasn't going to spend any more money on sprays, urine of predator foxes or hanging bars of Irish Spring soap. They don't work well or long term. We didn't want to use a motion detector sprinkler, which I've read can work fairly well, but not during the winter months. 

It took me a few days to react to this immediate threat to our Michelin three-star rated lawn. I was hoping they'd forget our address, no such luck. The only effective long term way to keep rabbits out of your landscape is to block them out. Let's just call it rabbit proofing. So I did what every self motivated gardener would do - scavenge the tool shed and back side of the garage for left over fencing of any length, hoping beyond hope that the openings were small enough to keep out baby bunnies that were soon to arrive on the scene. 

What I found, worked. I twist tied old fencing over an old plastic green fence I put up first to protect the wrought iron. I didn't want any scratches to the wrought iron in the short term before I figured out a better looking long term solution. I was about four feet short so had to purchase a mesh piece from the hardware store. It looked like a do it yourself hodgepodge cover up of a nice wrought iron fence, not pretty in the least.

8-inch trenched 1 x 1 inch vinyl coated 16 gauge wire fence

Looks aren't everything, at least temporarily. I was happy with the instant proofing, no rabbits the next morning, Ferris was sad.

The shoddy, make do fence lasted five years. After we got tired of the functional eyesore (no photos, thank goodness), we enlisted our experienced landscape contractor to install a proper rabbit proof fence.

The grading and digging required more than our DIY mindset, glad we hired out. A four foot tall vinyl coated, sixteen gauge one inch by one inch fence was trenched to eight inches deep on the outside of the wrought iron fence. I found the fence online after several dead-end phone calls and trips to hardware stores. Either the length wasn't right or made with vinyl coating to protect the wrought iron.

It was a tricky installation since this fenced area is sloped, plus the gate had to have just enough clearance to open. It all worked out very nicely. The finished job looks like a fence on a fence but somewhat blends in from a distance. The rabbits have moved down the block so Ferris and I pass them on afternoon walks. He's always happy to see them - from a distance.

Fence attached to a fence to keep out rabbits

Here are some handy links on dealing with rabbits in your yard -

Critter Resistant Plants for the Mountains 

Cottontail Rabbit, Minimizing Damage

Ravishing Rabbit Revenge