safe aromatic herb garden for rabbits

[sharper]

I actually just moved into a town home this past Saturday. And there is a big patio with a tall private fence all the way around. And it has a flower bed area in the ground that is just weeds, dirt and rocks right now. It's about 10-12ft long x 4 ft wide. I'm thinking a big herb & aromatic area that is safe for if the bunnies happen to get into it. I'll be supervising their time outside, but want it to be safe as well.

Are there any herbs that are not good for them? Just want to make sure I stay away from those.

 

[naturestee]

Have you checked our Library? There are several lists of safe/unsafe veggies to check out in the Vegetables thread:

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=13618&forum_id=17

If you plant mints and some related perennialherbs, be aware that they tend to invade the whole garden so they're best kept in pots. I grow mint, lemon balm, lavender, parsley, cilantro, basil, thyme, oregano, dill, and whatever else I feel like throwing in. I have a huge garden in summer and a lot of it goes to the bunnies.

Also, bunny poop is the best fertilizer ever.

Have fun!

 

[werecatrising]

Try pineapple sage. It is pretty, smells great, and buns love it!

 

[sharper]

Thanks! I'll look into it!

*excited and can't wait to get dirty*

 

[kirst3buns]

Mine love parsley and cilantro the best. I think I'm going to quadruple the amount or parsley in my garden this spring.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

Hi Sharper, where are you located, and how much sun does your garden get?
Just wondering, because not all herbs grow everywhere
Another easy to grow plant, which I think does well pretty much everywhere, is Nasturtium. It's all edible, you can use it in salads, has very pretty flowers, and buns can eat them too. (though not all buns like the taste)

 

[naturestee]

Oh yes, forgot about the nasturtiums! I didn't realize the leaves were edible too. I grew them for the first time last year and fed the flowers. They weren't a favorite but the buns did like them. They also make very pretty- and safe- props for bunny pictures. Or bunny hats. lol I'd post pics if I could access them at work. They should be in my blog...

Home grown cilantro is like 10 times tastier than grocery store stuff, and causes my buns to steal it from each others mouths or eat one strand together ala Lady and the Tramp.:rofl:

 

[sharper]

Well I'm super disappointed.

I was so excited about my little garden that I went and bought about 10 different herbs seed packets. I got home and realized that my flower bed area is on the north side of the 6ft private fence. There is no way I'll be getting enough sun for this - even in Texas. I kept a few for pots that I can move into the sun, but the flower bed area won't be a herb garden like I would like. So I'm returning most of the seed packets - SUCH A HUGE BUMMER.

So I'm back at figuring out what to put there - shady stuff. I'll only be getting direct sun during mid day and more so in the summer. So now I really need to pay attention to what is safe for rabbits, my dog and cat.

I found this list:
http://www.adoptarabbit.com/articles/toxic.html

It seems like its pretty narrowed down.

 

[purplepeacock]

cilantro is like a drug to liffey. he goes nuts and then he's practically bouncing off the walls after he eats it. plus i throw it in my food too.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

I think you can still do parsley, maybe cilantro, as long as it gets midday sun.
Nasturtiums will probably work too, mine did well where I planted them in mostly shade, they wilted in the sun. Pineapple sage should grow ok, as well as the different mints.
Also see whether you can find chervil, and something called Shungiku (edible Japanese chrysanthemum). Hazel goes wild over that one.
And of course there are "wild" or "wood" strawberries, the native kind. They have very small fruit, but very sweet. Fruit, leaves, flowers, all are edible.
And violets, the little ones called "sweet violet", but they'll eat the big ones, too.
Clover and dandelion will of course grow everywhere, and in mostly shade you can also try chamomile and "pot marigold".
That's all I can think of for now, those have worked for me in shade and part shade.
Good luck with the gardening

 

[Hazel-Mom]

I just thought of something else... our Basil garden is along the north side of a 6ft fence too, and it grows wonderfully here in Sacramento, California. It should probably grow in Texas, too. I think it matters more how hot it is, because the plants that get most shade, closest to the fence, always look better than the front rows, that get the most sun.
So try different kinds of basil too. (our basil garden is 4ft wide aswell)
I also grow "Agastache foeniculum" on that side (Anise Hyssop, or Licorice Mint), both the buns and the hummingbirds love that one

 

[sharper]

Thanks yal!! I feel better about it now - yay!
Gonna hit up Lowe's this afternoon.

 

[Hazel-Mom]

When you go, also look for "salad burnet" (Poterium sanguisorba or Sanguisorba minor). That's another one that grows well along my fence. It's edible, you can use it in your own salads too, and it has pretty red flowers. Your buns can eat those too .
I also had "summer savory" there, but had to get rid of that.. it was taking over the space!. Better plant that in a pot next time, as well as the mints, LOL. They're taking over, too.