A.M.
You could use chicken wire fencing or put them in large pots, so the bunnies won't jump up on them. You can put a few herbs in one pot and make it look really decorative.
I want to start an herb garden but we have a ton (literally) of wild bunnies and I don't get a lot of natural light in my kitchen. Any tips???
Thanks so much! Y'al are awesome! I'm headed to Lowe's tomorrow to get started!
You could use chicken wire fencing or put them in large pots, so the bunnies won't jump up on them. You can put a few herbs in one pot and make it look really decorative.
We use five gallon buckets on the back concrete slab. Keeps most critters out, of course having a siberian husky in the yard helps too. :)
Human hair. I get hair from my hairstylist every time I go, and then spread it in the garden. We have tons of bunnies, and they stay out of the garden. It works wonderfully!
Grow them in containers - big pots, buckets, whatever. My herb garden isn't fenced in and the bunnies never bother it. The go for my young green bean and pea plants!!!!
Taller pots on the porch or yard should work.
Most herbs need a lot of sunlight.
And a lot of herbs are too strong for rabbits - they tend to leave the herbs alone.
You could try a raised garden bed.
I have a few beds that are 22 tall and have no trouble with wildlife eating the veggies / herbs.
The taller beds are nice because you don't have to bend over so far all the time and there are much fewer weeds to deal with.
I have never had a problem with bunnies in the herbs. I had catnip, lemon balm, monarda (bee balm), oregano, chives, basil, echinacea (cone flower), sorrel, yarrow,thyme, toothache plant, rue, stevia, and wild violets, parsley, cilantro. My yard also grew wild plantain and clover like crazy. Bunnies like clover! (plantain is good for bug bites)
Most herbs are perenial, especially in warmer climates. In TN my rosemary and stevia don't return, but my mom puts hers in the house in the winter and the stevia does fine (in a pot). Basil and toothache plant are annuals and wont return unless they reseed. Parsley and cilantro reseed pretty well.
We have a lot of bunnies too but so far they haven't touched my herbs. I think if you grow the herbs outdoors you'll probably have more success, they just grow so much bigger when you plant them directly in the soil, not in a planter. I would just give it a try and see how it is going. I have oregano, thyme, basil, rosemary, chives, sage, parsley and lemon grass. Except the basil, lemongrass and rosemary they all grow back every year, if you don't have frost in winter they will probably survive too. I have all of my herbs in the sunniest spot of the garden.
I think I read that marigolds keep bunnies away...so maybe planting those around the herb garden may help.