[Fowgill Farm]

Since moving here 7 yrs ago have never really got round to having a pleasure garden, but finally we've got to a stage when i can spend a little time & a little money on creating some flower beds around the house, our huge huge problem is the rabbit population, put out a load of bedding plants in one bed and some containers, the usual stuff petunias, geraniums, lobelia, sweet peas etc and the bloody rabbits have demolished the lot , hardly a plant left in the bed and even the pots have been well nibbled around the edges. We netted round the pots and it has helped but looks unsightly. next year i want to look at some more permanent plants for a large bed at the end of the garden but feel like the rabbits are already plotting to eat it!! We have people who come to shoot them regularly but they hardly make a dent in them, we counted 54 in the front field the other morning!
Any ideas welcome, i err on the side of cottage garden type plants, foxgloves maybe?
Look forward to some advice.
Thanks in avance
Mandy 

[Plantoid]

Fully enclose your garden in 4 foot chain link fencing that is sunk 2 foot in the ground & have a good fitting set of double gates ( on a castor/jockey wheel if they are really big )  is about the only way I know to do it sucessfully .

 You could look up " Australian rabbit traps " on google , if you have a use for the meat etc.
The one that uses  45 gallon barrels with spring trap doors works well.... I used them in years past & had anything up to 100 plus per session from  using from three barrels .
 
Failing that a .22 pre charged pneumatic air rifle with a  clu-lite spot lamp or an expensive night vision device and learn how to shoot them at 45 mtrs or so till they stop visiting .
Leave the carcases out for foxes ,half gutted to make a strong scent , once the fox finds easy bunny meat they should also help trim the numbers .just make sure you hens & lambs  etc are well secured .

[SallyintNorth]

just make sure you hens & lambs  etc are well secured .

and those of your neighbours!

[Plantoid]

That reminds me of a PHD electronics guy who thought he knew it all , he laughed at me when I said bury your pen wire 2 feet deep and use chainlink , make the top wire at least seven feet high and site the whole thing at least 10 feet away from any tree  , building or machinery. Make the chicken shed lockable , and padlock the pophole closed don't rely on pegs and pins to keep them closed .

 He ignored me , went ahead and purchased 15 or so  Orphingtom buffs housed them in a second hand garden shed and made the fence wire four feet high placing the  whole  set up between his tractor and a nice cut 6 foot high privet hedge.

 He got up one morning to find two chooks missing and the rest all dead inside the shed .
The front corner of the shed had been chewed open and two board were in tatters .
 I ended up helping him to do it properly so he could start again .