Growing a bunny-safe garden

At Windfall Acres, one of our favorite summer projects was building a dedicated raised bed just for our rabbits. Explore our journey creating safe, enriching spaces where bunnies can dig, explore, and graze on wholesome greens.

Growing a Bunny-Safe Garden: Plants Your Rabbits Can Enjoy

One of my favorite little additions to our property this summer was a raised garden just for the bunnies. I planted a few herbs, and they quickly made it one of their favorite places to explore. They love digging, rooting around in the dirt, and nibbling on the plants.

It's also become a wonderful little space for our baby bunnies to hop around and discover the world in a safe, supervised environment. Watching them explore, dig, and investigate everything around them has made me want to expand the garden quite a bit next year!

I'm still learning when it comes to gardening, but I've been looking into plants that are both rabbit-safe and relatively easy to grow in our Northeastern Pennsylvania climate. Here are some I'd like to add to the garden next summer.

Plants to Consider for Your Bunny Garden

You don't need a huge garden to get started. Many rabbit-friendly herbs and greens are fairly simple to grow, even if you're new to gardening.

Herbs

  • Basil: Easy to grow during the warmer months and a favorite for many rabbits.

  • Dill: A nice addition to the garden, and both the leaves and flowers can be enjoyed.

  • Cilantro: A quick-growing herb that can be planted in succession.

  • Parsley: A useful herb to grow and a nice addition to a varied diet.

  • Mint: Hardy and easy to grow, but it's best kept in its own container because it spreads quickly. (Guess how I know that!)

  • Thyme: A low-growing perennial herb that can return year after year.

Greens and Vegetables

  • Romaine and green-leaf lettuce: Great options for a leafy addition to the garden.

  • Carrots: The leafy tops are a particularly nice addition to a rabbit's diet. The carrots themselves can be enjoyed in moderation.

  • Radishes: The leafy tops are rabbit-safe and easy to grow.

  • Cucumber: A fun summer garden addition.

  • Zucchini: Another relatively easy summer vegetable.

  • Bell peppers: A colorful addition to the garden, with the fruit being safe to offer.

Keeping the Garden Safe

One of the most important things about having a garden specifically for our rabbits is making sure it's a safe place for them to explore.

Instead of using traditional fertilizers, I use our own rabbit manure to nourish the garden. It gives me peace of mind knowing I'm avoiding chemical fertilizers and pesticides and keeping the garden as natural as possible.

A few other things I keep in mind:

  • Make sure every plant is positively identified before introducing it to the rabbits, especially when bringing in wild plants such as wild carrots.

  • Remember that even rabbit-safe plants should be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

  • Provide shade and supervision during outdoor playtime. Depending on the time of year and where you live, it can get very warm in direct sunlight.

Looking Ahead to Next Summer

I'm excited to see what I can do with the bunny garden next year. I'd love to add more herbs, leafy greens, and a few flowers while making the space a little bigger for the rabbits to explore.

It's one of those little projects that combines two things I love: gardening and raising rabbits. And if the bunnies enjoy it half as much as they did this summer, I think it'll be well worth the effort!

Have you planted a garden for your rabbits? I'd love to hear what grows well for you and what your bunnies enjoy most!

Also, have you ever had to keep cats out of your garden so they don't use it as a litterbox? I could definitely use some advice on how to prevent that!