Perennial plants that bees and butterflies are attracted too that rabbits don't eat

Blackhalloliver

Hiya everyone,

I have been struggling with this since january when i took on a project in a family members garden the garden is 2 acres in size and i have a large circle that i am filling with bee friendly plants i found that antirrhinums and ostiospernums coped well does any one have any other perennials in mind and also this project is on a shelted bit of dartmoor in devon

Thanks !

Fairygirl

The Loosestrifes are rabbit safe, and so are  Potentillas. Insects of all types like them both. Crocosmias are pretty safe too in my experience.
Rabbits annihilate tulips and crocus, but you're safe with daffs and snowdrops. Excellent for early nectar.  I can't remember if they stay away from the species tulips though, but I wouldn't  risk it. 

Blackhalloliver

Fairygirl thanks i heard daffs where ok but thanks for all the others ! 

raisingirl

rabbits eat anything, including things they aren't supposed to like.

With that caveat, based on what they generally haven't eaten in my garden yet, bees like blues, so a succession of blue/purple flowers is a good core strategy - so, for example, pulmonaria, centaurea montana, hardy geraniums, alliums, agapanthus, aster frikartii monch and verbena bonariensis. Depends what your soil is like and how sunny it is whether you can grow them all.

Foxgloves are always bumble bee favourites, and marjoram and greek oregano are permanently buzzing with honey bees here. Lavender if you can grow it - I can't over here on Exmoor; it's too cold and the soil's too heavy and acidic - but I don't think the bunnies are too keen on it generally.

Busy-Lizzie

Rabbits and deer tend not to eat plants with perfumed leaves, such as salvias and lavender, which the bees love.

Blackhalloliver

Raisin girl yeah thanks i have tones of dartmoor fox gloves there and also some yellow foxgloves and chocolate ones. I can grow lavendar on dartmoor at this border is very sunny since i cleared it from all of the grass growth also hardy geraniums would do well by the hedge that i planted up as its in part shade so thanks for the tips

Blackhalloliver

Thanks busy-lizzie !! I have planted 10 lavendar plants and a rosemary they are doing really well !👍

Lyn

@Blackhalloliver. What are Dartmoor foxgloves? 

Hostafan1

I'm sensing the need for  a Venn Diagram.

Blackhalloliver

Hi Lyn, they are really digitalis purpurea but us locals call them that i don't know why we just do but they have slight differences to to digitalis purpurea but they dont have there own name they just share it with digitalis purpurea 

Hope this helped !👍

Blackhalloliver

Hostafan1 said:

I'm sensing the need for  a Venn Diagram.

Ok go ahead