HERE’S AN IDEA TO THROW IN THE HOPPER: PLAN A LANDSCAPE THAT RABBITS HATE.

Q: I’ve spent so much time and effort on my landscaping and now it’s being devoured by rabbits. How do I keep these rascally rabbits out of my yard?

A: There’s nothing cuter than a soft cottontail rabbit, but if you see one hopping across your landscape, you can count on damage being done somewhere. They have a voracious appetite for plants at any time of the year. The best way to rabbit-proof your landscape is in the design and planning phase. That’s the ideal time to select plants that rabbits don’t have a taste for, such as flax lily, juniper, plumbago and bougainvillea. If at all possible, try to avoid Asiatic jasmine, perennial peanut and Indian hawthorn. These are like fine chocolate to a rabbit!

If all else fails, you can use chicken wire placed at least a few inches deep into the ground around your precious plantings. But let’s be honest. Chicken wire is ugly. We think planning and planting a rabbit-resistant landscape in the first place is your better bet.