Shotgun!!!!!,lol,no not really, we have the same problem although the fox does seem to be keeping them down a bit lately,will be interested to see if anyone has any tried and tested deterrent, they seem to go for all newly planted things here, so cover them with wire netting until established that stops them a bit,and the plants grow through it, fencing the whole garden isn't an option as far too big, one thing they don't like and have never bothered with is my daylily collection.

We're surrounded by gorse and scrub with a field (read rabbit haven) on one side. A wire mesh fence round a large part of the garden works well, and I grow stuff they don't like in the rest. I haven't found anything else that works, though you may want to try a couple of good hunting cats or Jack Russells. Then your problem will be poo in the flower beds.....

Netting is really the only solution. There are rabbits in the field next to my home /plant nursery and for years they ignored the nursery then,about 3 years ago the discovered the nursery and ate about 1000 plants over one week in winter whilst I was away.

I have a cat who brings home about 3-4 rabbits a year but this barely dents theb population

its since we havn't got the dogs any more that they have caused so much trouble-- not much deters them from digging my neighbour has created a successful veg patch by burying the netting about 8" and bending it outwards all round before replacing the soil _| if you see what I mean....

That's what I've done - and I patrol the perimeter, looking for the beginnings of rabbit digging activities. If I find any I drop rocks on their scrapes to discourage them.

All my nursery plants stand on a tough plastic,woven,water permeable fabric . I have a 2 foot tall chicken wire fence around the edge of this which is firmly pinned down to the ground,through the fabric,with wire pegs. The rabbits don't seem to be able to dig through the fabric .

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31559373@N00/2277807924/

its when they 'burrow' in my pots of flowers I get disheartened-- I even covered the top in green netting but they still wrecked the lot :o(

I thought the varmints that burrow in the pots were squirrels? Dratted things! They're getting at the plants inside the rabbit fence - particularly red and yellow tulips. They're leaving the pink ones alone, for some reason.

definitly rabbits here-- I've seen them...... must be little boy squirrels ..leavingthe pink ones.....

LOL - I hadn't thought of that Pam! :-)

We had rabbit problems on our allottments then a family of stoats moved in no more rabbits plenty of fat stoats

we had that last summer--lovely to see--- but I think that the're hibernating at the moment!!... and some of these rabbits are huge......

Well whats the answer, stoats, cats, dogs, foxes, chicken wire, green mesh, I think a big gun will do. Thanks so much for all your help, someone else has suggested putting human urine all round the perimeter of the garden, the wife said no. Thanks again.