Hi guys

We have a lodge home in the grounds of a castle. Last year I spent 400 on pots and flowers etc for right round the lodge however within days the rabbits had stripped the lot lol.

Is there any things I can put in the pots that rabbits won't touch? Lol

Also this winter I bought loads of bird feeders as wd have a few trees out the back so went everyday to fill them and every day the squirrels had ribbed them down and damaged the plastic.  I went out and got heavy duty metal ones and the blooming things ripped them down and ragged them around till they broke into them. Some of the metal mesh they have actually ate through! Aghhh is there any thing I can try before giving up on the poor birds x

There are some plants rabbits don't like ( not many though !) although I don't know that they'd be suitable for pots, I've yet to see a Bears Britches ( Agapanthus ) that has been chewed, Echinops, Lambs Ears and Ferns don't seem to get eaten either, not in my garden anyway, but the little blighters are probably too busy eating my geraniums.

Have a look at the RSPB's feeders, they are on the dear side but are well designed and very robust.

Try hanging baskets and squirrel-proof bird feeders!  :)

I find a .410 is most effective for both :-) they rarely re offend!

Tasty too ;) For dogs or humans.

It's gettin that way Sam lol I bought a squirrel proof on yesterday for £30 filled it with nuts heard a noise during night and stood watching these squirrels trying to rip the new feeder down, eventually they got it on floor and ragged it round and toundvtgdn ate the bits that was coming out! Agghhh ..... Off shoppin for the gun ha ha

eventually they got it on floor
It needs to be securely squirrel proof fixed too!

There are types of perlargonium they won't eat and they tend not to favour heavy scents and flavours (lavender, anise).

you could try a water pistol on them perhaps?

A couple of JR's !!

Do the estate have a gamekeeper, or someone who comes in to do pest control?  Might be worth having a word to see if there's someone local, shooting folk are always crying out for good rabbiting land, along with those who use it to train up dogs for competition, such as spaniel trials etc. 

I sympathise, got the same problem here. Once every so often there's an outbreak of myxi and hardly any rabbits for the following year. The week we moved in I planted 90 primulas that got decimated overnight but the rabbits don't touch the wild yellow primrose. They also leave all spring bulbs alone, bluebells, azaleas, rhodies, laurels, magnolias, witch hazel, canterbury bells, pansies and (annoyingly) they don't eat nettles or brambles! We seem to have acrobatic squirrels who can jump anywhere and seemingly get through any feeders. If they don't do it the pigeons muscle in. As suggested previously I now only have window boxes and hanging baskets.

Also ferrets will clear a warren.

Can anyone recommend a company what dies upvc plant troughs which fur on the top of decking rails?

Don't know where you are but I know a lot of people who have licences who would love to go out shooting for rabbits for you :-)

Would you be able to put up a rabbit proof fence at all?

We've always had mainly shrubs and bulbus plants in our garden and they have never been touched by rabbits, however, my dogs took care of them   whoops.. lol... We now have craters everywhere, but I am slowly filling them in and replanting, thankfully Kai has grown out of digging(famous last words)
Don't get Squirrels here..

Ops just re read my post blooming predictive text lol

Does anyone know any suppliers inbthe uk that sell upvc decking troughs to hang over the rails going around the decking... They would have to be white

P.s were not allowed to do anything to the wildlife as part of our contract aghhhh

Rabbits do not dare to come into our terrier territory,but are a big problem at the local crematoreum,they destroy all the floral tributes over night,a very expensive diet! Squirrels visit our bird feeders,but seem to leave seed alone,so long as fat balls and nuts are on offer,so I put peanut  granules and grated cheese with the seed,so the smaller birds get a chance ,especially the tits and robins.

P.s were not allowed to do anything to the wildlife as part of our contract aghhhh
I agree.  In this instance you're encroaching on their habitat - they were there before you. :)

For the feeders, have you tried the guards that look like a corrugated umbrella/hat that fit on top. Haven't tried them as we have reds around here and would love it if they came to the bird table, but someone told me that they had found them usefull for keeping grey squirrels away.

> Haven't tried them as we have reds around here

If I lived where you do, I'd be installing a 24-hr squirrel cafe complete with gym, WiFi access and executive dining facilities.

OH at the local Co op last week and a woman asked what he was doing on his hands and knees beside the car, 'trying to get a squirrel out before I drive off'. She didn't believe him but then it ran under hers and they spent the next five mins trying to get it to move away!

Re bird feeders, saw one in Haskins today called the Squirrel Buster, presumably for just this situation :)