If your child has just asked for a pet rabbit - or one has already taken up residence in your garden - you may be quietly wondering what it means for your carefully tended borders. The good news is that pets in the garden and rabbits in particular are far more compatible with beautiful planting than most people expect. With a little thoughtful planning around layout, plant choice, and a secure outdoor space, your garden and your rabbit can genuinely thrive together. At Cedar Nursery, we help families get this right every day.
How Rabbits Behave Outdoors
Before anything else, it helps to understand what rabbits actually do in a garden. They graze, they dig, and they chew. This is not bad behaviour - it is simply what rabbits are built for. They are most active at dawn and dusk, and they need space to run, explore, rest, and forage to stay healthy and happy.
What they are not built for is unsupervised free roaming across an open garden. Foxes, cats, and birds of prey are real risks in most Surrey gardens. Rabbits can also squeeze through surprisingly small gaps in fencing, and some common garden plants are genuinely toxic to them. The goal, then, is not to give your rabbit the run of the entire garden at all times - it is to create a supervised or securely managed outdoor experience that keeps them safe while protecting your planting.
Think of it less as a restriction and more as good design. A well-planned rabbit-friendly garden works better for everyone.
Setting Up a Safe Space for Your Rabbit
The foundation of a rabbit-friendly garden is a dedicated, secure outdoor space. A proper rabbit run with a solid base or close-mesh wire flooring prevents digging out - and rabbits are surprisingly determined diggers when motivated.
Within the run, your rabbit needs shade, shelter, and space. Rabbits are susceptible to overheating when temperatures climb above around 25°C, so a covered section that offers shade during the hottest part of the day is essential in summer. A sheltered corner for wind and rain protection matters just as much in winter.
When positioning an outdoor hutch, keep it away from direct afternoon sun and sheltered from the prevailing wind. Raising it off the ground improves airflow and reduces damp - both important for long-term rabbit health.
As a general principle, the run should be as large as practically possible. Welfare guidance is clear that rabbits need room to run, not just sit. Cedar Nursery stocks a range of outdoor structures that can help you create shaded, sheltered garden zones - our team is happy to talk through what works for your space.
If you plan to allow supervised access to a wider area of the garden, walk the perimeter of your fencing first. Check for gaps at ground level and pay particular attention to corners and gate edges where wear and movement can open up spaces over time.
Choosing Plants That Work for Rabbits and Gardeners
This is the question most gardening parents ask first, and it has a genuinely encouraging answer. Many attractive, garden-worthy plants are perfectly safe for rabbits - and some can even tolerate a degree of grazing without looking the worse for it.
Plants that rabbits generally enjoy and that hold up well in a garden setting include:
- Lavender - fragrant, structural, and safe for rabbits to nibble
- Chamomile - low-growing and cheerful, happy to be grazed
- Yarrow - tough, attractive, and rabbit-tolerant
- Sunflowers - a rabbit favourite and a family garden classic
- Marigolds - bright, easy to grow, and safe
- Dandelion - yes, the humble weed is genuinely loved by rabbits and perfectly safe
- Clover - another lawn "weed" that rabbits adore
- Plantain (the weed, not the fruit) - nutritious and palatable for rabbits
You can browse our garden plants collection at landscaping.co.uk to explore options, or come in and speak to the team who can advise on what suits your specific garden conditions.
Plants to keep out of reach are equally important to know. Foxglove, rhubarb leaves, lily of the valley, buttercup, and most bulb plants are toxic to rabbits. These do not need to be banished from your garden entirely - they simply need to be kept in raised beds, containers, or behind a low barrier during any supervised garden time.
Raised beds are one of the most practical solutions available to families with rabbits. They protect your prized vegetables and ornamentals while keeping the garden looking organised and attractive. Cedar Nursery carries a range of landscape edging and raised bed materials that make this straightforward to achieve.
One more useful note: strongly scented plants like lavender, rosemary, and sage can act as a mild deterrent in areas you would prefer your rabbit to avoid. They are safe if nibbled, but rabbits tend to steer clear of the most pungent patches. That makes them doubly useful in a rabbit-friendly garden design.
Protecting Your Borders and Prized Plants
Even with the best plant selection, there will be parts of your garden you want to keep off-limits. A few practical measures make this straightforward.
Low decorative fencing or border edging around your beds works well during supervised garden time - it does not need to be fortress-level, just enough to discourage casual grazing. Wire mesh around individual young shrubs or newly planted trees gives them time to establish before they are robust enough to cope with attention from a curious rabbit.
If you use any pest control in the garden, switch to pet-safe alternatives throughout. Slug pellets and many common garden chemicals are dangerous to rabbits. There are effective organic options available - our garden care team can point you in the right direction.
On the lawn, rabbits will graze and may create worn patches in areas they use regularly. This is manageable rather than catastrophic. Rotating where your rabbit spends time, and overseeding in autumn, keeps the lawn in good shape. It is worth framing this as normal family garden wear rather than damage.
A Garden for Children, Rabbits, and Grown-Ups Too
The best family gardens are designed with everyone in mind. A little zoning goes a long way: a dedicated pet area with the run and hutch, a planting area with raised beds and borders, and a seating area where the adults can actually sit down and enjoy it all.
When these zones are clearly defined - using edging, gravel, or planting - everyone gets what they need. The children have a space to interact with their rabbit. The rabbit has a safe, stimulating outdoor environment. And you have borders that stay largely intact.
If you are planning a more significant garden redesign around your family's needs, Cedar Nursery offers outdoor styling consultations. Our team has helped many families in and around Cobham create outdoor spaces that genuinely work for children, pets, and grown-ups together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can pet rabbits live outside all year round in the UK?
Yes, rabbits can live outdoors year round in the UK, provided their hutch and run offer adequate shelter, insulation, and shade. They need protection from frost in winter and from overheating in summer - temperatures above around 25°C can be dangerous. A well-positioned, well-constructed setup handles both.
Which garden plants are safe for rabbits?
Many common garden plants are safe for rabbits, including lavender, chamomile, yarrow, sunflowers, and marigolds. Dandelions, clover, and plantain are also safe and genuinely enjoyed. Always check before introducing new plants to your garden, as some popular choices - including foxgloves and many bulbs - are toxic.
How do I stop my rabbit from destroying my garden?
The most effective approach combines a secure run to limit unsupervised access, raised beds to protect prized plants, and rabbit-tolerant planting in areas where your rabbit does roam. Low border edging during supervised time adds another layer of protection without making the garden feel like an obstacle course.
Is it safe to let rabbits roam freely in the garden?
Unsupervised free roaming is generally not recommended by animal welfare organisations. Rabbits face real risks from predators, escape through gaps in fencing, and accidental contact with toxic plants. Supervised garden time combined with a secure run is the safest and most practical approach for most family gardens.
Come and Talk to Us at Cedar Nursery
A rabbit in the garden is a genuine joy - for children especially, but for the whole family. With a little planning, your borders and your bunny can absolutely coexist. Come and visit us at Cedar Nursery in Cobham, less than five miles from RHS Wisley, where our team can help you choose rabbit-safe plants, explore outdoor structures and runs, and think through a garden layout that works for everyone. You can also browse our plant collections at landscaping.co.uk before you visit. We would love to help you get it right.