[carladoyle1979]

Help please... I need some suggestions of plants that slugs wont eat and rabbits wont dig up and eat.. My son died last year and I planted a load of really nice plants at his grave, but they have all been eaten by slugs or dug up and chewed by rabbits, so I need to plant something that both the critters wont attack..

[James Kilkelly]

Install plants that rabbits have very little interest in, such as aromatic plants, prickly/spiney plants, and those with tough leaves. Examples of which would be.....
Taxus baccata (yew)
Euonymus europaeus (Spindleberry)
Buxus sempervirens (Box
Cornus (Dogwood)
Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)
Rosmarinus (rosemary)
Sambucus (elder)
Aucuba (spotted Laurel)
Aconitum (Monkshood)
Digitalis (foxglove)
Ligularia (Leopard Plant)
Helleborus (Hellebore)
Nepeta (catmint)

Also look to nearby plantings to discover what has survived rabbit attack for them.

You can try planting plant varieties offering high resistance to slug attack such as .......
Taxus baccata (yew)
Euonymus europaeus (Spindleberry)
Buxus sempervirens (Box
Cornus (Dogwood)
Choisya (Mexican orange blossom)
Rosmarinus (rosemary)
Sambucus (elder)
Aucuba (spotted Laurel)
Aconitum (Monkshood)
Digitalis (foxglove)
Ligularia (Leopard Plant)
Helleborus (Hellebore)
Nepeta (catmint)


My top picks against to cover for both pests would be....
Lavenders
Nepeta (catmint)
Helleborus
Rosmarinus (rosemary)

I hope you find something here to help you carladoyle1979.

[carladoyle1979]

Oh thank you so much, I didn't think there would be so many to choose from..

[PeterEnglish]

I've only just spotted this post so please excuse the late response. Carladoyle1979, my sympathies to you. My brother died three years ago, and it's still hard to come to terms with the loss.

Mr Kilkelly has posted a pretty comprehensive list, but a lot of the suggestions might not be acceptable to certain councils, owing to the height/spread of the plants.

Could I make an alternative suggestion?

Plant something for both of you, but plant it in your garden.

Keep your son's grave for grass, cut flowers, or something small and unobtrusive like wild violets, primroses, cowslips. When my brother died, I saved the seeds from his favourite lilac tree, and I now have a very small and very precious lilac in a pot on my patio.

Got to go now, I think I have something in my eye.

[carladoyle1979]

Hi Peterenglish

Thank you for your reply, sorry to hear about your brother, and thank you for the advice about the flowers. I have a special hydrangea (baby blue in colour) that I keep in m garden. I like your idea of the violets and primroses too, so I think a trip to the garden center is order again, any excuses. Our vicar said any low growing plants are ok to plant around his grave, and some others have planted tulips and daffodils, but they only give spring colour. I was thinking about a low growing bush called Lithadora, it grows quite slowly I think, and if kept trimmed should stay small.

[PeterEnglish]

I don't know much about Lithodora, but from what I've just Googled, it's a beautiful plant; those small and delicate flowers are lovely. It seems to be related to the Forget-Me-Not family, so it might be your answer.

Can someone here confirm that Lithodora would stand up to slug and rabbit attack?

[mountainy man]

I have the evil slugs from hell and lithodora has never been touched also they dont care for astilbe, persicaria, bergenia amongst others. James above has choisia on his list but mine was attacked a couple of years ago and devoured bark and all so sad I dont have rabbits here so cant advise on their tastes !

[StephOL79]

Good morning....

I realise the post is old enough at this stage but what plants did ye go for in the end and did it work?

I have similar issues...our son's grave plants are regularly being raided by slugs and other critters. I am looking for something hardy that will withstand that and a few week spell of not visiting every weekend.

Looking for something nice and colourful to put on the grave also.

Thanks
Steph