Absolutely we do. Tomatoes, leeks, onions, various beans, several brassicas, carrots and courgettes are our mainstay with the rest of our growing room taken up by experiments and whims. We also have several chickens, so I often revel in the intense flavour of homemade pasta covered with a sauce of homegrown ingredients.

We also find the regular influx of caterpillars on the cabbages are welcomed by the hens. Waste not, want not….

The plan is to get some raised beds built in the next month or so. Thinking of soft fruit, salads, and a few root veg. But time will tell - but I defo want to get more involved in making the garden productive.

Rabbits eat everything that's not either woody, inedible or protected here, so growing capacity seems limited. There are a couple of fruit trees and many rose bushes (although something still ate a young one of those!) and we manage to grow some tomatoes and chillis in baskets and boxes. Last year's box courgette crop was disappointing: I think they need more land. Do you have any other suggestions for stuff that can be defended from the cute fluffy locusts?

@mjr, there's no real way of avoiding the inevitable IMHO. Whilst there are ultrasonic deterrents, chemical deterrents, traps and all manner of other ideas, the only reliable way I've found to keep rabbits away from your veg is a physical barrier.

We're lucky in having chickens since we've already surrounded the run with electric fencing, so protecting the veg garden is only a matter of some extra electric tape, some more suitable fence posts and joining the whole lot to the existing high voltage supply. Just like the foxes with the hens, the rabbits only try once to get through the barrier before getting a VERY uncomfortable experience which nonetheless does them no physical harm. Failing that, any kind of strong mesh fencing is fine as long as you also lay the mesh outwards along the ground for a couple of feet. That stops the rabbits trying to burrow underneath. None of the physical barriers are a cheap option, but nor are they horrendously expensive if you do a bit of judicious recycling (wood from pallets is fine for making up a picket fence, for example) even if you do have to improvise a bit to get enough height.

I would not, of course, advocate trying to trap the rabbits. Almost all forms of trapping are illegal by nature of the distress caused. One obvious exception is humane traps, but those then pose the dilemma of what to do with the rabbit once trapped.

@mjr, rabbits have become our biggest headache. It's taken an enormous amount of work and effort to keep the out the veg garden thanks for rolls and rolls of chicken wire. They also dig up new plants and, as you've said, even eat plants that are supposedly poisonous to them and that they shouldn't touch.

We have discovered two natural ways of keeping them at bay. We're in a very private location, so when I'm out and gardening (drinking water to stay hydrated) I empty my bladder in all the places where I've seen them digging. This has been very effective around the veg garden and they don't come back to these spots for days at a time (sometimes weeks). They obviously find new spots, so I "treat" those when I see evidence of rabbits. The problem is you need privacy and regular application (especially after rain). 

The other thing that's also worked (60-70% of the time) is applying fish, blood and bone meal around plants that are munched on or dug up. We've used this one from Westland, and it obviously also helps the plants in the long-term, so it's a win-win. 

How's everyone's veg coming along? Did you guys mostly buy plugs or grow from seed. Curious to know how things are going.

We've still got some leeks from over winter, and a few carrots the same. Some onions coming along nicely from early-planted sets and some over-winter cabbages, the last of which are starting to bolt. Ho, hum.

As for seed, we've got lots of tomatoes in seed trays, both plum toms and trailing cherry toms, we've half a tray full of leeks, just planted some more carrots in between the onion sets and have a few cucumber plants just germinating. Only just planted some peas and are putting together some supports ready to take some climbing french beans.

We'd have been a bit more ahead by now if it hadn't been for Eunice modifying our greenhouse, but we've a new (bigger) one arriving in a few weeks, so just in time for the tomatoes to be transplanted into grow bags ready for growing proper.

We inevitably have a whole load of other stuff still to plant but that's not work in progress yet. So many things to do now the sun's shining....

@majordennisbloodnok, sounds like everything's progressing relatively well. Good to hear.

We've direct seeded a lot and everything's coming out now, and our slug nematodes arrive this week as the slugs are beginning to nibble on our lettuce.

On a semi-related note, if anyone's looking for a natural, liquid fertiliser, we can highly recommend Ecoworm's vermicompost that has been working like a treat for us for the past two years. If you're interested, you can buy the fertiliser directly from their shop and if you use MYHOMEFARM as a voucher code at checkout you'll get 20% off your purchase. They have fertilisers for plants, trees and fruit & veg. They're a small UK business and are worth supporting. 

Posted by: @editor

Did you guys mostly bug plugs or grow from seed

We're growing from seed. What's a bug plug, does it work and why can't it be used growing from seed? Could do with something to keep these bugs away!

Seedlings are still on the windowsills waiting for no more frosts. I have no involvement beyond watering them when told. My fingers are more red than green!

Trees are more my thing but we've currently only one pear tree and one plum. Looks like it could be a bumper pear crop this year. Not sure about the plums yet.

@mjr, that was supposed to read buy plugs - iPad always tries to figure out what I’m trying to type. Annoying.

Our fruit trees are also looking great - better than they’ve ever been.

Given our greenhouse needed to be delivered and put up last year, the growing season was a bit late. However, that was last year and we're hoping to get going pretty soon on the seeds under glass this year.

Well, we’re now more organised than we ever have been this early in the season.

The greenhouse has been cleaned, leccy points have been installed and we’ve now got a greenhouse heater and separate thermostat, a couple of propagation LED strip lights and some smart plugs to control the light timings.

Basil, tomatoes and brassicas now sown and starting to germinate and about to get some broad beans on the go this weekend.

Feral/farm cats.  That's what you need to control rabbits.  We live in a rural out of the way area surrounded by farm land.  The previous owners here had a terrible problem with rabbits and were pretty much unable to grow anything that the rabbits wouldn't eat.  Until...................... further down the lane is some derelict barns that were renovated.  It is thought a litter of feral cats living in the derelict buildings scattered across the countryside on arrival of the developers.  Two of these scraggy under nourished kittens found their way to the garden here.  A pair of brothers. They were trapped by the local cat rescue folk.  Once wormed, vaccinated, neutered and one of the ear tips was clipped (international vet' sign) they were released back here where they were fed very sparingly and took up residence in the old pig stye at the bottom of the garden.  As they grew they became quite naturally adept at hunting mice, voles, rabbits, grey squirrel, wood pigeon and even moles.  Suddenly there was no rabbit problem.  Regularly see them dragging a rabbit to one of their 'safe' places to devour.  They are great value.  Suddenly I went from a guy that had spent his entire adult life devising methods to discourage cats in my garden to seeing them as a natural part of our daily life.  They have no desire to enter the house and seek the bare minimum of at a distance contact with us humans.   Sadly one has disappeared we know not where. Probably a fox had him but who knows.  He certainly hasn't just wandered off because these two brothers were absolutely inseparable.  Already considering how we replace them when they're (he) is past it and meets his maker.  So, my solution, and advice, is, if you live in a suitable location, is to source a feral/farm cat and hope they become adept at controlling your rabbit population.