I have just a few lilies but our neighborhood is plagued with adorable little bunnies and their moms and dads. They ate all my wildflowers and have chomped quite a few other plants but it really got me irritated when they just ate the leaves, chomped through the stem and toppled the flowers to the ground.
I brought my Star Gazer lily buds in - they finally bloomed after a week or so in a vase. My question is - will my bulbs produce again next year or are they destroyed now since they lost the entire above ground plant this year? I am in the process of fencing in this front yard flower bed to eliminate the problem in the future.

They usually come back but a bit weaker. If you can keep the stem going next year it will build the bulb back up again.

maryjane said: My question is - will my bulbs produce again next year or are they destroyed now since they lost the entire above ground plant this year? I am in the process of fencing in this front yard flower bed to eliminate the problem in the future.

I wish you luck with that! I've had rabbits in my yard for years! I live trap them and take them miles away, I've fenced in my garden, I've put chicken wire inside the fence we have dogs and still they get in and eat everything! Last winter I lost a mature crabapple, yucca, quince (even wrapped the quince with chicken wire) tree peony, roses and in spring there are always lilies lost to rabbit treats. Why is it they always eat just that little bit of stem at the bottom of the lily?

This might help
Homemade Rabbit Repellent
http://www.buzzle.com/articles...

Sorry MaryJane, but I agree with Brian. Fences generally won't keep them out. Mine is 4' tall "rabbit fence"; width of opening 1.5"x3", and they just turn their heads sideways and force their bodies on through. It's unbelievable!
I'm removing my fence today...it's only restrictive to me!

Good luck to you.

Thanks for the input. I think I am going to lift my lily bulbs this fall, plant them in a large glass urn that I hope will be taller than the rabbits. I am finding the fence is more of a bother to me. Most of the flowers they bothered don't matter as much - 25 cent seed packet of wildflowers versus fence expense??!!

We have a lot of wild rabbits/bunnies here too (every day, every year). I planted some lilies last Fall, but they haven't found them yet. Can lilies be planted into a container tall enough that the rabbits won't bother the plants? I rather leave them were I planted them, but hate to lose them.

We have rabbits here in Tassie, Maryjane , but the Govt killed most of them and peoples pet rabbits, with virus, You have to be very careful what you buy to eat now !.Seriously, a good fence is a must . These little blokes can jump at least 4 foot high/and long..

I have had good luck with Plantskydd. Have used the concentrated spray as well as granular. It does not rinse off after rain and I apply it about every 2 1/2 month, whereas not to miss the window where it loses its effectiveness.
https://www.plantskydd.com

Plantskydd is also available on Amazon as well. I'm getting ready to order some

It used to be tough to find years ago. Now you can get it at most garden centers as well as online. It smells really bad but the smell only last a couple days and be careful not to spill any on your clothes. It stains terrible and I swear the smell in clothes never leaves...