How can I prevent rabbits from damaging my roses in winter?

Question:

How can I prevent rabbits from damaging my roses in winter?

Answer:

The best way to prevent rabbit damage to roses in the home landscape is to place chicken wire fencing or hardware cloth around the plants.  To adequately protect plants, the fencing material needs to be high enough that rabbits won’t be able to climb or reach over the fence after a heavy snow.  In most cases, a fence that stands 24 to 36 inches tall should be sufficient.  To prevent rabbits from crawling underneath the fencing, bury the bottom 2 or 3 inches below the ground or pin the fencing to the soil with u-shaped anchor pins.  

Learn more about growing roses in this article: Growing Roses in Iowa.