To protect individual trees and shrubs, place cylinders of commercial plastics, fabrics, paper, or poultry netting around the trunks. Support treatments with stakes. Be sure to recognize when stems grow through the netting and become susceptible to rabbit damage, and do not allow the protecting material to become so tight on the trunk that it constricts growth.
Some repellents are more effective than others. BGR (Big Game Repellent), also known as Deer-Away, is one that works for true herbivores like rabbits, but it will need constant replenishment. Exclusion is certainly a more permanent solution.
Online Resources
Cottontail Rabbit Control
