When you start a garden, you'll need a way to protect it from grazing animals like rabbits and deer. The most effective way to accomplish this is to put up a small fence around your garden to keep the animals from getting in the first place.
A picket fence will keep out deer, but rabbits can usually squeeze through the gaps. Chain link fencing is adequate, but you must be willing to go to the work and expense of installing it.
For most home gardens, though, rudimentary chicken wire fencing attached to metal landscaping posts offers the best utility and affordability.
You can also spray a harmless chemical repellent around the perimeter of your garden to make it less appealing to animals for supplementary protection.
In addition, you may want to spray a weed killer around the fence perimeter to keep the weeds at bay.  This article from Bob Villa will help you determine plants you thought were flowers but were weeds.