Deter Deer

It must be said that next to rabbits, deer are the most common complaint I hear about from customers when it comes to garden pests. I used to associate garden pests with slugs, aphids and the like, however since moving to the US I have found that there are so many larger ‘pests’ that gardeners must learn to coexist with.

We have an abundance of wooded areas here and even in the smallest of areas deer thrive. Of course, as their habitat is made smaller and smaller by urban sprawl they must learn to adapt, and one of the ways they adapt is to graze on the beautiful gardens we all work so hard to create.

I must admit, when a deer sees a beautifully cultivated garden, they must look at it in the same way we would look at the buffet at the local Golden Corral. I don’t blame them for not only seeing it as a buffet, but also treating it like one, grazing until they are so full they have to unbutton their pants. I also see it as a compliment, although bragging to your neighbors that your garden is the ‘best buffet in town’ seems counter-productive.

There are very few truly ‘deer proof’ plants, and unless your vision of the perfect garden contains a selection of cactus and yucca, you will have to compromise somewhere. There are sprays, electric fences, lighting packages and noise machines, all promising to keep the deer away from your prized roses, but I have found that a determined enough deer will survive an electric shock with a smile on his face, for the chance to eat every single rose flower on your rosebush.

Thanks to feedback from customers, friends and neighbors I have a selection of plants that have been found to work very well for most gardens frequented by deer. Of course, if your deer are of the super stealth variety you may want to reconsider the cactus and yucca garden after all.

The full list is quite large, but I have selected a small number of plants of different types that have a beauty to them, either through flowers, foliage color, berries or structure.

Of course, this list isn’t a guarantee that these plants will survive your deer, but it’s nice to have recommendations from people who have tried them and had success!

 

VINES

Clematis Armandii, Wisteria, Pyracantha.

GROUNDCOVERS

Aegopodium, Cotoneaster, Convallaria (Lily of the Valley), Ajuga, Hypericum.

TREES

Crepe Myrtle, Magnolia, Mimosa, Cotinus (Smoke Tree).

ANNUALS

Ageratum, Celosia, Foxglove, Heliotrope, Portulaca.

HERBS

Lavender, Germander, Rosemary, Rue, Catmint, Chamomile.

TREES/SHRUBS

Daphne, Oleander, Quince, Spirea, Weigela, Buddleja (Butterfly Bush).

PERENNIALS

Coreopsis, Hellebore (Christmas Rose/Lenten Rose), Columbine, Scabiosa, Monarda (Bee Balm), Japanese Anemone, Candytuft, Creeping Phlox, Echinacea (Coneflower), Stachys (Lamb’s Ears).