GardenBanter.co.uk - Deerproof flowers

I am tolerant of the wildlife that visits my garden & even when they cause
harm I change my gardening practices & try not to begrudge some wild
visitor their interactions. I lost an entire bog garden to a racoon --
replanted, & lost it again -- replanted, & lost it again. I finally
changed the little artificial bog all around so that if a racoon plays in
it, there is nothing to be harmed, which alas did mean forgoing a few
extra plants.

But if I were on a deer path, I'd be SO annoyed, & would probably put up
some very good fence barriers. Long lists of deer-hardy plants can be
found in books & on the net, & I'd attend to those if forced to, but would
expect even the stuff deer don't like to get eaten if that's all there was
to choose from. IF i were able to keep my "wildlife is good" attitude even
when confronted by these heavy eaters, it would be by planting things
outside the fenced area that grow back swiftly or which actually benefit
by a little "natural pruning" -- so that I could have the pleasure of
seeing deer while prohibiting access to important or harmable areas.

I've seen deer at the woodland edge a mere half mile away, but it is
unlikely they'll get quite to my yard as it'd mean walking exposed along
streets with dogs & children, rather than through woods, & they probably
never will get that bold. Folks who live along the park & woods, though,
have to deal with them all the time. And adjusting to them requires WAY
more tolerance than for the occasional raccoon or possum or mole. I really
suspect that fences are the only serious answer. These could be pleasant
wooden fences with gated arbor entryways, so could be assets rather than
ugly wire or net or link fence barriers.

Here is a FAQ on deer resistant gardening & plant choices; there are many
FAQs like it on the web:
http://www.twomblynursery.com/faq.htm
Here's a commercial webite about deer control in the garden, including a
plant database:
http://www.mydeergarden.com
Here's Texas A&M University's take on the issue, with a list of plant choices:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/p...ions/deer.html
A page on deer resistant perennials including shade plants:
http://surfsc.com/perennialhouse/deer.htm

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/