Monday, March 15, 2010

Deer proof plantings

I heard lots of comments about the deer post. Well let me try to address some of the questions.

Deer proof plantings- is there such a thing? Let’s say deer resistance. 

Well the easy answer is No- there are plants which deer do not eat, like tobacco and supposedly daffodils. Depending on what you read you may find various lists of plants, everyone has their own lists.   In spite of what is written and what you read, including this posting, your yard may prove a bit different. Over the years my mother in law would buy whatever deer proof plant book she could find for me. I now have three and all the lists are a bit different; if you are local they are at the lending library at the farm and you are welcome to check the books out. Regardless, I can disagree with many of those lists.

Your critters eat what is available, so if they have never tasted boxwood and you bring it in they may not like the taste but it will be new and they may develop a taste for it. Nothing is off limits. Mountain Laurel is toxic to deer, well, be that as it may in a bad winter they will nibble the tips, browse the stems and eat just enough to not get sick. By spring the shrubs are roughly pruned but they recover- This has been happening for millennium and will continue into the future. One of the many things you deal with if you live in the natural. I am pretty certain silk flowers would be deer proof but even that is not a certainty. 

I have the deer proof planting area outside our restrooms and all summer long they thrive, the deer graze the grass around them and do not touch a single herb.  Lavender, southernwood, sage and Elijah Blue Festuca are planted along the path and thrive in the heat and rock. Once the first frost arrives the flavor must change (this is strictly my hypothesis- nothing scientific at all) and they will begin to nibble. At first just a bit then by the time the grass is brown or covered by snow, the sage will be stripped bare and eventually 18” stems will be pruned down to several short stubby inches. The Southern Wood is stripped and Festuca is cropped right to the ground and finally they begin on the Lavender. They do not decimate it but it does get more of a hair cut than it needs.

This winter we have had more snow cover than ever and no open ground for the grass so they nibbled on anything they could. Our Lavender has even been pruned, we will see how everything bounces back and be sure to check out these plantings when you visit. I think you will be surprised how well they recover and yes all summer they will once again be deer resistance ( I believe only silk flowers are really deer proof)  Gardening in deer country is always an adventure.