How to Garden and Co-Exist with Deer

As an avid gardener I understand the damage that deer can do to a season of hard work and dedication. Gardening comes in many forms. Most of us spend a great deal of time at this endeavor. Shrubbery can cost a great deal of money and require a certain amount of effort to maintain. So why let the deer come out at night and nourish themselves on your investment. Just one deer can do great damage to your front hedge in just one episode. Not very neighborly is it.

As a realtor, I stress the importance of curb appeal and visual balance. Buyers will sometimes walk away from a home if they don't like what they see. Forget about the fact that if a front hedge is unkept or eaten, I have had to do the old drive by and not even stop. Why? A well planned landscape design can cost more than $10,000 to purchase and install. That includes landscaping. Buyers generally avoid obvious costs going in. So how do we protect this integral part of our home investment?

I moved to Somers, NY in 1996 and I was going to do my own landscaping, lawn mowing and gardening. After 14 yeqars I have no regrets about it. But it did not take long to figure out that I lived in the middle of an established deer trail. That meant that my landscaping from time to time was fed upon. Now some people surround the shrubs with chicken wire fencing. This is just my opinion, but it looks terrible and does nothing for the curb appeal of a home. Electrified fences are good, but I can not opine to that way of thinking, especially that I only have an acre to protect. So I spent much time researching and have found that there are shrubs and plants that deer will not eat. This has been a particularly bad season for deer so I am getting serious now.

One thing to know is that deer dietary likes and dislikes run from neighborhood to neighborhood. Rhubarb is poisonous, but deer will eat it. Adding to the myth that deer (like sharks) will eat anything. So are there plants that they will not eat? Yes! Below is a list of plants that seem not to appeal to our friends. Remember, nothing is foolproof and deer if pressed will eat anything.

Annuals:

Oriental Poppy, Bee Balm, Peony, Jacobs Ladder, Lungwort, Sword Fern, Lavender, Gayflower, Lambsear, Russian Sage, Rose Campoin, Candytuft, Sweet Cicely, Marjoram, Spearmint, Maiden Grass, Obedient Grass, Trillium, Tansy, Speedwell, Yucca, Windflower, Columbine, Sea Pink, Goats Beard, Butterfly Weed, False Rockcress and Blackberry Lillies.

Shrubs:

Lilac, Tamarix, Spirea, Sumac, Eastern Red Cedar, Sweet Pepperbush, Barberry, Black Chokeberry, Butterfly Bush, Forsynthia, Mugho Pine, Smoke Tree, Cinquefoil, Bearberryand Serviceberry.

Keep in mind that there are many other species that are also available. Do your research and plan your landscaping and the rewards are far more than the effort. There is nothing that says more about your home than the love and work that you put into it. Another tip for avoiding deer is - DON'T FEED THEM! They will become accustomed to that and come back time and time again.

Happy Gardening!