Has Your Garden Become a Buffet?

Today's post is about keeping the Deer out of our Gardens. I have had a bunch of comments and conversations about Deer eating the beloved flowers and shrubs in your gardens. As a city gardener, I don't face this issue...but I know several of you have deer...and a few friends in this area that are acreage gardeners are frustrated because deer are devouring expensive landscaping, and they are not willing to install a deer fence.
Now I love Deer...I think they are gentle and beautiful creatures, but I am sure this opinion would change if I had to deal with them making gourmet snacks out of my hard work!
I have put together another list of a few things that I have heard are not yummy to the creatures...although...if they are hungry enough they will eat pretty much anything! For another list that I posted last year...click here to go to that post.
When Deer are an issue in your garden, put daylilies, roses, hostas, tulips, and lilies out of your mind (unless you're prepared to put them in containers close to the house, where they can be protected).
Deer have very sensitive noses and are irritated by strong odors. This fact makes most herbs — (including butterfly bushes, lavender, yarrows, salvias, boxwoods, and thymes) deer-safe. Deer also do not like to nibble on ferns and ornamental grasses, or daffodils, hellebores, and aconitums.
I have heard that they also do not like Marigolds...as the smell turns them off. An old farmer I once knew used to say that male urine all around the perimeter of your garden will keep deer from snacking on the plants....but who wants to allow the men in the family to go around peeing in the garden??? ( it is also known to be an effective fertilizer...female urine...not so good...to much ammonia) Kinda thinking this might be too gross for me...lol But any kind of human scent is supposed to turn them away...again there is NO guarantee that these plants or anything will ward off the deer...many of these creatures are starving and when one gets hungry enough...well you get the picture....
At any rate...here is the list.
1.Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii 'Purple Emperor').
2. Butterfly bush (Bddleja dvidii 'Peacock').
3. Milky bellflower (Campanula lactiflora 'Loddon Anna').
4. Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Razzmatazz').
5. Anise hyssop (Agastache 'Blue Fortune').
6. Purple maiden grass (Miscanthus 'Purpurascens').
7. Yarrow (Achillea 'Moonshine').
8. Hybrid cranesbill (Geranium 'Jolly Bee').
9. Blue oat grass (Helictotrichon sempervirens 'Saphirsprundel').
10. Tickseed (Coreopsis 'Creme Brulee').
11. Perennial sage (Salvia x sylvestris 'May Night').
12. Germander (Teucrium hyrcanicum 'Paradise Delight').
I found this list in an email that I received from a garden forum that I belong to. I thought maybe it would be a good thing to share. The plants in this list are good for a sunny garden in zones 5-8....(I am zone 3 so this does me no good...lol)
I did a post a while ago that has a few more suggestions in it...click here to get to that post. It has about 12 more suggestions to keep the critters out of your gardens! And Photos!
good luck with the deer!