Deer Resistant Gardening

deer in yardRecently my husband and I took a quick weekend trip to East Texas to get a glimpse of what retirement might look like should we choose the area.  If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting the piney woods of Texas, it is indeed a very beautiful area and not the stereotypical flat, sparse representation of the state that most non-Texans have in their minds.

While driving through a couple of developments late on Saturday afternoon, we encountered a beautiful sight – a herd of deer.  As we continued through the winding roads, the sight repeated itself several times.  Of course, having a great love of nature, I was very happy to see one of our potential locales for retirement included these lovely creatures.

As we drove on, we stopped by a few homes on the market and began to notice most of them had dormant lantana in their flower beds.  We also noticed the absence of typical winter ornamentals such as pansies, violas and cabbages.

Then, the two thoughts merged and we realized living surrounded by abundant wildlife equals having limited vegetation!  Well, maybe limited is a strong word.  Perhaps, living  surrounded by abundant wildlife means one must carefully select appropriate landscaping plants, is a more accurate statement.

Keep in mind that under stressful situations, such as extreme drought or over population, deer and other wildlife will eat any plant possibly with the exception of very thorny (thus painful) shrub varieties such as hollies, barberries, etc.  Thus, below should considered “less-palatable-to-deer” recommended plants.  Two common themes with most of the suggested plants  – they are pungently aromatic and/or have “fuzzy” leaves.

Ornamentals:

lantana

verbena (a lantana relative that performs more like an annual)

marigold

iris

daffodil

dianthus

lamb’s ear

salvia and sage

cape honeysuckle

 

Vegetables:

onion,  garlic and most root crops in general

nightshade plants – tomatoes, peppers and potatoes (with the exception of petunias!)

 

Herbs:

chives

lavender

rosemary

sage

 

It is indeed possible to garden AND enjoy abundant wildlife with just a little research.  I’d love to hear tips and suggestions from those of you that have mastered this feat –

Until next time,

Cindy

 

 

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