Friday, June 10, 2005

This is for Sierrabella….

…Because everybody could use a little assvice.

Deer Resistant Plants

According to California Extension Leaflet #2167 and other sources the
following plants are considered deer resistant:

An online version is available, with links to the plants we carry.
http://www.highcountrygardens.com/articles/deerresistant.html

Perennial
Allium(Onions)
Althea(Hollyhock)
Alyssium saxatile
Anemones(Windflower)
Aubrietia
Berlandiera(Chocolate Flower)
Cerastiim(Snow-in-Summer)
Coreopsis
Delphinium
Digitalis(Foxglove)
Epimedium
Helianthus(Sunflower)
Iris(Bearded Iris)
Lamium(Dead Nettle
Oenothera(Evening Primrose)
Papaver(Poppy)
Petalostemon(Prairie Clover)
Ratibida(Prairie Coneflower)
Rudbeckia(Black-eyed Susan)
Solidago(Golden Fleece)
Solidago(Fireworks Goldenrods)
Spaeralcea(Orange Globe Mallow)
Stachys(Lamb's-ears)
Vinca(Myrtle)
Zauschneria(Hummingbird Flower)

Herbs
Anthum graveolens (Dill)
Mentha(Mint)

Shrubs & Trees
Berberis(Barberry)
Buddleia
Coloneaster
Cerocarpus(Mahogany)
Chamaebatiera(Fernbush)
Forsythia
Juniperus(Juniper)
Mahonia(Oregon Grape)
Picea(Spruce)
Potentilla(Cinquefoil)
Syringa(Common Lilac)

I’ve also heard:
Artemisia
Cistus
Feather reed grass (Calamagrostis)
Germander
Lavender
Mexican hair grass (Stipa)
Potentilla
Rosemary
Santoline
Thyme
Yarrow
Aromatic helichrysum
New Zealand flax

In my yard I have: peonies, daisies, grape hyacinth, daffodils, chives, bee balm, thyme, mint, silver mound, salvia, Russian sage, columbine, anemone, bleeding heart, iris, sedum, hollyhocks, cosmos, lily of the valley, paprika yarrow… the deer seem to leave it all alone and I occasionally mist everything with deer repellent… the minty kind.

The deer ate my tulips (I’m transplanting them somewhere that I can net for next year). I have spinach, delphinium & asters growing under nets. I planted some annuals, basil & cilantro in pots on the deck and I have two roses in whiskey barrels on the deck.
I plan to add more wildflowers next summer but I will try to stick with things on the list. Except sweetpeas…. I want sweetpeas. I might have to build a big planter on the deck for those or create another deer-net sculpture to protect them.

My mother-in-law lives up the road a ways and the deer eat her daffodils & bleeding heart…. Go figure.

Oh, and can I just add that I love the highcountrygardens.com website?

4 comments:

LadyBug said...

Okay, so I'm up waaaay too late, trying to catch up on my blog reading, and I read:

DEAR Resistant Plants

and was expecting a letter to some sort of belligerent plant.

Maybe I should go to bed now?

I will, just as soon as I finish catching up here.

SierraBella said...

Thanks for the assvice!
Already pasted into my gardening folder, and will be heading over to highcountry... later today.
This list is way larger than the one in The Sunset Garden Book!
Thanks again!

Leesa said...

Wow, thanks for this. Since moving here I have had such the time figuring out what they won't eat!! And then sometimes, they do eat it!!

Homestead said...

Ladybug- The Dear Resistant Plants letter is coming...... the plant is called "Hell's Bells" and is obnoxious... well, at least, I THINK it is called Hell's Bells... try googling that and see what you get!

Sierrabella- I thought of you... although your deer appear different than our deer but they look just as hungry.

Leesa- Welcome. Your photos are amazing. Some of the deer resistant stuff works out... some doesn't (I read about your sunflowers... and I think they are on this list... oops). My neighbor had grape hyacinth and the deer would come up, take a bite and spit out the flowers... then the next one would do it... by the time 30 deer had gone through her yard things weren't looking so good. Another thing I've used with mixed success is deer repellent.... I'm into the mint kind (they claim it is even safe for vegetables) and it helps. But when they are hungry, they are hungry and all bets are off in late-summer when food gets scarce!