Oh deer! How to keep them from eating your landscape

Oh, deer!

One of the questions I’m asked most frequently by readers is, “What can I do about the deer?” Such a query came a few weeks ago from Mary Ann Rogers, who emailed me, looking for advice. Rogers wrote: “Deer eat my hydrangeas, both macrophylla and paniculata, every year. Goodbye blooms; hello stick-like, irregular ugliness. And I just noticed that, since the hydrangeas were “gone,” the PJM rhododendrons are now bare. Yikes! We moved here five years ago, and I have been struggling to fend them [the deer] off. I am unable to keep up with regular spraying, and no way we would erect high fences all around our one-acre plot.”

As a person nearing 70, Rogers especially wanted to know if there were any solutions to the problem that aren’t too taxing on the body. (I think many of us can relate to that!)

For up-to-date answers, I turned to a brand-new book titled, “Deer-Resistant Native Plants for the Northeast,” by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Gregory D. Tepper. The authors are fellow members of GardenComm (Garden Communicators International). Like me, Clausen and Tepper live in the mid-Atlantic region, and are quite familiar with the challenges that deer pose for landscapes and gardens here in the Delaware Valley.

This is my new favorite book! It’s packed with information on “seventy-five native plants that deer seldom browse,” presented in a way that’s super easy to access and understand. There are separate sections on Annuals and Biennials, Perennials, Ferns, Grasses, Sedges, and Shrubs. For every suggested plant there is a deer-resistance rating, growing advice, companion species, and the beneficial wildlife the plant attracts. The color photos throughout are gorgeous. On top of all that, the book is a perfect size, opens easily (not all paperbacks do), and is easy to hold.

Back to Rogers’ question, here are some key points from the book:

Deer fencing — for many, this is a major investment, and one that requires maintenance. Repellents and strategic planting are often much more feasible.

Deer repellents — some are more effective than others; each has its pros and cons.

Electronic/mechanical devices — deer are creatures of habit; they’ll learn to stay away.

Clausen and Tepper note that, “Combined with deer-resistant plants, these repellents can be effective at keeping deer browsing to a minimum.”

But here’s the main takeaway: “It’s true that there are plenty of native plants that deer do enjoy eating, but the selection that isn’t high on their gourmet list is extensive!” In other words, there are plenty of native plants that deer do not favor.

From the book, here are a few of the plants on that list:

Shrubs

•Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

•Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus)

•Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea)

•Arrowood (Viburnum dentatum)

Grasses

•Prairie dropseed (Sporobulus heterolepis)

•Muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris)

• Ferns

•Northen maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum)

•Ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Sedges

•Appalachian sedge (Carex appalachica)

•Creeping sedge (Carex laxiculmis)

This is just a sampling, plus there are a host of annuals, biennials, and perennials included.

One “repellent” I did not notice in the book is netting. My editor, Nancy March, pointed out that her husband drapes fine netting over their ivy during the winter months. “It works and is not unsightly. And we replaced the shrubs the deer like with holly, which is too prickly for them and has the added benefit of attracting bluebirds.”

Note: Stuck in the house too long? Want to have some fun? Try entering “favorite shrubs for deer” into an internet search field. When I did this a few days ago, I had my first good laugh in weeks, because the search turned up two completely opposite sets of results: shrubs that deer don’t like to eat and shrubs that will bring them to the table. Yes, there are apparently folks who want to invite these seemingly insatiable ruminants onto their property!

Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s book for children and families, Big Life Lessons from Nature’s Little Secrets, is available on Amazon, along with her companion field journal, Explore Outdoors, at Amazon.com/author/ pamelabaxter.