Q How can I deer-proof my red, white and blue bed?
Geraldine Senior, WWII US Air Force Museum, Suffolk
A ANNE SAYS Repellents such as Grazers will make shoots and leaves taste foul and put off the deer. These have to be re-applied at least every six weeks and concentrations for diluting into water are usually more economical than ready-to-use sprays. We can also learn from the natural landscape, where young trees are protected from deer by brambles. These nurse the young stems until the developing canopy shades them out. Move any roses into the middle of the bed (they transplant well from late autumn to spring) beyond deer-leaning distance and surround them with spiny Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea ‘Red Chief’ and spiky blue sea hollies, perhaps Eryngium bourgatii ‘Picos Blue’. They’ll continue the colour theme while hopefully deterring deer. Pungent salvias such as S. ‘Hot Lips’ and the tall, blue S. ’Animo’ should be safe.
A PIPPA SAYS In many areas there is more than one species of deer, so this makes choosing plants even harder. Add to this the fact that someone will have had noticeable deer damage on just about every plant in their garden, and it’s no wonder you have struggled! You should have success with the plants listed below but, that said, nothing is guaranteed. They also push the colour boundaries in some cases, but all are worth considering. Generally, herbaceous peonies and lupins of any colour are a fair bet. Japanese quince could be grown in red or white form. There are also many white cistus you could consider. For red, maybe try red-hot pokers or cotoneasters with red berries. For blues, consider eryngium, hydrangea (if you have acidic soil), perovskia, ceratostigma or maybe even Buddleia davidii.