Dear Deer...Stop Eating My Plants!

Deer, stop eating my plants at once! I love nature, I think it is great that I live so close to it. But I cannot stand how deer ravage my plants.

Three or four years ago, I planted bushes that I hoped would fill the massive flower garden in my front yard. Two years ago I also planted some phlox that I got on sale. They were almost dead when I got them; I nurtured them back to life and they became so beautiful. I planted them towards the end of summer so I did not get to see their beauty until the following year. Next spring they came up from the ground, I could not even remember what they were until I saw their beautiful blooms. They thrived in the area where I planted them, they were absolutely happy! They looked so pretty that I was already looking forward to next year as perennials grow bigger and fuller. This year that did not happen, thanks to deer who roam my yard every morning eating specific plants.

The picture above shows the damage these deer do. They not only eat the bushes in the front yard, they also eat my flowers in the side yard. Every time they grow a tiny bit, they come in and eat them. Clearly I won't see any flowers this year from my phlox :(! Those flowers lighten the side yard every spring, so that won't happen this year. They also love Asiatic lilies. Argh, one of the most beautiful, scented flowers in my yard will not see daylight!

Front yard with no bushes because of deer

They also particularly enjoy Hawthorne, some other variegated bush in my front yard. These plants should have been above 2-3 feet tall by now but they eat them like there is no tomorrow. When I bought these bushes they were labeled "Deer Resistant"; clearly they are not. I kept on hoping that they would get over them and they can finally grow.

In the past I've used net to protect my bushes. Nets frustrate deer because their cannot reach the leaves and the deer give up and leave. But, the problem with nets is that you have to replace it every year because as soon as the leaves peek through it, deer comes back running. Also, it is impossible to remove the net as leaves get trapped in it and removing it pretty much removes the leaves. They are also unsightly because they are visible.

As a last resort I'm going to use coffee grinds. A friend of mine gave me this advice. I have not yet tested it but she is sure it works. I will give it a try. My hope is that I won't have to do much after that. I will sprinkle it in spring and fall as these are the seasons deer tend to be in my yard. Also, I like that the coffee grinds will not show as my mulch is brown.

 My front yard should have filled up by now but it hasn't because bushes never get a chance to grow.

Phlox eaten to the ground

Hawthorne Has not grown in 3 to 4 years

P.S. I titled this "Dear Deer" cause my husband likes to tease me and say I should write them a letter and plead with them to not eat my plants! Thanks hubby for a silly but clever title :)!

Winter Can Be Short...

Hyacinth

...If you are a gardener of course! It can be also long if your plants only bloom late spring; as I found out in previous years. Waiting for the end of winter can be long and tiring to someone like me who cannot stand winter. So, to remedy the issue, I bought some early spring blooming plants.

I could not decide what to get, considering that this was not planned at all and I was not trying to spend a lot of money on flowers, so I settled on an all time early spring favorites like tulips and Blue Jacket Hyacinth.

Ironically I had avoided these two flowers because I had them in my old house. I thought they were boring and their short-lived blooms were a big downside. But then I thought about how reliable they are and how I don't have to do much for them to come back year after year. So, practicality won over long-lasting blooms.

On another note, I bought some bushes to my own amazement. My garden always looks like it is in need of additional plants. I think I'm being impatient and that is not a good trait for a gardener. Mistakes are abound as I grab on every flower I see to "fill in" my garden but this is never a good way to garden. So, I need to hold my horses and be patient!
  

Winter Blues, Looking Forward to Spring!

In the past few years I've coped with winter by actually embracing it and doing my best not to dread it. This year I am not doing any of that, instead I'm dreading it like there is no tomorrow. I'm feeling the blues and I'm ready to get out there and get dirty. I'm ready for end of winter chores and I'm planning a big cleanup for my garden this spring. I'm back to my old ways of dreading winter and I need to STOP now!

This year is very strange weather-wise in that we are having a very mild winter with bursts of cold and one bout of snow so far this year. Today, for instance, was a glorious, whopping 68 degrees Fahrenheit! On Christmas day I was wearing a t-shirt and had to turn on air conditioner in my house. It felt weird in a way because I expected it to be cold. I had to switch my Christmas outfit because it was too warm in the house. We have not had winter like this in so long.

I am not embracing this winter mainly because I don't believe that this beautiful weather will last. I'm having winter blues on a winter-less winter. I think deep down in my heart I'm expecting it to be really cold and, even though it is not, I still feel symptoms of a cold winter. Clearly I'm not embracing the moment and this needs to stop because it is not good for me! To my defense though, I have taken advantage where I can by going out for walks and hikes whenever we get a good weather. Winters are my least favorite season but they are required for a beautiful spring season in our area.

Spring last year

My garden is a mess right now and it's feeling winter blues big time. But I know from that dead look, a beautiful spring garden will emerge; this is where I find my solace, my strength to cope, my will to go on. I cannot wait for spring this year. Come on winter be over NOW!

I made a rendezvous to the store today I almost picked up some bulbs and some flowers to plant in spring, but then I realized that spring is almost two months away :( ! Besides, buying anything at this point is not a good idea as I don't know how my garden will be in the spring, what will come up and what will not.

This is year 4 for my garden and everything is maturing nicely, though some bushes have  not grown due to deer eating them. I'm looking forward to giving it a nice trim and doing a better job of taking photos. As a matter of a fact, I will update the winter garden page and post some pictures there as I don't like to crowd the blog with too many pictures.

So, as much as I dread this time of the year, I will continue counting down and taking advantage of the great weather we've had this season. I will remind myself that dreading winter is just putting oneself in misery, it is necessary for beautiful spring in our area. See you in spring fellow gardeners!

Mulching

There are three reasons why a gardener should mulch.

Prevents Weeds

Mulching helps prevent weeds. I spend a lot of time battling weeds in my yard because there are too many bare spots without bushes or flowers. Weeds, like all plants, follow the same growing season as other plants. As soon as winter is over they start growing fast. If, as soon as winter ended, I mulched my yard I would have less weeds to deal with. 

Mulching helps prevent seeds from sprouting. Seeds need sun, water and soil to grow. So, to reduce the amount of weeds growing in your yard, mulch to prevent sunlight from hitting the ground causing weeds to grow. Also

Another reason for mulching is water retention. I have a lot of landscaping done in my yard therefore a lot of water is required to keep plants thriving. Mulch reduces the amount of water evaporating thereby keeping your plants cool and moist in the summer months.

Last reason to mulch is because mulch makes your landscaping look fresh and beautiful. Plants pop out nicely against a uniform background. 

So, mulch on!

Rugged Side Garden

Rugged Side Garden

Shade Garden

Pegola

Side walkway

mailbox

Front side Garden

Blooms spring 2015

I've been surprised by the amount of blooms in my yard in spring of 2015. Wildflowers that I planted last year  are performing beautifully this year. knockouts are in early stages of blooming.  During summer last year I bought some flowers that were almost dead from Lowes; I planted them and  this year they are gracing my garden.