Tuesday, April 19, 2016

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 :)!







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