By Vicki Spencer, Master Gardener
Several years ago when I ran an Audubon nature education center in Wyoming, I often received phone calls from gardeners desperately seeking solutions to their “deer problem.” If deer discover your garden, you know how discouraging it is to have them plow through your beautifully blooming flower beds or decimate your vegetable crops just before they are ready to harvest. Unfortunately, I did not have any foolproof solutions for these gardeners, but experience taught me a few lessons that I can pass on to you.
The first lesson in discouraging deer and other critters from invading your garden is to remember that wildlife know no boundaries when hunger strikes. Deer typically consume 6 to 10 pounds of food a day and when open spaces don’t provide enough sustenance, your garden becomes an enticing smorgasbord. Sadly, once deer discover your garden, they won’t forget it. This is why it is better to design your garden to deter deer from the beginning. This strategy worked well for me in Gunnison where I watched deer wander through my neighbors’ gardens, filling their bellies, but never venturing into my yard.
Deer must know when hunting season begins because that is just about the time they start walking the city streets. In the fall when I went for an early morning jog, I often startled deer sleeping in my neighbor’s yard. How did I know they didn’t sleep in my yard or eat my plants when I wasn’t looking? Well, I didn’t find any signs. First, I didn’t see any hoofprints (shaped like upside down hearts) or droppings (small, pebble-like bits) in my yard. Second, I could not see any damage to my plants. Deer do not have front incisors, so they bite plants and then jerk their heads around to pull them out. The damage is pretty evident. But I didn’t see any trampled or torn plants. Maybe I was just lucky. Or maybe I found the deer-proof solution.
Deer typically inhabit edges of forests bordered by grass and shrubs. They prefer open spaces to small, confined areas. Consequently, some experts suggest building barriers, such as 6- or 7-foot fences (preferably ones you can’t see through) around your garden. Others suggest double fencing, spaced about 2 to 5 feet apart, because deer have difficulty jumping high and wide at the same time.
My front yard was bordered on the south by a 6-foot fence as well as on the east and north by the house and garage. Even though not completely enclosed, the only escape if something frightened the deer was the street to the west, and that’s where the perceived danger (people or cars) was likely to be.
Although it is recommended that you completely enclose your garden, the barriers in my yard may have been enough to make the deer feel more insecure than they felt in my neighbors’ yards where they could freely roam around the front, side and back. My backyard was also protected by a tall, cinder block wall and dense trees. Even though the yard was filled with flowers and vegetables, the deer must have been hesitant to jump over the wall when they could not see what was on the other side.
Another suggestion for discouraging deer is to repel them with strong odors and tastes. Personally, I could not have enjoyed my garden if it smelled like sulfur (rotten eggs) or urine, which some recommend, so I resorted to less offensive solutions. For example, I planted vegetables with strong odors, like garlic and onion, in between the flowers. I also looked for plants with thorny, leathery or fuzzy leaves. Finally, I tossed a few mothballs along the garden bordering the driveway where the odor was less noticeable.
When designing your deer-proof garden, there are a number of trees, shrubs and perennials that experts recommend. Some trees that grow well in our area are spruce, locust and false cyprus. Some shrubs that I recommended previously are boxwood, butterfly bush, lilac, holly and spirea. Flowers with unsavory leaves include allium, coneflower, globe thistle, hens and chickens, penstemon, phlox, roses, Shasta daisy, verbena, wormwood and yarrow. I also included several varieties of sage in my garden. Vegetables that some believe are less attractive to deer include rhubarb and asparagus. Finally, herbs are always a nice addition to any garden, so you might consider growing rosemary and oregano.
While these plants may not be your primary choice, you might consider including them as filler to discourage the deer from damaging your prized flowers and vegetables.