‘Not Tonight, Deer’
One of the most common questions we as Master Gardeners receive from homeowners and gardeners is “What can I do about the deer eating my plants?” As many of us have learned there is no such thing as absolutely 100% deer-proof. Deer don’t read the deer-proof plant lists or books and their habits change based on age, experience, available vegetation, and changes to their environment. However various strategies do have some level of success and can limit the amount of damage deer pose to landscapes.
The following books provide information and pros/cons of various approaches.
Deerproofing Your Yard & Garden
From nibbling on fruit bushes to destroying flower beds, unwanted deer pose a frustrating and challenging obstacle to even the most patient gardeners. Rhonda Massingham Hart provides insights into deer behavior and offers a variety of proven techniques to keep your deer problem under control. Learn how to choose the best fence types, landscape with plants deer detest, make effective homemade repellents, and much more. You’ll have all the information you need to maintain a pristine, deer-free landscape.
Deer-Resistant Landscaping: Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals
Deer-Resistant Landscaping by Neil Soderstrom arms homeowners with the proven strategies they need to repel and combat deer and 21 other troubling pests, from armadillos, chipmunks, and gophers to rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and squirrels.
Outstanding features include:
– strategies for every season and every size pest― from simple, low-cost home remedies, scare tactics, and deterrents to live trapping, barriers, and community action procedures suitable for more intense problems
– interviews with and tips from regional gardening and wildlife control experts from coast to coast
– encyclopedic coverage of more than 1,000 resistant plants―especially those least likely to be grazed upon or destroyed by deer, based on scientific studies and a consensus of gardening authorities throughout the continent
– stunning full-color wildlife photography featuring deer and pest behaviors as well as solutions and deterrents
50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants: The Prettiest Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Shrubs that Deer Don’t Eat
Keeping your beautiful garden safe from deer is as simple as choosing the right plants.
In 50 Beautiful Deer-Resistant Plants, gardening expert Ruth Rogers Clausen introduces the most versatile and drool-worthy options: white snowdrops that bloom in the spring; shade-loving, electric gold hakone grass; long-blooming Texas sage in vibrant reds, peaches, and pinks; and the feathery foliage of Arkansas blue stars that glows golden in the autumn.
Illustrated throughout with full-color photographs of every plant, this inspiring guide offers everything a plant-lover with a deer problem needs to know. In addition to the 50 best annuals, perennials, bulbs, ferns, grasses, and shrubs—plus advice on how to grow them—Clausen includes dozens of deer-resistant companions and smart design tips for pulling it all together. And here’s the best part: your gorgeous garden will be irresistible to everyone but those pesky deer.
