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Gardening Article: How to Build Deer Resistance into your Perennial Garden!

What can I grow that deer won't eat?	The 4 strategies to a deer resistant garden
Fertilizers that attract deer	Non-chemical, effective deer repellent
Proven deer resistant hardy perennials	Perennials that deer will minimally browse

Without a doubt one of the most common questions we get at Stargazer Perennials farm / nursery is “What can I grow that the deer won’t eat?”. Unfortunately the answer to that is “Not very much!”. 

When deer pressure is high they will browse just about anything. However, there are some effective gardening and design strategies and quite a wide variety of plants that we have proven to be “bulletproof” in a deer country garden. Remember, there are no “deer proof” plants. However, you can enjoy a highly deer resistant landscape using a combination of smart gardening practices and the right plants even in areas of very high deer pressure.

Strategy #1: Don’t grow the plants that you like; Grow the plants that deer don’t like!  This probably sounds like common sense, but you’d be surprised at the number of gardeners who decide that they just have to have a certain plant and go shopping for it without doing their research. There is also the impulse buy: Go to the local big box store for groceries and come home with a carload of beautiful flowers. Both the “impulse” and the “must have” plants go into the ground and the next morning they are in the digestive tract of a deer. To sum it up: Stop buying pretty flowers, make a plan, and stick to it!

Strategy #2: Establish your plantings with deer resistant varieties: Don’t mix! To establish a newly planted border, plant with Tier 1 plants: Plants with proven deer resistance. Don’t mix in other non-resistant plants in the hopes that the resistant varieties will protect them. As deer browse the plants they like they’ll also browse nearby plants, and may develop a taste for ones that were previously resistant. As your gardens mature and the deer lose interest in the plantings then you can begin mixing in Tier 2 type plants: Those that are only minimally browsed, or ones that can sustain some browsing without affecting their garden performance. If you need a quick boost to get your deer resistant perennial border started try the deer resistant perennial border in a box from Stargazer Perennials available in 1 gallon and 3.5" sizes. Click here for more information on this bullet-proof deer resistant perennial garden design.

Strategy #3: Protect new plantings, even those of proven deer resistant varieties. There is a “curiosity factor” with deer, which tend to sample everything new. If you foil them until the plant roots are established, they may have moved on to your neighbor’s petunias. After plants are established, Tier 1 and Tier 2 plants can withstand occasional browsing.

Strategy #4: Use a Low-Nitrogen fertilization regime; Save the Miracle-Gro for hanging baskets. There are several methods of achieving healthy plant growth and extended bloom period without resorting to high-nitrogen synthetic fertilizers (deer candy):

1. Use low-nitrogen organic fertilizers and amendments. Example: 4-8-4 NPK
2. Deadhead more often. This will promote new blooms without additional fertilizer and the plant will be “harder”: Less succulent and more resistant.
3. Improve soil tilth with compost and mycorrhizal and bacterial inoculation.
4. Watering deeply and infrequently (after young plants are established) will result in harder plants with less succulent growth.

Using these methods will promote plant health, increase deer resistance and, as a bonus, will naturally prevent outbreaks of insect pests which tend to multiply rapidly on unnaturally lush green new growth initiated by over-watering and over-fertilization.

Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler The Scarecrow is a motion activated sprinkler that chases deer away. It is a clean and effective alternative to smelly, poisonous, or visually disruptive repellents. Just hook up to your garden hose, plug in the battery and point it over the area to be protected. It's that easy. How it works; Scarecrow senses deer the same way security lights detect people: movement and heat. When a deer is seen, a valve opens, instantly releasing a three-second pulsating spray of water. The combination of the sudden noise, movement, and water frightens deer away. Coverage Up to 1000 square feet can be covered by one Scarecrow. A 35 foot deep and 45 foot wide 100 degree sensor detection zone provides plenty of garden protection.

TIER 1 – PROVEN COLD HARDY DEER RESISTANCE PERENNIALS TIER 2 – MINIMALLY BROWSED COLD HARDY DEER RESISTANT PLANTS Agastache sp. Aster sp. Ligularia dentata Monarda sp. Dicentra spectabilis Rudbeckia hirta Nepeta sp. Liatris spicata Echinacea purpurea Achillea sp. Salvia nemorosa Aquilegia sp. Stachys byzantina Delphinium sp. Lavandula sp. Veronica sp. Pulmonaria sp. Digitalis sp. Helloborus sp. Helenium autumnale Mentha sp. Gaillardia sp. Eupatorium sp. Echinacea sp. Potentilla sp. Scabiosa sp. Artemisia sp. Cerastium tomentosum Echinops sp. Papaver sp. Coreopsis verticillata Boltonia asteroides Rudbeckia fulgida Saponaria ocymoides Perovskia atriplicifolia Astilbe sp.

click here to view another example of an easy care pre-planned perennial border that also offers deer resistance. You can purchase this pre-planned perennial border at our online store by clicking here...