Beat the Deer:
The deer and I are in a face-off, and my garden stands in the balance. I have been preparing for this for some time. I left my beautiful 15+-year garden in Renton behind for the sandy perch on Lake Menard, which is now my home. Today, I am at the same place I was so long ago when I was younger (and stronger.) Again, I am staring at a blank canvas of a yard, which is supposed to be a landscaper’s ideal starting place.
I am not really at ground zero though. I had a part time home here for four years and I finished my Master Gardener training in Grays Harbor in 2016, so I have been anticipating this restart with lots of observation and geographically focused study. But there are holes chomped in my “blank” canvas! And the chompers are here to stay. Damn those deer!
As noted, there are only three things a gardener can do to outsmart the deer:
- Get the plants out of their reach (through fences and hardscape techniques) or
- Use deterrent materials or
- Focus on deer resistant plants.
If you want roses, tulips, or produce, the surest thing is to build a fence. Many homeowners are satisfied with the standard 6-foot fence, but deer can and sometimes do jump. An 8-foot fence provides a more imposing barrier which, however, happens to be a bit like quarantining.
Some of the gardens around here have benefited from the ingenuity of their planners. I have been amazed at the inventive trellises, arbors, and gazebos; Ocean Shores gardeners have built to raise plants up out of the deer’s reach. If you choose to try such tall structures, remember that these need to provide enough stability to keep potted plants from being blown over by our winds. Remember that you will need to water them during the dry months, so do not put plants too far out of your garden hose reach.
Deer deterrents are another option. There is not much consensus as to what works and what doesn’t. Sound sometimes wards off deer (as well as other wildlife.) One of my friends keeps a radio in her garden. She maintains that the increase in her harvest is worth losing the peace a garden can give. (She also lives far enough out that she did not have neighbor complaints.) You might try chimes instead. I do not know how well this works, but it seems more pleasant than a radio.
Lights are another option, especially chase-type Christmas lights. I have only seen lights in one garden, which was indeed lovely, but that garden also had a deer wandering around it.
Dogs, even small ones, do a good job of keeping deer away. That is a pretty good option, since dogs also keep their owners active.
You might try hanging fragrant bar soaps or human hair around, since non-garden scents are known deterrents. Blood meal and used coffee grounds have been suggested. I use them both because they offer other garden benefits. I cannot tell how much they deter deer, but that’s just another reason to keep using them.
You can create your own or buy commercial sprays that contain strong scents like mint, citronella, garlic, or vinegar. I haven’t tried any of these, but each comes recommended by at least one Ocean Shores gardener, so they might be worth a try. You will need to change up whatever you try, as “your” deer become familiar with each and simply ignore it.
The third option is to focus on deer resistant plants. So, what plants constitute “deer candy” – those you do NOT want to plant? Deer love narrow-leafed evergreens, like arborvitae and fir. They also have a special affinity for hostas, daylilies and English ivy, none of which I have seen around here. I guess most Ocean Shores locals have figured that out, or maybe the deer have eaten them up already.
Deer like plants fertilized with nitrogen and emerging leaf or flower buds, like plants just purchased from a nursery. Newly planted “anything” is open season for deer, especially the Bambi’s who are just figuring things out. You might need temporary measures on normally resistant plants until they are fully rooted. In my part-time house I planted a whole row of lavender plants. I had to keep replanting them as the Bambi’s pulled them up.
Try instead, what Carolyn Singer, author of the Deer in My Garden series, calls “yucky flowers.” Plant flowers that are poisonous to deer like daffodils, foxgloves, and poppies. Just make sure they aren’t also poisonous to children or pets. Use strongly scented plants like geranium, peonies, bearded iris, or lavender (the mainstay of landscapes out here.) Most kitchen herbs like sage, thyme, tarragon, and rosemary are a good bet. Like you, deer avoid plants with fuzzy/prickly stems or leaves. That is how barberry survive and why they are a standby of many of our landscapes.
If you want to try vegetables the best thing is a fence, or you might rent a bed at Garden by The Sea. I have a test bed in my unfenced back yard in which I am trying the so-called deer resistant vegetables: potatoes, zucchini, cucumber, and winter squash. Also, on that list are corn and asparagus if you are willing to put in more effort. At harvest time I’ll report back on my successes (or failures.)
The best plant list for Grays Harbor is “Deer Resistant Plants–Western Washington” put together and tested by the North Coast Master Gardeners. You can find this on Garden by the Sea’s website by clicking here.
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For questions, comments about this article or to share your gardening experiences, please contact us at: Info@gardenbytheseaoceanshores.org
This article was originally printed in The Ocean Observer, May 2020.
