Landscapoing under Oaks and Hungry Deer

Hi, I have a small front yard (40x40) that has about 10 - 40 to 50ft oak trees. It is very shady and the only thing that grows is moss and weeds. I also have VERY veracious deer that eat EVERYTHING I plant. Can't plant hostas, eaten in a day, ferns, gone, columbine no more.... I am so frustrated. I have some spreading junipers (I think) that need to come out. They look terrible and are dying. I would love to plant something, but between the leaves choking things out (not always the fastest at cleaning up leaves in the fall) and the deer, nothing grows. I was thinking about just trying to grow moss in the entire front yard, at least it's green. lol Any ideas......

When the deer are that voracious then it gets very difficult to have a really nice garden.
I would start by taking a walk around the neighborhood and seeing what is surviving in other people's gardens. If it is an old fashioned plant, ask for cuttings or seeds. The newer varieties may not be so resistant.
Research deer repellants. Plan on using several and rotating them. As the deer get used to one thing you have to get another one in place.

There are several good threads here about deer, at least one is quite recent.

If your oaks are used to getting some summer water, then it is fine to plant under them. Old, established oaks in dry summer areas do not like the added water in the dry season. Since you say moss is doing OK, then I will assume that the irrigation for shrubs and flowers will not be a problem.

You might try sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum). It is a moderately aggressive ground cover for shady spots that are somewhat moist. They flower in the spring with little white flowers that are fragrant. The leaves are sometimes used to make wine. Also, not a groundcover but still deer resistant, helleborous of any variety. I am not positive but I think they are mildly toxic to deer as well. You can find some nice varieties of those on http://www.greatgardenplants.com/ . They also have the sweet woodruff but it is overpriced IMO. Let us know how you make out!

Ok. I will add a bit from my experience with deer. I cannot predict what your deer will eat. Deer populations have different tastes. I have BIG gardens filled with plants that the deer here will not eat. I got them thru a little bit of planning (I won't put anything in that doesn't portend to be deer resistant) and partly thru trial and error. I plant something, keep it sprayed long enough to give it a chance and then leave it. If the deer eat it I don't plant any more of that. You will find things they don't eat. Trust in that. Gardening under the oaks might prove a similar process. I can give you some suggestions of things that I have had success with under similar circumstances.

First, deer don't like things with fuzzy leaves. For shade that would include pulmonaria and Brunnera. I have several types of pulmonaria and I love them. Kind of like hosta only with hosta you might as well set the table and give the deer a glass of wine to enjoy while they eat. Deer love hosta! Get pulmonaria. I have Brunnera 'Jack Frost' and it is a lovely shade plant that blooms true blue - a rarity. Hellebores (as was already mentioned) is excellent and very deer resistant. Perennial geraniums are also good and along with lamium ( I particularly like 'Shell Pink') can take dry shade like the troopers they are. The second picture shows the soft pink of a hellebore, the blue of a pulmonaria and the purple of a lamium. The third picture shows the lamium mostly and the first shows a different lamium( with yellow leaves) and a Brunnera along with a bleeding heart (which I have found to be quite deer resistant). Keep testing plants and trying. You can get there if you are patient.

rteets is right when she said test and try, I think rteets has a beautiful garden considering deer roam free in the area and garden. my own experience re-deer is different, I can grow Rhododendrons, but Azaleas are like the candy on the cake, Day Lily's are eaten as a snack as are Roses, even though I was advised the deer don't like anything that has spines or jaggy like Roses, Berry fruits like Black berries, Brambles ect but they actually strip the foliage and can do this in one swipe of the tongue.
My Hostas are left alone apart from the slugs and snails, so the Moral of all this is, If one creature don't get you, another one will, now for squirrels ha, ha, ha, theres a whole new ball game eh !!!!.
Good luck. keep trying and have a great gardening year. WeeNel.