plants that deer dont eat and easy to manage

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RyanBC6 East Greenwich, RI Jul 18, 2007

I live on alot of land and many deer come and eat my lilies in the front and I was wondering what types of flowering plants that deer do not eat. I like bold and beautiful plants that catch every bodies eye.

Thanks Ryan

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springfaust Branson, MO(Zone 6b) Jul 18, 2007

Well, you can always go with Peonys, I've never had the deer eat mine and once they get established they are pretty care free. Only problem is that while they have pretty blooms the blooms don't last long and the double flowered kinds have a tendency to be weighed down.

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daphnecat Mays Landing, NJ(Zone 7a) Jul 21, 2007

I've had alot of luck with flowering herbs. Lavendar, nepeta, sage, thyme, and oregano. Also bleeding heart, allium, santolina, tickseed coreopsis and iberis. I also have several spirea that give alot of color. These are not necessarily show-stopping bloomers, but I came to the conclusion that I since I have chosen to live where there are deer, I need to change my point of view of what makes a beautiful garden. All the plants listed are actually quite lovely in and out of bloom, and the deer leave tham alone.

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ballyshannon Hillsdale, NY Jul 24, 2007

Ryan, there is a site that rates every plant you ever heard of for deer damage. It is at Rutgers Univ. under:: njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance. If your browser wont go there, just go to their main page and halfway down is the category: Plants rated for deer resistance, or something like that. You can select qualifiers like "bulbs- seldom damaged" and it will throw out a list of answers for you. Looks good to me!

Kathleen

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daphnecat Mays Landing, NJ(Zone 7a) Jul 24, 2007

Interesting resource ballyshannon. Although I've had many a "deer resistant" plant eaten to the ground, that's no reason not to try new things.
Rule of Deer #1: a hungry deer will eat anything
Rule of Deer #2: the deer in your area adapt their tastes to what grows there
Rule of Deer #3: don't spend big bucks on new plants. buy smaller sizes so you can experiment with what the deer will "let you keep"
Rule of Deer #4: make sure you use a vaierty of repellents and rotate them to keep bambi confused!

Just keep repeating to yourself..."I WILL have a beautful yard!"

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