I didn't know they ate those

I was working in the garden today around some hydrangeas and I just learned that the deer love oak leaf hydrangeas but didn't eat the mopheads. I thought it would be interesting to see what else they ate besides roses. I think I hear something new all the time. Heidi and Dragonfly

I am one of the lucky ones out here in the woods, the deer don't come in my yard they do down the road.
I can not have Hydrangeas, Everyone I ever planted the slugs ate.

Oh that's terrible, Tills! You are really missing out! You need to start out with a hydrangea that is a good enough size that they cannot do too much damage. I don't get many slugs on mine at all.

I guess I just gotten them to small, the slugs out here are monsters. Maybe Heidi will have a nice size one at a good price, and try again I do like them. and now I know alot more about how to kill the little/big ####.

We need to get a duck or chicken. No slugs.

OOO NO DH would tar and feather me if I even thought about it.

That is exactly what my Dw said and she now loves them. You have to be strong and let them know the advantages of chickens. Check out the poultry forum. Steve

We've thought for years about getting chickens. Then I say forget it. I'm worried about how my dogs would do. Probably pester them to death. But I still go back and forth. I'll have to check out the forum.

Heidi - that's exactly what my neighbor and I are finding out. My hydrangeas are untouched, but she has lots of oakleaf hydrangeas and they are getting decimated.

I'd love chickens, but we are having so much trouble out here with coyotes and raccoons. It's hard on chickens, domestic cats, and small livestock.

Mary - I don't have any slug problems with my hydrangrea (Nikko Blue), even when there are branches on the ground. And I'm not so good with the slug bait - there are lots of slugs . . . maybe if you try a different variety than what you have tried?

My neighbor ahs bunches of chickens and she says they trash her beds by scratching in them, But she is not quite right the robins also but her for scratching in her beds. You have to have a really good chicken coop. She has a good one but one night a weasel got in there and killed 33 in one night. I have had ducks and the coyotes and racoons got them all. I ahve also had peacocks and they are mean and case you> I traded them for phesants and out stinkin cat got that one. The rats got my cockiteils and parackeets. No more birds for me. They are alot of work.
I heard that the deer also ate crocosmias in a yard. Didn't know that

I did a garden design for a woman who lives in a golf course community out close to Pt. Orchard. She didn't realize when they bought the house that the deer were everywhere. (I didn't say that she was very smart.) Considering that the entire neighborhood is surrounded by forest, you'd think.... But anyway, they were not allowed by the home owner's association to put up a fence, so she was kind of stuck. Not a very experienced gardener anyway, she really wanted to plant things that the deer would not eat. What I learned from my research is there is almost no such thing. There are plants they do not prefer this year , but they may prefer them next year. Also, deer in your neighborhood may eat plants that deer in another neighborhood won't eat. It was a challenge, I can tell you.

Deer eat Crocosmia? In my dreams! They do eat Anemones, though - on the thread where we were talking about things we shouldn't have planted, I forgot to mention that. All they eat, though, is the pretty little blossoms off the end of the stem! leave nice little sticks (and don't bother the foliage as I recall).

Yeah, isn't that nice of them?? They munch on just part of the plants.... the most savory, I suppose, and leave as you say "nice little sticks". My use of Liquid Fence (which works pretty well for me) is one of those "closing the barn door after the horse gets out" kind of thing. I oftentimes see the damage and THEN go spray..... a little too late, lots of times.

Yup. Me, too - I think Liquid Fence is fabulous, but it's the funniest thing . . . I have to remember to USE it!!!

Ny heuchera looks like that - little sticks that the dear deer left me . . .

There is little that a deer won't eat. Marigolds, barberry, and native plants (that they should be eating) they never eat.

My friends and I have had some success with lavender and rosemary. Some people say you can put it in a border around the things the deer do eat, but they will just lean over if they can.

I was watching them eat in my front yard early last fall. They would look left and take a bite (vine maple), look right and take a bite (nandina), look down and take a bit (heuchera) - they really didn't take much time to notice what they were eating -- it seemed pretty random. Of course, they had scoped out my front yard before . . .

Oh the dear little deer. I do love them, but never cease to be shocked at what they can do to my gardens! I think I'll watch for Liquid Fence sales right now and stock up!

I'm torn - I love to watch them and have them around as well. I'm hoping that I can leave them the front (and just put in their last choice foods) and that the dogs will help me keep them out of the back.