It is beautiful today in WV. 75 degrees and sun shinning. Trees still blooming and starting to leaf out. DH and I made a few stops today and he stayed in the car until we got to the steak house for a late lunch. I came home and have been resting and trying to talk myself into taking the weedeater out and trim a few weeds. I purchased a cordless B&D weedeater last year and I can use it. I bought an extra battery because the battery doesn't last long. The deer ravaged some of our shrubbery and I don't know how it will recover. I have some lettuce just popping through the ground in my flower bed and I laid a little wire on top of it and hope the deer and rabbits find something else to eat.
Today was a beautiful day here to in Chicago. My son stayed with my husband today and my daughter and I went out early this morning to a lovely (indoor) farmers market and then to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was relaxing not having to worry about my husband and spend time with my daughter. Got home and made some homemade pizza--which my hubby loved--and am now relaxing with a glass of wine. Good Day :)
Deer LOVE lettuce. Lotza luck. I planted our circle drive with hundreds of caladium bulbs (or that was my plan!) one year. Bad idea! No sooner would they pop up a leaf or two, chomp! The deer also ate most every other plant and flower I planted until I learned about deer-proof plants from the Clemson University Agriculture Department.
After trying everything for my garden, including wires, fishing line, motion detection lights and hair from the beauty shops scattered among the plants (don't ask and don't laugh!), I discovered something that worked for us! I placed a radio on the porch at bedtime. Set it on a "talk" program ...and apparently the deer thought someone was there, they'd perk their ears up and listen, then move on. Took about 3 years to reach this revelation. The deer and I had an ongoing war!
Nancy - I will need it. My daughter lives next door and has a water pond off her back porch and they have stripped about everything and even emptied the water pond drinking. We have a 8'fence around our vegetable garden and they have never been in there. My uncle used a radio and a cousin uses a green soap chipped but she still has problems. I have a small pond I was going to put in there this summer but now am starting to have second and third thoughts about it. So far, they have not bothered the shrubs and trees in the front yard.
How big an area did the radio cover?
What kind of low growing shrub do you use that they don't bother. I read boxwood but I need something shorter.
Two plants we used that worked beautifully around deer were miniature holly - which can be kept low and will be thick and is very pretty and a low evergreen, like a small cedar. Deer and insects cannot stand marigolds. I line my garden with marigolds to keep the bugs away from the tomatoes. I picked my first three garden tomatoes Friday!! :-)
Check out this website for deer resistant plants: www.carrollgardens.com/deerresistant.asp -
Thanks. I printed that off and will also check the miniature holly. I know marigolds are good but I try and avoid annuals because of the work involved. I have coriopolis and spirea and they don't seem to bother them.
Nope. It is 'sticky', not soft, that's why the deer don't touch them. I planted the Dwarf Buford Holly, which is drought resistant and very hardy. Check this site re: Dwarf Buford Holly: http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/plantoftheweek/articles/Burford_Holly.htm