The Bambi Syndrome OR They didn't get the memo...

Every spring, gardeners all over the Rogue Valley set out gorgeous plants that they’ve been told are deer resistant. The problem with this, of course, is that the deer didn’t get the memo and, even if they had, they can’t read the darned thing.

They clearly have no idea that the plants you’ve carefully selected are on the list of things deer don’t prefer. Having them stroll through your yard is always noteworthy; no doubt about it, they are beautiful. Unless it’s your tomatoes or your roses being eaten, or your lawn mauled by little feet. Then all that beauty turns to dismay. Must they leave a trail of destruction behind them? Granted, they aren’t ruining your landscape out of spite or malice – They’re just hungry. One adult deer consumes between six and ten pounds of vegetation a day. If you’re laying out a spread that looks good to them, then – as far as they’re concerned – it’s fair game.

Is there a solution to completely take care of the deer problem? Not really. But you can manage it and minimize the damage.

Although many people enjoy the deer grazing in their yards and some even set out feed to attract them further, deer can be very destructive to gardens, orchards and landscaped areas. Deer damage to your plants is associated with a number of factors including increasing number of deer, human population shifts to rural and suburban areas and prohibited hunting.

There are a number of theories on how to keep deer away. Everything from hanging bars of soap in pantyhose bags around your yard, collecting hair from your local salon and scattering it around, boxed big cat poop from the spendy nursery store or bottled wolf urine via mail order. Do any of them work? Some people swear by them, some people fall over laughing at the very idea.

I’ve checked out some of the alleged “homemade deer repellants” and have found two versions that Master Gardeners in various locations in the west swear by:

Version 1 – The California Version: Combine in a blender one egg, one cup of milk, three tablespoons of cooking oil, one tablespoon of liquid soap and one teaspoon of hot chili oil. Blend this with a quart of water and spray it on your plants every five to seven days.

Version 2 – The Portland Rose Gardener Version: Combine in one gallon of water: the zest of six large oranges, two tablespoons of Tabasco sauce, two tablespoons of corn oil, one tablespoon of cod liver oil and one cup of milk. Put it in a garden sprayer and spray in the desired areas.

A deer-proof fence is probably the best insurance against damage. Some local ordinances may prohibit a fence high enough to keep deer out. You might not want to have to look at that fence and it’s fairly likely that your neighbors aren’t going to want to look at it either. Utilizing deer-resistant plants in your landscape is much more pleasing to the eye.

Deer are picky eaters; they prefer some foods over others. The plants that the deer avoid are considered “deer-resistant.” Deer do eat a lot of different things including wood plants, grasses, fruits, nuts, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines and vegetables. They’ll also make short work of your tulips and roses and very neatly top the bloom off of just about any flowering plant, I think, just to see if it tastes good. Bearing this in mind, knowledge of deer feeding habits can reduce the expensive browsing damage deer can cause in your yard.

Plants can be deer resistant for a number of reasons. Lots of the most deer resistant plants are poisonous. Some of these plants are poisonous at all times, others only at certain stages of their growth.

Taste, preferences and digestibility also vary with plant parts, age, growth and the time of year. The availability of the deer’s natural food can have a lot to do with the amount of damage caused by deer as well. If there is plenty of natural food available for the deer, they are less likely to eat the plants in your yard. When the deer’s regular food supply is low, however, they can cause heavy damage. If you happen to be calling them to your yard with feed, there’s not much you can do to keep them from eating your plants. As far as they’re concerned, in this case, the buffet is open and it’s chow time!

When there is a large population of deer around, they will frequently eat many plants that they would normally avoid. Damage from deer usually occurs from late fall through early spring. Deer sometimes will browse plants that are included in the “deer resistant” category and will sometimes avoid plants not included in that group.

Highly fragrant plants that are known to actually repel deer are catnip, chives, garlic, onions, ornamental Alliums (these also repel gophers), honey bush, lavender, mint, sage and thyme. While you’re sitting in your home, going over the gardening catalogs that have stuffed your mailbox over the winter, plan on replacing the things deer like with some of the things they don’t. If you want to plant bulbs, choose daffodils over tulips. If you like roses (and who doesn’t?), choose a rugosa hybrid. The overwhelming scent, leathery leaves and thorns make them considerably less attractive to deer.

While no plant is immune from deer damage, selecting plants that are on the regional lists of “deer resistant plants” is still a better way to plan your garden than spending a fortune on a salad bar for the deer.

Oregon State University tells us that deer are not particularly interested in the following plants, shrubs and trees:

Bulbs & Perennials: Columbine, Basin Sagebrush, Larkspur (poisonous), Foxglove (poisonous), Hellebore, Iris, Lupine (poisonous), Narcissus (poisonous), Daffodil (poisonous) and Rosemary.

Shrubs: Oregon Grape, Western Spice Bush, Red Osier Dogwood, Holly, Jasmine, Juniper, Honey Bush, Rhododendron (poisonous), Red Elderberry (poisonous) and Common Lilac.

Trees: European White Birch, Flowering Dogwood*, Kousa Dogwood*, English Hawthorn, Persimmon, European Beech, Honey Locust, Holly, Juniper and Black Locust.

- OSU apparently failed to notify the deer that frequent my mother-in-law’s yard that they aren’t supposed to be interested in Dogwood trees.

Vines & Ground Cover: Carolina Jessamine (poisonous), Nightshade (poisonous), Cape Honeysuckle and Japanese Wisteria (poisonous).

Try to plan your garden space to be as deer deterrent as possible. Make you yard less inviting to enter by bordering the entryways and edges with deer repellant plants, as well as tactics like eliminating cover and cleaning up wind fall fruit.

Lastly, aside from opening your yard to hunters (NOT the recommended deer deterrent of choice!), a nice, big dog that barks when deer come calling works wonders. Or even a little dog. Deer don’t like the noise of a barking dog and will head on down the street to your neighbor’s yard instead. Besides, they say having a dog reduces stress.