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7
How to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden This Fall
Getting back to nature is a wonderful thing. However, looking out your front window to see the local wildlife destroying your landscaping and foraging off your heirloom varietals isn't.
You can do something extreme—like put up a ten foot fence to keep them out. This might work, maybe . . . but you'd be surprised how resourceful and agile animals can be. You could go to your local outdoor store and procure bottles of assorted wild animal urine to spray around as a deterrent. Again, it works for a short time, but is not a long-term solution (and who really wants to mess around with feral urine?). Another, more viable, option is to revisit your landscaping choices. Use nature to outwit natural animal tendencies.
Ground covers are practical, versatile, and affordable. While there are hundreds of ground cover options, only a handful can stand up to deer. Most deer-resistant covers are highly invasive, so you want to plant responsibly; i.e., if you don't have a lot of deer or other foragers, you may want to forgo these or risk having your property overrun. These plants can help keep deer out of your garden this season.
1. Eastern Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens)
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Also known as wintergreen
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Native to cold-weather climates of the eastern U.S.
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Has small urn-shaped flowers in the Spring, followed by red berries; in the Fall, its evergreen foliage is bronze-tinged
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Needs rich, acidic soil and is a good choice for growing around azaleas, hydrangeas and rhododendrons.
2. Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
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Also known as bearberry
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Sun-loving option as majority of deer-resistant, non invasive groundcovers prefer shade
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A type of wild manzanita that grows as a low, spreading mat on the West Coast. East Coasters: look for cultivars taken from the eastern subspecies, such as 'Massachusetts'
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Has the same evergreen foliage and smooth reddish bark manzanitas are known for
3. Dwarf Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
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Also known as leadwort
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Sun tolerant
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Tough, well-behaved, easy-to-grow ground cover from China
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Foliage with sky-blue flowers which appear sporadically from midsummer through fall.
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With the first frost of fall, the foliage becomes tinged with a burgundy color
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Can aggressively spread with rich soil and lots of moisture
WARNING: Wear gloves when pruning or handling the plant as contact may cause dermatitis.
4. Barrenwort (Epimedium spp.)
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Also known as horny goat weed
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Tough ground cover which thrives in shady areas under large trees
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Spreads at a moderate rate but not considered aggressive or invasive
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Has heart-shaped leaves and hat-like flowers
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For resisiting deer, look for varieties such as 'Sulphureum' or red barrenwort
5. Pachysandra (Pachysandra spp.)
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Most common form used is also known as Japanese spurge
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High degree of shade tolerance
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One of the cold-hardiest evergreen ground covers
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Can be aggressive with growth under ideal conditions
WARNING: Pachysandra is poisonous and should not be used where there is a concern that children, pets, or livestock may consume it.
6. Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)
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Also known as wild baby's breath
- Native to Europe but used in the Northeast US as deer avoid eating it despite the sweet fragrance it emits.
Get more advice on keeping deer and other citters out of your garden.
Contact one of our agents today.
