As the deer population has boomed and food has become scarcer, they have become more aggressive. In some areas deer will strip your garden bare, leaving nothing green or flowery behind. While there is no such thing as a completely deer-proof garden, there are some effective things you can do to protect your garden from these hungry animals.

Use physical barriers

A High Fence
Deer can jump pretty high, but a fence higher than eight feet (higher on an up-slope) and flush with the ground will keep any deer out.

Electric Fences
They are a much easier and less expensive solution. Deer generally will not try to jump electric fences, but will rather try to climb through the wires, receiving a deterring shock.

Bird-Netting
An even less extreme physical option is to put bird netting over your larger and more susceptible plants.

Plant Deer-resistant Varieties

Herbs, some conifers, and many flowers are some of the best deer-resistant plants. More fragrant plants will often deter predation. Planting just a few deer-resistant plants will limit grazing of your other plants. Remember, "deer-resistant" does not mean deer-proof. A hungry animal will eat just about anything.

Having a dog In the Family

Owning a dog, especially a big dog will almost always keep deer from approaching your home. Just the scent of the dog will keep most deer away, and if your dog lives outside you will probably never see any deer.

For most gardeners, it is a combination of different solutions that works best. Every gardener has to find the solution that works best in their garden.

Shop All Deer-resistant Plants

Planting Spring-Blooming Bulbs

With Wayside’s bulbs, growing gorgeous flowers is as easy as Dig, Drop, Done.

Dig:

The first thing you want to do is pick your spot and dig the hole for your bulbs. Avoid places with standing water, as this could cause bulb rot. A good rule of thumb when planting is to dig down 3 times the height of the bulb, but you should follow the specific instructions for your bulb. Make sure to space out your bulbs to give your plants the right amount of room to grow later.

Drop:

Now put your bulbs in the ground, pointy side up. For fall planting, be sure to get the bulbs in before the first frost. For spring planting, the time varies by plant. Afterwards, cover the bulbs with soil and then water them in. This helps wake the bulbs up from dormancy and get them growing again.

Now you’re Done!

Just sit back and wait, and in the spring your bulbs will sprout up and reward you with their beautiful blooms throughout the season. Growing flowers from Wayside bulbs really is that easy!


Videos courtesy of the Dig Drop Done Foundation.