Deer Resistant Plants

In our quest to thwart Bambi, there is often no need to sacrifice our design plans ("tweak," yes; "sacrifice," no). It's a good thing, too: after all, why would we even bother landscaping if the end result -- in the name of Bambi-proofing the yard -- failed to be pleasing to the eye? Fortunately, you'll find this list of perennials packed with gorgeous plants that satisfy a variety of needs in your design plan.

Need a low-growing plant with yellow flowers for your rock garden that Bambi usually does not eat? How about a long-blooming perennial that looks great as a border plant? Or a tall perennial that you can grow in the back row of a cottage garden planting? I present all these and more in this list of perennials.

Don't think that, because they're generally bigger and sturdier than perennials, shrubs are somehow less likely to show up on Bambi's menu. On the contrary, arborvitae, for example, is one of his favorite snacks. Just as with perennials, we have to pick and choose our shrubs so as to minimize the chances for damage.

What type of shrub are you looking for? I discuss examples of the following in my article:

1. Shrubs grown for their foliage, such as you would place in hedges
2. Shrubs grown for their flowers that can serve as specimens in your landscaping
3. A shrub that fits into both #1 and #2

Fortunately, deer-resistant plants are well represented in the next two categories: spring-flowering bulbs and ornamental grasses.

Whether because they waft strong smells upon the spring breezes and/or are toxic (or both) -- or just plain don't taste good to this largest of garden pests -- spring bulbs provide several Bambi-proof options. That's welcome news to yours truly, who has all he can do to fend off the incursions against his spring bulbs made by rabbits and squirrels, without having to worry about another pest joining in on the free-for-all.

Considering that Bambi is a grazing animal, one might assume that he would enjoy eating the ornamental grasses, generally speaking. But one would be wrong -- and quite glad to be wrong, I might add!

Many ornamental grasses are deer-resistant plants. In this brief introduction, I restrict myself to listing just a few examples:

• A short type
• A type of intermediate height
• A tall type
• An example that people use as if it were an ornamental grass but which is really in the Lily family

Ground covers can be counted among the true workhorses of the landscape. As low-maintenance vegetation, they can save you money in the long run. But they're about more than just saving you money. Have you ever had to mow grass on a steep slope? Such a chore is irksome, time-consuming and, potentially, dangerous. Replacing grass in such a location with a reliable ground cover could be a stroke of genius on your part.

But a ground cover persecuted by pests can hardly be deemed "reliable." That's where deer-resistant ground covers come into play. Consult the list in the article linked to above for some examples.