The Bambi Brawl

If you live in or near the woods, like I do, a constant Battle for the Plants rages between humans and wildlife. And the most notorious contestants? Deer.
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Hostas, impatiens, daylilies, lavender, yarrow, catmint, lamb’s ear, hydrangeas, ageratum—even thorned roses—are all delectable treats for nibbling deer lips. And sometimes even your more genius deterrent efforts fail. Your best long-term solution is redirecting their paths with fencing, lighting, lawn sprinklers, and wind chimes. But for short-term solutions, consider these:

• Deer repellant. This taste-based spray works on contact—but only on contact.  Which means those deer lips are already reaching for your blooms before they go, “Hmmm…” A repellant with hot sauce can burn their tongues. Those with garlic may burn their noses. Other ingredients simply taste bad. Caution: Spray deterrents must be applied liberally and after heavy rains. 
• Milorganite. This organic fertilizer is super-stinky. Combined with deer repellant, the odor is enough to scare off pretty much anything. Find this slow-release, granular product at any home-improvement store. Bonus: It’s great for your lawn and perennial shrubs.
• Human hair. Human smells project “Danger!” to deer, so nylon bags of human hair are a natural deterrent. Caution: You’ll need lots of it and the scent fades in a few weeks. 
• Chicken wire on the ground. While deer necks can stretch 24 inches or more over wire fencing, their feet must stay on the ground. And deer really don’t like getting their hooves caught up in wire or netting. Simply unroll it in front of your plants between mowings. Bonus: It’s a very affordable option.

By Fall, you may just be tired of the deer battle and resort to deer-resistant plants. But if you really, really, really want those hostas in your shade gardens, a smattering of creative solutions may do the trick!