My deer friends haven't been hanging around the garden much these days. I am using a 32" high wire edging fence around the garden to keep them from plowing up the seeds that I've sown. Yes, they can jump it, but since everything in the outer garden is deer-resistant, they are too lazy to go over the little fence to forage.
The rabbits are proving to be more of a challenge. I don't use repellants for deer, but I recently started using a rabbit repellant. Rabbits fit under my cottage garden fence and have been making nightly raids.
As gardeners in deer and rabbit country begin planning, here are my three favorite perennials that are reliably resistant for both critters in my Zone 7, full sun garden. These plants are relatively easy to find at local nurseries or online.
I always use this disclaimer: your deer and rabbits may like plants that my deer and rabbits won't eat.
Agastache
Agastache is a perennial for many color schemes. Agastache bloom from June through fall in my garden. I have 'Salmon and Pink' that looks good with coneflowers and salvia greggii 'Dark Dancer'. Agastache 'Cornado' is apricot and looks good with agastache 'Blue Fortune'. In the fall, I added 'Purple Haze' and 'Tutti-Fruitti'. I have seeds for 'Purple Pygmy'. Drought-tolerant, sunny locations and poor soil. There are quite a few agastache choices available for zones 5-9.
Nepeta
I rely upon nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' and 'Walkers Low' as easy, deer and rabbit proof plants that look good from spring through fall. The base foliage of these are already green, so I cut back the dead stems last week using cordless hedge trimmers. Nepeta will repeat bloom all summer if trimmed when the blooms fade. This is an easy perennial to divide by using a shovel in the spring.
SalviaSalvia greggii has never been touched by deer or rabbits. I have several colors and sizes, including the generic autumn sage. I like the red and magenta colors, but have also added the white and purple. Salvia guaranitica 'Black & Blue' is a nice, cobalt blue. Salvia greggii and 'Black & Blue' are hummingbird favorites and do well as drought tolerant perennials. If you have a moist soil area in full sun, salvia uliginosa (bog sage) is another variety that is not eaten by the critters. The bog sage is pale blue and white. It grows quite tall and will spread rapidly by runners. There are so many salvias in the world, that I cannot begin to describe all the choices!
Story and photos by Freda Cameron
25 comments:
Cameron,
If I recall correctly buddilea or butterfly bush is also a plant deer will not bother. Thanks I didn't know about these other plants.
I have a friend in Chapel Hill who bought 8 species of ferns for her garden, by weeks end the deer ate every last one.
Great post Cameron. Our extension agent always says that the deer and the rabbits don't always read the book. Glad you have some beauties that they leave alone.
I grow a lot more deer and rabbit resistant plants than these. These are the easiest with the longest bloom season.
I have at least 20 buddleia, but those take more room than these perennials that don't grow beyond 3 x 3 feet.
I forgot to say I have cordless hedge trimmer envy. :-D
Deer and rabbits aren't a problem in our yard, but I do enjoy the plants you've suggested. I already have Nepeta and Agastache greeting visitors at the path leading to our front door. I think I'll look into added adding that red salvia as well. Thanks!
I feel for ya. My deer will eat anything. I noticed they ate the bottom blooms off the tulip magnolia. I will be glad when the tree gets tall enough that they can not reach the blooms. I do love the agastache and can plant most anywhere too.
Hi Cameron
Did the deer repellent prove successful?
I'm lucky that I don't have a deer or rabbit problem. I sometimes have Boar tearing up the lawn in Autumn underneath the Walnut trees.
You already know I like your perennial picks. I couldn't find a pink Agastache over here.
Rob
Oops,
I meant rabbit repellant NOT deer
Rob
I haven't seen my bunnies lately. I know they are there. It wont belong before they will have babies. That is the worse sound EVER! The fox eating baby bunnies. When we first heard it, we thought it was a baby cryiny - in a way, I guess it is.
Cameron, Those pests! I haven't seen the deer lately and the bunnies are quiet...But with daylight savings it is too dark in the mornings to notice them...That is generally when I see them. I love these plants and just added agastache last fall...gail
Being city boys we are fortunate enough not to be bothered by deer and rabbits. The squirrels are the only pest around here, but lately they've been behaving.--Randy
Fortunately, we don't have deer. I have seen rabbits at night but I'm not sure what they are eating. I never see any damage.
Glad you are winning the battle. I just found some rabbit pellets in one of my backyard gardens. Couldn't believe it! Haven't found any damage yet though. Note to self: leave the dogs out more often.
Those are excellent choices even if you aren't bothered by deer or bunnies;)
Marnie
This rabbit repellant is working. I have been surprised to see TULIPS sprouting in my cottage garden! I had completely forgotten about those -- planted in fall 2005, then hidden by lavender.
I applied the repellant for the 2nd time, just before this rain set in. After the rain is gone, there will be a lot of new growth, so I will reapply.
The deer are pretty scarce lately. It makes me think that they don't like the bunny repellant either.
Or -- they've found someone who is growing all of their favorite plants and have given up on my distasteful stuff!
Good info! I love the catmint in the garden. We've gotten quite a bit of it through cuttings. I like Russian sage for it's deer resistance. The rabbits don't seem to bother it either.
See now...this is a keeper!!
Did you ever think of doing a post on the basics of computers and blogging? Just a thought.
Patsi - I've thought about it, but am concerned about boring my gardening readers with too much tech talk! LOL I sprinkle a few tech stories in here when I just can't control myself! :-)
The rains continue...
I'd love to try all three of these plants, although thankfully, we're not usually bothered by the deer here (except for the 2 small apples trees they ate).
We do sometimes have some cheeky bunnies that help themselves to our veggies during night time raids.
Lovely solutions, Cameron. Deer issues at the lake (heavy wooded shade) and huge rabbit issues here with no solution except to plant extra parsley (lovely herb border) that seems to draw them from mowing and gnawing other treasured plants. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
At the moment it is the darned squirrels who I'd like to get some repellent for. I can't believe how they've been feasting on so many of my new tulip bulbs. I say I can't believe it...but of course I knew they would. I'm hoping I'll get a few blooms before all is said and doe! I told my husband I want a bb gun--but my kids overheard me and called me cruel and insensitive;-( Of course, I wouldn't resort to that, but I get a certain satisfaction thinking about it!
I listened to your post...I thought it would be you reading it! It's a neat feature, though;-)
Wonderful post, as always, Cameron;-)
AS you know we have a problem with both the deer and rabbits. We have salvia so know about that one, but I am glad to see the other two things will not be touched by them. Well, as you say, in your garden they dont. I jotted them down and will keep my eyes open for them as I would like to add more such plants so as to have some color when other stuff becomes a meal. I love longevity with blooms so these look like great choices…
We have squirrels, but they haven't bothered the tulips -- could it be that the I Must Garden rabbit repellant repels squirrels? Don't know, but I'll keep an eye out for that.
No -- not my voice. I thought about making a few podcasts, but I don't have time these days.
The voice is a computer translating the text-to-sound. That's why there are mispronunciations and the symbol for inches is missed.
Could that be the sun? After 4 days of rain, is it OVER?
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Cameron
Thanks for the suggestions Cameron on plants that you have found to be deer & rabbit resistant in your own garden. Luckily I haven't had to deal with either of these pests in my own garden, but there is always a first for anything.
Hi Cameron,
Deer is one critter I don't have to worry about. Looks like you have it figured out with the perfect choice of flowers and your fence. Glad to know the repellant is working for the bunnies.
Meant to say earlier when giving you the firespike information... I read that deer will eat the leaves. *boo*
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