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Deer in the Garden
By Bernie Dinter
Nothing is more frustrating for the gardener than to see their
hard work and money gobbled up by free loading deer. A little planning and
understanding can help to reduce losses.
Deer are browsing animals that often follow regular paths and eat as they are
underway. They will test most plants but have preferences for certain
varieties which they can quickly destroy. Some deer repellents work by giving
the plant a bad taste, but have to be reapplied as new growth appears or the
product wears off. These products are only practical in getting a plant
established to a size that can withstand some browsing.
Deer also have a very acute sense of smell to warn them of
danger. If this sense is impaired by other smells, they become nervous and
will leave the area. This can be achieved by placing small amounts of
predator scent (a product we sell), blood meal fertilizer, Milorganite
fertilizer, fragrant soap (Irish Spring) or blocks of wood treated with
creosote, in the area.
Fencing
is the ultimate solution, but can be expensive and unsightly. Low fences may
change their paths, but if they know food is behind the fence, they can jump
quite high or crawl under low wires. The construction does not have to be
strong, as they will not push their way through a fence. Temporary fences can
be put up using a black plastic netting that is not very visible and held up
with garden stakes.
The best solution is to select plants that are not favoured by the deer.
Below is a list of plants that we feel deer will leave alone, but with the
caveat that a deer will have the final say. They have been known to try any
plant and will switch to less favoured plants when other food become
unavailable. But using this list will ensure you a high degree of success in
having your garden coexist with deer.
We list the botanical genus name which will cover all plants starting with
that name. e.g. Pinus is the Pine genus and means that all the hundreds of
Pine varieties are resistant.
Disclaimer: These lists are subject to
'approval' by your local deer! Use these lists to improve your chances
of success in a garden shared with deer.
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Deer-Resistant Trees
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Botanical
Name
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Common Name
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Comments
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Araucaria
araucana
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Monkey
Puzzle Tree
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Cedrus
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Cedars
(Needle forms)
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Chamaecyparis
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Cypress,
all
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Large
group of plants
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Cupressocyparis
leylandii
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Leylandii
Cypress
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Fast
growing hedging
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Juniperus
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Junipers,
all
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Picea
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Spruce,
all
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Pinus
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Pine,
all
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Deer-Resistant Shrubs
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Botanical Name
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Common Name
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Comments
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Bamboo
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Berberis
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Barberry
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Buddleia
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Butterfly
Bush
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Buxus
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Boxwood
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Calluna
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Summer
Heather
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Ceanothus
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California
Lilac
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Some
browsing
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Cortaderia
selloana
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Pampas
Grass
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Cotinus
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Smoke
Bush
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Some
browsing
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Daphne
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Daphne
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Erica
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Winter
Heather
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Ferns
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Some
varieties
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Genista
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Gunnera
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Chilean
Rhubarb
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Ilex
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Holly
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Jasmine
nudiflorum
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Winter
Jasmine
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Lavandula
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Lavender
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Mahonia
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Oregon
Grape
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Nandina
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Heavenly
Bamboo
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Phormium
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New
Zealand Flax
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Picea
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Spruce
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All,
very resistant
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Pieris
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Lily-of-the-Valley
Shrub
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Very
colourful shrubs
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Pinus
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Pines
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All,
very resistant
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Potentilla
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Potentilla
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Rhododendron
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Rhododendrons
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Sometimes
browsed
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Ribes
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Flowering
Currant
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Rosmarinus
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Rosemary
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Sarcococca
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Himalayan
Sweet Box
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Spiraea
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Spiraea
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Viburnum
davidii
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David's
Viburnum
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Sometimes
browsed
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Yucca
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Yucca
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Deer-Resistant Perennials
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Botanical Name
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Common Name
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Acanthus
mollis
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Bears
Breech
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Aconitum
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Monkshood
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Agapanthus
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African
Lily
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Anemone
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Windflower
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Aquilegia
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Columbine
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Arabis
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Rock
Cress
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Artemesia
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Asarum
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Wild
Ginger
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Astilbe
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Astilbe
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Bergenia
cordifolia
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Bergenia
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Coreopsis
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Tickweed
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Crocosmia
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Montbretia
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Chrysanthemun
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Garden
Mum, Shasta Daisy, Painted Daisy, etc.
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Cyclamen
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Cyclamen
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Dicentra
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Bleeding
Hearts
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Digitalis
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Foxgloves
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Epimedium
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Barrenwort
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Euphorbia
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Wood
Spurge
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Geranium
varieties
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Hardy
Geranium
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Helleborus
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Christmas
and Lenten Rose
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Iris
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Iris
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Kniphofia
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Red-hot
Poker
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Lamium
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Lamium
or False Salvia
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Nepeta
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Catmint
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Penstemon
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Penstemon
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Perovskia
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Lungwort
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Rudbeckia
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Black-eyed
Susan
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Sedum
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Stonecrop
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Stachys
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Lamb's
Ears
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Thymus
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Thyme
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Deer-Resistant Annuals
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Botanical Name
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Common Name
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Comments
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Ageratum
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Floss
Flower
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Good
for borders
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Artemisia
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Silver
Mound
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Basket
stuffer
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Artichoke
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Also
a vegetable
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Aster
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Cut
flower
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Begonia
- Fibrous
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Easy
to grow, sun or shade
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Begonia
- Tuberous
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Brachycome
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Swan
River Daisy
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Basket
stuffer
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Calendula
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Pot
Marigold
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Very
easy, self seeds
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Campanula
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Bell
Flower
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Chrysanthemum
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Best
for fall flowers
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Cosmos
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Easy
to grow, bushy
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Dahlia
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Very
colourful
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Dianthus
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Pinks
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Dusty
Miller
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Can
over winter
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Euryops
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Needs
sun
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Felicia
Blue
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Blue
Marguerite
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Gaillardia
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Basket
Flower
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Gazania
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Needs
full sun
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Geranium
- Scented
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Herbs
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Most
culinary types
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Helianthus
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Strawflower
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Good
for drying
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Heliotrope
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Lobelia
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Marigolds
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Rain
resistant, easy to grow
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Mimulus
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Monkey
Flower
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Marguerite
Daisy
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Nepeta
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Creeping
Charlie
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Basket
stuffer
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Nicotiana
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Flowering
Tobacco
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Osteospermum
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African
Daisy
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Ricinus
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Castor
Oil Plant
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Seeds
are very poisonous
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Rudbeckia
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Black-eyed
Susan
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Salvia
(Victoria Blue)
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Scaevola
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Blue
Fan
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Basket
stuffer
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Verbena
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Basket
stuffer
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Zinnia
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Needs
heat, cut flower
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Deer Resistant Bulbs
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Allium
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Fritallaria
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Amaryllis
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Galanthus
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Brodiaea
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Ipheion
(Triteleia uniflora)
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Carnassia
(native species)
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Narcissus
(Daffodil)
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Colchicum
(fall flowering)
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Ornithogalum
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Cyclamen
(fall flowering)
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Oxalis
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Dodecatheon
(native species)
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Puschkinia
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Eranthis
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Scilla
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Erythronium
(native species)
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Some
Browsing by Deer:
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Anenome
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Muscari
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Crocosmia
(flowers)
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Scilla
nutans
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Crocus
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Trillium
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Iris
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Flowering and Shade Trees
Deer
will browse up to about shoulder height (5 ft.). Most flowering and shade
trees begin to branch above that height and can avoid deer damage. Trees
should be pruned to keep all branches out of reach of deer.
Fruit Trees
Fruit
trees are also subject to browse on the tips of their branches. The trees
should be trained to branch high out of reach of the deer. If the tree is not
tall enough, it should be fenced until it grows beyond the reach of the deer.
Deer Favourites
Some
plants that should not be considered in a deer garden are Roses,
Japanese Azaleas, Tulips, Pansies and Primroses.
B. Dinter Nursery is centrally located on
Vancouver Island in the Cowichan Valley.
It is a 45 minute drive north of Victoria, B.C., and 5 km. south of
Duncan. Dinter’s Nursery is a family owned business, operating at this
site since 1973. On their 8 acre
property is a full service garden centre that offers a wide range of products
for your garden.
Contact Information
Telephone: (250) 748-2023 Fax: (250)
748-0586 Postal address: 2205 Phipps
Road, Duncan, B.C. V9L 6L2
Email: General Information: info@dinternursery.ca Website: www.dinternursery.ca
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