Many a gardener has been driven to distraction by the damage that is done to prized shrubs by herds of roaming deer. What to do? You can fence in each plant, or fence around your entire property; however neither of these solutions are particularly pretty and can be downright expensive.
A simpler option is to plant shrubs that Bambi doesn’t like to eat. There is no such thing as a “deer-proof” plant, as a hungry deer will eat almost anything. But some plants are much less tasty to these hooved marauders than others. Listed above on the charts are some of Bambi’s least favorite native shrubs for the eastern and western U.S.
Author Neil Diboll will be speaking at this year’s Lake Home & Cabin Show in various Midwest locations throughout March and April 2011. Neil owns Prairie Nursery in Westfield, Wis., www.prairienursery.com. For more information about the show, see the ad on the inside front cover of this issue or visit www.lakehomeandcabinshow.com.