Momma and brand new baby deer by Ric Simeone

NANCY'S NEW DEER RESISTANT (?) GARDEN

I live on Pine Ridge below the Clubhouse, and we have a vacant lot next door that the Deer use to get from the lower valley to the Golf Course, and they like a snack before they cross the street. Their favorites are Hostas, which are now being eaten when they regrow one inch, and Daylily blooms. They ate so many that my blooms would hide in the greenery, so I gave 1/3 of my Daylillies to the Memorial Garden next to the Tennis Courts. Since I want to keep my friendship with my Deer feeding friends, I have decided to only grow "Deer Resistant" plants in my front garden.

I purchased two white and one red Coneflower on the Deer Resistant table at the Mountaineer Garden Center for $8 each and two Cherokee Sunset Rudbeckia and one Zinnia at Lowes, all of which had Deer Resistant tags, with this clarification on the back side: "Deer Resistant but not Deer proof depending on scarcity of food".

(That sure makes me feel better) The total price was around $35. A bottle of Deer Off costs $17-18. These plants were planted before 11:00 on August 28, 2010, and I do not intend to spray them with any product to keep Deer away. (at least until they start getting eaten. Stay tuned!

Nancy Raymond

MORE ABOUT DEER AND PLANTS

This will be the 6th article in this series. You can access them all by scrolling waaaaay down to "Labels" and click on the Deer one. I asked Fred about how to keep Deer off our plants, and what to plant next year. His store mgr, Bernie Krepka replied with this information:
The recipe: There are a couple commercial options such as Deer Off and Deer Fence- Expect to pay anywhere from $15-$17 a bottle, but they both work pretty well. You can make your own concoction. Take egg yolks (whole eggs will work as well) and put in a blender with some water. Start blending and gradually add water so that you have a mixture that is thin enough to go through the tube of a spray bottle. As an option you can add a dash of cayenne. Spray the nixture on your plants. While the plant is wet, it may attract flies, but they will go away once the mixture dries. You will have to re-apply after a heavy rain. My wife uses aged eggs and that is not necessary but it does ratchet up the stink factor quite a bit.
Deer resistant (not proof) plants:
For containers or as ground cover: Creeping Jenny, Licorice Vine (annual), Bacopa (annual), Dead Nettle, Vinca Vine, Spurge.
Shade Plants (perennials): Ajuga, Japanese Anenome, Goats Beard, Astilbe, Japanese Painted Fern, Christmas Fern, Cinnamon Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Bugbane, Lenten Rose, Varigated Japanese Sedge, Bergenia, Brunnera, Lungwort (especially resistant),Columbine;
Sun plants (perennials): False Indigo, Speedwell, Blue Star Juniper, Golden Mop, Barberry, Butterfly Weed, Globe Thistle, Joe -Pye Weed, Yarrow, Oriental Poppy, Shasta Daisy, Monkshood, Catmint, (especially resistant) Black-eyed Susan,Yucca, Coreopsis (especially resistant), Blue Star Juniper, Dusty Miller (sometimes annual, sometimes perennial, Marguerite Daisey.
Thank you so much Bernie, and Fred's. We appreciate it!

THANK YOU, NANCY!

Nancy Brunzos gave me a HIGH COUNTRY GARDENS magazine at our Garden & Herb Society meeting this morning. You can order all kinds of plants from this company, but the wonderful thing is their plants are labeled, Xeric (waterwise), Very Xeric, Morning Sun, all day shade, Rabbit Resistant, Deer Resistant, Hummingbirds, and Butterflies. The best way to fight the Deer eating your garden, is to change to plants that they do not enjoy. Check this out: http://www.highcountrygardens.com/. They will send you a free catalog.
Nancy Raymond

HOW TO SAVE YOUR PLANTS FROM DEER

The Town of Beech Mtn approved feeding of Deer last Tuesday. Here are hints from our local residents:
1) Rory Ellington, Supt of Greens at the BMC. He has been using Deer Off, and says it has worked well this summer due to the dry weather. I can vouch that he has had beautiful flowers on the course and quite a few Deer.
2) Nancy Brunzos: She recommends an all natural deer spray from imustgarden.com. Says it works for 3 months rain or shine, and that you can also buy it in Newland.
3) Susie Knepka: This lady takes care of all the town flower barrels, and they are never eaten. She makes her own mixture: 6-8 raw egg yolks, 1 t. cayenne pepper and water. She adds enough water to 3/4 fill her blender. Gives it a few whirls, and uses a funnel to pour it into any kind of spray bottle. She trys to let the raw egg yolks sit at room temp for a few days before making it. The older the mixture, the better.
4)Kathy Barley: Found a product on line called Ultrasonic Solar Animal Repeller for $29.95 which she is planning on buying. Stay tuned. If anyone else has any idea, please write me at captjandn2@yahoo.com.
Nancy Raymond

THE DEER FEEDERS WON

The Beech Mtn Town Council has decided that Deer feeding should be allowed. Several people stood up and said that it doesn't increase the amount of Deer. All I know is that we moved to Beech for the summers about 18 years ago, and I could grow beautiful flowers. Now I can't. Recently one day I was driving on Pine Ridge and had to stop for 4 healthy young Deer crossing the road, and two days later I had to stop for 6.

Our only solution for us garden lovers is to work together to determine which plants will not attract the Deer. Hostas used to grow beautifully. Now they are eaten. However, you will see that right next to the eaten Hosta picture is a beautiful blooming Petunia, which hasn't been touched. Small Marigolds have not been touched. My beautiful spring blooming Rhododendron's are all eaten, and I haven't seen blooms for several years.

My Deer off product didn't work, but an avid Deer lover at the meeting swears by a mixture of Egg Yolk, Chili Powder, and water, sprayed on plants. She said the people taking care of the town flower barrels use this mixture. Nancy Brunzos highly recommends an all natural deer spray on imustgarden.com, which can also be purchased in Newland.

If you have any ideas, please send them to me at captjandn2@yahoo.com.

Especially pictures or information about plants that have not been eaten.

Nancy

WHERE ARE OUR FLOWERS?

I have lived here for 18 summers. In the beginning, people would stop their cars and comment on my beautiful flowers. I just took a picture of my Daylilly Garden. There are a few buds, and I have put on the spray, and have metal ornaments, but the Deer come by anyway. Yesterday, I stopped for four young Deer to cross the road. Today, I stopped for 6!!!! Is it not time for the town to control feeding and thin the flock? There is going to be a Town Council meeting on July 13 at 6 P.M., and I think the Deer problem is going to be discussed. I plan to be there. Bambi is out of control in our community!

Nancy Raymond

We want to get fit too!

On the way home, we came across these two deer that appeared to want in the fitness center. If so, I bet it was for the warmth, not the workout.

" Hey, Nancy, let us in...we want to get fit too!"

"Come on, Bucky, this must be an exclusive club...nobody is going to let us in."

"What are you looking at? Take a picture, it will last longer".

....so I did! :)