As far as lists go, deer vary in their preferences, though some plants are more likely to be deer resistant everywhere than others. Around here at least, maples are high on their list of tasty species, and I have had them nibble an Amelanchier. My kalmia have never been touched, but I've heard of people's whose plants have. I've also heard of one person who had deer eating their Pieris, though that is quite rare I think. Re: the Twombly list: Most of it I would agree with except for Acer sp, Cornus, and Ilex. Deer around here love the evergreen hollies, but are less interested in the deciduous species. Viburnums are low on their list, but my "rogue" deer (more on him below) took a strong liking to V. dentatums. He ate my Aster 'October Skies' too. That's one heck of strange deer, kind of like a kid with a taste for anchovies, olives, and raw oysters. As for the perennial list, they love geraniums. The only type I consider safe are G. maccrorhizum and hybrids of that species with their strong smelling foliage. One winter when they were very hungry, they also pulled the semi-evergreen heuchera out of the ground and nibbled heavily on dianthus. Otherwise, the perennial list looks good. In general, plants with strong foliage fragrance (think lavenders, perovskia, etc), or with fuzzy leaves (Phlomis russeliana), or milky sap (Euphorbias) are very likely to be left alone, although I had a "rogue" deer arrive last year that ate Euphorbias and left lilies alone! Poisonous plants are generally left alone (Hellebores) unless deer are starving, and then they will eat anything. Remember too, that some plants will outgrow deer; I'm thinking of redbuds, maples and Cornus that are very vulnerable when small, but once they get some size on them, they're safe. But because deer preferences vary, it is really important that you spray new plants you put out so the deer's first experience with them is bad. I am a garden consultant with a specialty in gardening in deer country, and I find that when people tell me that deer are eating something that is normally considered pretty resistant, it's because deer generally have the run of the property and are tasting everything, especially new stuff. They came into the restaurant, perhaps for an advertised special (hostas, yews)and they'll continue to sample the buffet, developing a taste for items they once would have ignored. I've seen this time and time again. There is much more to gardening in deer country than just growing "resistant" plants, and much of it has to do with getting deer to avoid your property. They are creatures of habit, and if you force them to form a habit of NOT coming onto your property, you will be pretty safe most of the time. Then you must watch for them only twice a year--in late summer/fall when they're checking out winter browse and in late winter/early spring when they're really hungry.

If you are going to take the trees out right away, you can cut those grapes down and they will survive. I wouldn't take them to the ground. If you leave a couple of feet of vine, that short a bit will be pretty easy to untangle. If you aren't taking the trees down right away, leave the vines and see what they produce. Whether or not you like the grapes is going to make a difference in how you treat the vines. It sounds to me like the first step is to get the ivy under control. The trees might possibly be something to save. You won't know until you get them unburied and determine what they are and give them some pruning and care. Who knows, maybe those are fruit trees. I wouldn't automatically assume that grapes in a once cultivated garden gone out of control would be wild grapes. They could very easily have been deliberately planted back in the days when the garden was tended. I bought a place that had been abandoned for 6 years. The surviving plants were in bad shape, but I babied them just to see what I had. They looked like garbage, but some time in the past, someone was a pretty good gardener and most of the plants turned out to be excellent. It took some serious work to bring them back, but it was worth it. 2 completely "dead" bushes turned out to be gorgeous hardy hibiscus that have flowers for 6 months solid. 3 "dead" fruit trees are bearing fruit for me. An unidentifiable tangled mess of dead twigs is now a sweet-smelling honeysuckle. Clean up first, then stand back and take stock.

I have used and seen how coffee grounds under and around all your grape plants should keep them away . Boric acid also works well to rid oneself of ants . Spread across their path and they bring back to the nest . I need to learn how to rid myself of normal sized flies with some gold on them from eating my ripening red seedless grapes

Gary, you're right, and it is best to have the same types. All I meant is it is not always easy to figure out what you have! Pink Lemonade is a good example! Cara's Choice and Pink Lemonade were both released by Dr. Mark Ehlenfeldt Cara's Choice is just as strange. here's some info on Pink Lemonade PINK LEMONADE is a cross of NJ 89âÂÂ158âÂÂ1 x Delite (V. ashei) and was originally tested as ARS 96-138. The female parent, NJ 89âÂÂ158âÂÂ1 came from a cross of two triploids, NJ 856âÂÂ1 x NJ 859âÂÂ1 made by Dr. Nicholi Vorsa (Rutgers University). The clone NJ 856âÂÂ1 is a cross of G-434 (a sibling of âÂÂPink ChampagneâÂÂ) x NJ 85-CS (an albino-fruited, wild, 2x selection of V. corymbosum). The clone NJ 859âÂÂ1 is a cross of V. darrowi >Florida 4B= x Rancocas (see attached pedigree). The cross that produced PINK LEMONADE was made by M.K. Ehlenfeldt at Chatsworth, New Jersey in 1991. PINK LEMONADE was selected in 1996 by M.K. Ehlenfeldt at the Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research and Extension, Chatsworth, NJ. The selection was subsequently evaluated by M.K. Ehlenfeldt between 1996 and 2004, and also evaluated at USDA-ARS/Oregon State University test plots in Corvallis, Oregon. Its general characteristics are, mid-late- to late-season ripening, moderate yields, medium-sized, glossy fruit, bright pink fruit-color, mild pleasant flavor, and good firmness. The bush of PINK LEMONADE is vigorous, upright, and full. Leaves are glossy green and lanceolate, with a serrated leaf margins. Leaf surface texture is smooth, very similar to that of V. ashei. Limited observations suggest that PINK LEMONADE has some resistance to the blighting phase of Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi (mummy berry). Flowering time is similar to other southern blueberry germplasm, with flowers developing earlier than hardy northern cultivars such as Bluecrop. Plants are hardy in New Jersey, but fruit production is irregular, producing reduced, or no crops in years with late spring frosts, and moderate crops in years with mild spring temperatures. Cropping ability is most likely related to flower bud deacclimation and hardiness in spring. The ideal area of adaptation of PINK LEMONADE is unknown, but its background suggests that it might perform equally well, or better, in milder climates, including areas where rabbiteye cultivars can be grown. Because of the inherent self-fertility problems of rabbiteye germplasm, it is recommended that another rabbiteye cultivar be planted with PINK LEMONADE to ensure good cross-pollination. In some southerly locales, âÂÂFlorida RoseâÂÂ, a pink-fruited cultivar recently released by the University of Florida, may be suitable for this purpose.