I love the low-growing Campanulas and have ever since as a teenager I saw a wild Campanula rotundifolia covered with flowers growing on a gravel bank at the side of the road. Some I've had great success with while others I have killed repeatedly. I've done my best to avoid the species with a reputation for thugishness, either seeding around or running uncontrollably. Ones I can't keep alive: Campanula cochlearifolia I've tried three times in two different gardens with three different selections of this species, 'Bavarian Blue', 'Elizabeth Oliver', and the straight species. I've tried growing it in a rock wall and near the edges of garden beds where they won't be overwhelmed by larger plants, but they don't seem to survive the winter here. Campanula garganica 'Dickson's Gold' is another I've tried in two different gardens three times. It fades away in the heat of summer. Ones I've grown with success: CAMPANULA carpatica white & blue selections, at least some of which were 'Clips'. These make neat tufts that bloom for a long time. From Campanula 2013 Campanula poscharskyana, both the species and 'Blue Waterfall' in a couple different gardens. Spreads and drapes slowly; I've grown it in a dry stacked field stone wall holding up a terrace, and along the edge of beds. Flowers are more open stars. From Campanula 2013 Campanula portenschlagiana, both the species and 'Resholt Variety'. I find it behaves similarly to C. poscharskyana growing in a wall, though I have heard it can be somewhat too enthusiastic. I like the bell-like form. Campanula 'Samantha' is a lovely light purple blue at the rim that fades to white in the center. The flowers are held well above the foliage and it bloomed this year, its second, from mid-July through September in my garden, though it may have taken a few small breaks. From Campanula 2013 Campanula 'Birch Hybrid' is a porscharskyana and garganica cross and has similar foliage and bell-like flowers to them. Campanula glomerata grew fine, but when I moved I left this one behind without regrets. It doesn't have the delicate bells on thread-like stems of the ones that I prefer. It has relatively tights clusters of mixed flowers and small foliage on stocky stems. Just not my cup of tea.

Wonder what they are? Post some pictures and I'll see what I can do. I make no promises about giving you species names, but I might be able to give you a general idea of what you're seeing. I've seen some smaller, tiny bees on the rose leaves also. There are MANY species of solitary bees, and most of them are very small. They're probably interested in collecting rose pollen to feed to their babies. It's not unusual for bees like this to collect pollen & nectar, make a ball out of the pollen (using the nectar as the binding agent), lay an egg on the ball, and then seal the whole thing inside a chamber and do it all over again in the next part of the tunnels they've already created. Native solitary bee species often live that way. The babies take a year to become adults, and so show up the following year to repeat the cycle. Some parts of the season they seem more agressive than others. Yellow jackets are more aggressive in late summer/early autumn because their source of food in the nest is diminishing. After they feed those killed insects to the babies back in the nest the babies secret a sugary fluid which the adults eat as food. That works great at this time year since the nest is growing in population and so there are more babies on the way then there are adults now (creating a situation in the nest where the adults have access to lots of food). By the end of the summer the queen isn't laying so many eggs as now, and so there are lots of adults, but fewer babies to rear (and thus less food in the nest for the adults). That means the adults have to look for sugary stuff outside the nest to satiate their hunger. That's why they become an aggressive nuisance at Labor Day cookouts & picnics.

Ack! Deer. The bane of my existance.(as a gardener anyway) We live right in the middle of a major deer run..we have deer all year round, usually in groups of 5 or so, but sometimes up to 30. They browse EVERYTHING. All the deer resistant plants? They either take bites of them as well, or else they just sharpen their horns, chew on the bark, etc. For any of my new-ish shade trees, they all have chicken wire, about 3 1/2-4 ft tall staked around the tree. Once the tree gets larger, I'll probably just put a wrap of wire around the trees trunk to prevent the deer from chewing off the bark or rubbing their horns on the trunk, and enlarge it when I need to. For my newly planted shelterbelt trees, I use a deer repellant called "Scout"...I have found it works fairly well, and lasts for a least a season(I apply in spring and fall). It is quite thick so I have to paint it on. I didn't want an unsightly deer fence either, but I finally caved and we are building a 8 ft tall large enclosure around our orchard and veggie garden. They are so relentless, it is either do that or quite replacing the trees. I also put a plastic netting type fence around the perennial bed that is right up by the house, but only in the winter. I have found that even though the fence is only 5 1/2 feet or so, it is enough of a deterrant for the deer browsing...they never try to jump in(that close to the house). It is unsightly through the winter, but very effective. I take it down in spring and try to keep an eye out for the deer. When I see them I shoot at them with a pellet gun...I probably never hit them(and it wouldn't hurt much if it did) but the "Pop!" sound REALLY makes them run. They must think hunting season has returned!(we live on a farm, by the way)

Salt kills slugs, for sure, but northspruce is right that it's not good for the soil (or plants). I don't know why I didn't think to mention this before (probably because I'm still at the ammonia spray stage of warfare), but Lee Valley Tools sells a copper roll for slug control. It doesn't kill slugs, but it keeps them off your plants. Copper gives slugs an electric shock when they touch it. If you get the copper around your plants before the slugs get into the nooks and crannies of the leaf axils (early spring), then the plants are safe. (If you put it on after the slugs are on the plant, you just encourage them to stay! The roll is 5 inches wide, but I imagine you could cut that down. It's fairly pricey, but you wouldn't have to replace the copper wire each year. Although it would be a hastle to put the stuff around the whole garden, it could be useful for special plants, or for plants that are the most susceptible to slug damage. I've also heard that you can get rolls of copper sheeting from metal suppliers, and cut strips yourself. The copper kitchen scrub pads can also be unraveled and the strands placed around the plant. Heck, you could even surround your very special plants with pennies! I might try the Copper Blocker next year (too late this season...the slugs are already on the plants. Besides, my ammonia spray is ready to go!!) Here is a link that might be useful: Lee Valley's Copper Blocker