Mike - great book. I've read that, too. I took notes, so I could remember her growing tips as well. I live in a clearing in the woods at a camp & conference center, so the deer presence is strong & they're used to people also. Besides gardening around our home we work on gardens around the camp where there is no fencing to keep them out. I don't apply deterrents there, but some staff members stick soap in the soil near the rose bushes. In one area another staff family has a dog that deters them so we can plant edibles for our childrens' gardens. Sounds like you have good experience to deter deer from your newly planted specimens. I hope to scare them before they enter the garden and are just walking on the driveway. Like you I've had them break off stems or sink in rootballs by jumping through in spring when the new growth is out and the wet & soft. Sometimes their feet do tramp through gardens, so I've learned to plant closely & have paths in back of borders that are next to a fence or the house. When the deer can't see over it or can't find a path through it they don't enter, but do attempt to nibble around the front. Barberry prunings from my daughter's place crisscrossed & laying on the path prevented them from getting to seedlings & small plants in the spring. I removed them when the plants were larger. Some root well from cuttings in spring, so you can multiply what you have to make large groupings or repeat in the border. Sedum, Nepeta, Lamium, golden creeping jenny, & vinca minor can cover quite a bit of ground after awhile like a living mulch. The deer eat the tall sedum at our parents' island home, but haven't eaten them here. I was pleasantly surprised with Nepeta cuttings from new spring growth, stripped lower leaves, poked my finger in soft soil directly in the garden where I wanted the plants, & inserted. I moved a few of them further back as they matured as I put them too close to the edge, but other than that they've been easy. Another tip besides starting seeds -- find a free plant swap near you. Those plants are going to transplant well since they've already acclimated to your climate. No heartache if they don't make it because they were free! Just be careful to clean up any stray weeds before you plant them. Sometimes I just wash that soil all away before planting out. I've received rootbound seedings that sprouted in bark on top of plastic in someone's garden. A bit of root prep & they've been great plants. Have you tried some ornamental grasses either stand alone or in groupings? Some can be grown from seed. I've received some of my best ones for part sun at free plant swaps as divisions or seedlings that will mature & reseed again for me. Spring planted starts establish quickly. Some are well behaved clumpers and some are spreaders. Be sure to read up which fit your situation. The spreaders are in sunken pots to keep them as a clump. What ever is new to me becomes my favorite at the time. Hope that helps, Corrine

Once plants are established I dont water unless its a drought. But if your plants are in tree roots, the trees might absorb the water before the plants to. For the deer I use deer out. IMO nothing is deer proof. I have 11 acres and deer are plentiful. They eat everything thats not tied down.The deer out has worked great for me.

I can't remember where you live, so these suggestions will do well in sun and well-drained soil in zone 7. If your soil is clay, or your spot is shady, they may not be happy. To a great degree their resistance depends on what else is available for the deer to eat and what they have been habituated to eating. Prostrate rosemary will grow in the dirt and spill over the rocks and may be hardy for you though you may be a bit cold for it. Similarly, creeping thyme or other creeping herbs have strong flavors that may not appeal to deer. There are some perennials that spill or billow that will cover the top of the wall but not grow downward, such as Nepeta/catmint, especially the larger forms or such as some of the new cascading ornamental oreganos. Cistus/broom has some varieties that grow low instead of upwards, but if you are on the west coast it can be a problem there, seeding around invasively into wild areas, so you would want to avoid it. Lamium and Ajuga will creep out onto the rock, but not down it, but may be happier in part shade.

I get that deer might browse anything, but some things are safer than others. For example, sedum are supposed to be deer-resistant, but I've had them chomped on. Grasses and strong-smelling plants are safer. I'm not supposed to say 100%, but catmint and things in the onion family, as well as ornamental grasses are usually a pretty good bet. The thing about grasses is that most that I know of are very drought tolerant and come in colors from purples to silvery to variegated, so there's lots of 'color' there. And there's nothing like those plumes in the autumn! PS - I am also in north Jersey.