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Plants for Difficult Places

Need Long Blooming Flower Deer Wont Eat

16 years ago

What kinds of flowers that are long blooming, that look nice, big, showy, that they wont eat?

I have lots of purple iris to trade if anyone is interested.

Thanks for any suggestions!

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Comments (8)

bullthistle
16 years ago
This is a list posted previously on GW so search to your hearts content, because you should be able to find plants that will work for you.
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/midatl/2002083026012897.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Propagating Perennials
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florrie2
16 years ago
I'm interested in the same subject, so I went to the site listed. Many of the plants there are deer buffet items, such as hosta and begonia. I can't grow these things at all!

It sounds like you're looking for an annual, if you want long blooming flowers.

If you're in sun, you can grow cleome and cosmos. The best cosmos I grow is "sensation", about 5 feet tall, plenty of blue, pink and white blossoms. A real knock-out.

If you're in the shade you can try lobelia or mimulus. You can try coleus, deer don't eat that where I live.

Long blooming perennials for shade include Forget-me-not, and hardy geranium (Johnson's Blue). How about hydrangea? They come in all sizes and colors, look nice and the deer don't eat mine.

I also read that you can pee around your plants to keep the deer away. Easier for a man!

Florrie
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The sweet potato vines are ornamental so I don't believe you could start with a regular sweet potato from the store. My mom used these a few years ago and raved about them. I found mine at a local hardware store, but I'm sure the Lowe's-type stores here carry them as they are very popular in this area (Southeast). There are several colors, but the chartreuse and dark purple are the most popular. I hate that you can't see that photo. It was the very first photo by Jenny_in_SE_PA. I think it is exactly what you want. The combination of bright green SP vine and dark purple coleus was stunning! Here is a photo of mine at the beginning of last summer: I *think* that is one vine. It might be two, but I'm almost certain I used one sweet potato and one petunia in each pot. By the end of the summer the sweet potato vine was trailing on the ground. I actually had to give it a few haircuts. When our temps hit 105 in July (and the concrete patio and brick retaining wall held in the heat like an oven!), the sweet potato never flinched. I need something taller in my pots and considered some sort of evergreen, conical shrub like an arborvitae, but I think my heat would kill it. Since you're in zone 6, you might have better luck with a permanent shrub. I may experiment with some tall grasses this year. Here's a link showing some containers that use evergreen shrubs along with some other interesting non-flowering plants. http://www.finegardening.com/plants/articles/10-plants-for-year-round-containers.aspx?nterms=74930 At one time I only wanted flowers. Flowers, flowers, and more flowers. Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE flowers, but I've begun to appreciate foliage and texture as well. I think I'm finally maturing a little. (But did I mention that I still love flowers? The gaudier the better?) I think it is fun to think outside the box a little when it comes to container combinations. Have fun with yours! Nin
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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)
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DYH
15 years ago
You'll have to check the zone difference since my experience is in zone 7. However, I have a huge flower garden that the deer don't eat.

(Deer have always eaten my hydrangea.)

Nepeta -- blooms here from late April until frost. I cut back the older blooms and get more.

Homestead Verbena -- low-growing

Tall verbena -- back of border

Salvia -- perennials or annuals

Agastache -- perennial

Snapdragons -- annuals (they are perennials for me)

Osteospermum -- annuals

Nierembergia (cup flower) -- tender perennial or annual

There are many, many more. I write about this topic in my blog. Anytime that I mention "outer garden" or "butterfly garden" that means those plants are outside the fence. There is a herd of 20+ deer who sleep in the meadow just a few feet away from my outer garden.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gardening blog
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laceyvail 6A, WV
15 years ago
Gaillardia 'FanFare' blooms until frost, and all Gaillardias are quite uninteresting to deer.
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mersiepoo
15 years ago
I know they aren't really 'long blooming', but deer don't seem to eat spiderwort, and they leave lambs ears alone (yeah, I know, they don't bloom very long, or do they?)
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diene
15 years ago
I was recently informed that deer are not interested in columbine, can anyone else verify that? Lots of my neighbors swear by it.
diene
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DYH
15 years ago
I have columbine. No munching.
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laceyvail 6A, WV
15 years ago
Deer here eat columbine and spiderwort--Tradescantia. It may help if you use a good deer repellent on every new plant you set out so their first experience with it is terrible.
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