Yeah...I was fighting and still do on som smaller trees and shrubs with a loop/ring of farm fencing, the one's with square holes for several years until large enough that a nipping here and there won't take out the whole plant.

I have a serious deer problem here with a herd of 8 that think my garden belongs to them. They prune a lot of plants, shrubs, and trees every year. I won't have lilac flowers again this year as the shrubs are too big to fence in.

This year I'm planning to use a spray deer repellent - anyone have an opinion on which is best? With any luck the marmots won't like it either. They decimated my herb garden last year.

I have managed to keep deer out of one smaller fenced area (about 30'x40') which is the dog's yard by using a couple rows of string within the fence from side to side. I have my rose garden within that fence. To them I expect it looks like triple fencing and they don't jump it. However the rest of my garden is too large to do that.

I have used garlic essential oil on strips of cloth tied to fences and they don't like that but it doesn't last long. I think the deer repellents last longer.

Not much I can plant that some critter here won't eat - between the deer, marmots, squirrels, and chipmunks almost everything seems to be on their menus.

Try Bobbex.

I'm surprised they eat Peonies, they're quite poisonous.

Deer love Hostas. So do slugs, rabbits, and everything else apparently as well :)

I have an ugly metal rabbit fence around my vegetable garden right now. Last year I started building a "natural fence" around the inside of the wire fence. I am lining the fence with flowers that deer and bunnies hopefully won't eat. These include: monarda, agastache (hopefully), irises, lilies, day lilies, poppies, chives, Egyptian onions, salvia (hopefully), campanula, lavender (hopefully), sage (hopefully), echinacea, daisies, rudbeckia. I don't have the plants/seeds/bulbs for the "hopefullys" yet.

Lilies are 100% edible. So don't bother with those.

Besides hostas deer also love tulips, clematis, lilies, sedums, gladiolas, daylilies and young lilacs.

Besides peonies deer don't eat veronicas, irises, daffodils, monkshood, coral bells and salvia.

I like using a simple solution of 1 egg (whipped) into 4 litres of water. The protein in the egg is what the deer do not like. You spray it on the plants (fresh or old solution, but old will be rotten ...then simply stand up wind as you spray). After a rain you need to reapply as it washes off. This solution is cheap but it works. No need to add all kinds of extra ingredients like cayenne pepper, garlic or other spices. It's the protein that they do not like. I spray all my perennials beds with it.

We simply had enough of the deer getting into the veggies and small fruits so we built an 8' fence around that area. Problem solved!

Brenda

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)