George -- I think that all the plants you've listed are considered deer resistant if not outright "deer proof" (aside from plants that actually REPEL deer such as boxwood, lavender, fritillaria, etc., I'm not sure any plant can be called deer PROOF. That said, I've got a yard full of hostas, plenty of deer, and haven't had so much as a nibble, so go figure... ;)

(White Flower Farm plants fritillaria in among their massed tulip beds in the spring, which they claim protects the tulips since the deer intensely dislike the fritillaria and will avoid the beds entirely.)

/ Marty

How about Potentilla? There should be just enough sun and I've never heard of deer liking it. Enough P. varieties are available that you could get yellow, pink or white in whatever height you choose up to about 4' after four years.

Potentilla is virtually maintenance free except for watering during establishment. Every garden I've had has had them, and they always just seem to "fit."

Don't imagine the grocery store parking lot Potentilla -- talk to Youngs and get the good stuff. Stunning in masses.

Martie

Anything in the lily family is deer food. I sprayed this year so I could see the flowers of my lilies, daylilies, phlox, roses, etc. They don't eat yucca but they did eat the flowers off the stalk.

Deer won't eat plants that have a strong smell like monarda, salvia and nepeta which would all do well in your conditions. I also find that the summer daisies like heliopsis spread well and make a good show. If you want some specific names I'll to walk through my garden to make a list of my more successful plants.

Hedy

Hedy, I thought that too (about the tiger lilies) but in fact, they show up on quite a few lists of "seldom damaged" plants by state (Vermont, for instance) extension services as "deer resistant" (not deer proof) (see, for example, http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmext/publications/oh/oh64.htm for the Vermont list). Cornell lists them as deer resistant as well (counties.cce.cornell.edu/tompkins/current/deerresistantplants.pdf .

The CT Agricultural Experiment Station has a good list of plants/article in Bulletin 968 (they don't list tiger lilies per se, but it might be a useful resource).

Here is a link that might be useful: CT Ag Station List of Bulletins

Do you know if such thugs as Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) and Gooseneck loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) are deer-resistant?
I'm thinking to put them in that area as well since it has no direct connection to the garden beds and if they spreads ONLY by underground runners I have nothing to worry about.

One more thing.
So far the following in a plan (trying to put in a bloom sequence, correct me if wrong):
-daffodils,
-camassia,
-peonies? (probably will look odd with other neighbors, but they will bloom in early June before all other stuff will be noticeable and then only foliage will be present)
-sib. irises,
-lupines,
-monarda,
-fillipendula,
-verb. bonariensis,
-lysimachia?(see above post),
-physostegia?(the same),
-rudbeckia? (will try and see if deer resistant),
-eupatorium.

Does all of them have a chance to coexist or one or another eventually will take over the whole area?
Do you think I should bring this question to Perennial forum?

George,
I am living in an isolated land base that has allowed the deer population to exceed dangerous deer pop./per sq mile ratios in NE. One of the interesting concerns we are now facing is the deer are doing tremendous damage to the native plant population. That said the small current concession to the problem has been to add an addition week on to the hunting season. When I read your thoughts re gooseneck I wanted to suggest to you even if you appreciated the plant when it was not in flower it looks really raty after being deer pruned and will send energy to the root system to promote more deer food that can not only look raty but as you know be near to impossible to get rid of. If you are still on the fence re: this choice I will look through some old photo's to see if I can visually dis-wade you. kt

George, they will eat gooseneck loostrife. Eat mine evey year. I've never seen it bloom yet!

How about some agastache? They don't bother that and it has a great long bloom time.

Virginia

OK, great. Gooseneck is out of the list.
Doesn't agastache need a full sun?