They are placed around the yard in different spots but all with similar conditions. ==>>> you cant make that presumption .... it looks like frost/freeze damage.. and micro climates can vary within feet of each other .... if it bugs you.. just trace down and snip off the offenders.. i would surely not recommend any chemical intervention ... the other side of the coin is that though mother nature can be erratic.. the odds of disease or bug affecting ONLY one .. is very high odds ... ken

Deer really do develop different tastes based upon the doe matriarch of the herds. I've had rudbeckia sampled a bit by either deer, rabbits or both. I put up a 32" high wire edging fence around those until they get big. My geranium 'Rozanne' were sampled once when first planted this spring, but just a few blooms. The deer have been going through my garden a lot but haven't taken a second helping of those. What salvia are you growing? Could it be May Night? Rabbits have been reported to be nibbling May Night. I have greggii, ulignosia, rose queen, black and blue...no nibbling at all. I'm thinking that rabbits may be nibbling my caradonna salvia. Euphorbia is really toxic (I thought). This really surprises me. The deer must really be desperate for food in your area. A few little blooms on my perennial ageratum (eupatorium) have been sampled, but it wasn't liked by whatever tried it. I have a big garden out in the open and I don't use any deer repellants. I have an indoor dog (greyhound) who doesn't even bark at the deer. The deer just amble out of the way when we go outside! We have a very large herd of 20+ deer with at least 3 new fawns every year since we've been here. If you look at the lower left, you can see the edging fence around my rudbeckia (not yet in bloom). I'm really sorry that you're having this trouble. It is unfortunately, a lot of trial and error. However, replacing a few plants to keep working through to get something you can safely grow will be (in the long run) a lot less cheaper and less frustrating than paying for expensive deer repellants...over and over again. I tried that at a previous house and for the money spent, I could have planted an entire new garden several times over. I empathize with you. I am determined and it is my goal to have a beautiful garden among (in spite of) deer. Cameron (in North Carolina) and my Deer... Here is a link that might be useful: my gardening blog

I haven't ruled the inside job out just yet. Though there's been 2 weeks since the last heist was pulled. I'm suspicious about the back corner under the bench. Now I have to make time and get down under there and lift a board or two and see if I can find tunneling. In between the two robberies, I did construct an exact fitting screen door made of hardware cloth. But I got lazy the other day and used the window screen instead.

I don't see anything "eating" the leaves in the photo above. And I agree with ken that whatever is present is extremely minor AFA damage is concerned and nothing that requires any treatment. And I would also agree that for most plant issues, now - the beginning of fall - is not the time to treat. These plants are about to start shutting down for the season and will be soon entering dormancy and dropping all their leaves. Should similar issue develop next spring, that would be when (or even if) you should consider some sort of treatment. The spotting on the hydrangea is most likely Cercospora leaf spot, a late season fungal issue that is almost entirely cosmetic in nature. It is caused by high humidity and overhead watering. Just gather up all the leaves when they fall and dispose of them. I also agree with ken that the boxwood would be the only plant I might be concerned about. Boxwood is prone to a very debilitating blight that cannot be controlled and removal is suggested. But we would need to see to confirm that was the issue before you take that drastic step. It is sometimes difficult for new gardeners to accept but perfection in the garden - pristine, unblemished foliage, no insects, no leaf scorch or drying - is contrary to nature. There will always be issues in any garden. It is only through experience or research that you will begin to recognize what is serious and should be treated and what can be safely overlooked or ignored. You'll get there :-))