Sorry, ment to post on a Perennials forum.

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

I ws two white varieties of Echinacea that have a nice fragrance, 'White Swan' and 'Fragrant Angel'. Not as strong as the phlox though. Expect you already have those. The only thing that has saved my phlox from the deer is Liquid Fence.

There are very few plants that are deer "proof". And deer "resistance" will be extremely variable. Deer diets will change depending on what natural foods they have at hand and where you are located so regional listings will have more validity than very generalized ones. It is also important to keep in mind that the deer don't read the books or follow the lists so do not rely on them as being the gospel :-) Typically, with heavy deer populations, they will at least sample anything new that gets planted and the babies or young deer will also sample everything to see what tastes good and what does not. They do tend to avoid plants with fuzzy foliage (like lamb's ears) and those that have strong concentrations of essential oils, like most herbs. They also tend to avoid any ornamental grasses. In my garden, they will munch the flowers or flower buds off of just about anything, regardless of how much other damage they may or may not do to the rest of the plant. The only sure way to keep them from browsing your garden is to fence them out or use routine applications of scent deterrents. I favor Plantskydd as it is oil based and does not wash off easily with rain or irrigation.