How horrible, Celeste! I guess you did not have luck with the photos? Houzz seems to be selective on who it targets, giving everyone a turn. At least most everyone can feel the frustration. But then have deer attack on top of that! Your beautiful daylilies, I wanted pictures of them all.

Weird. Okay, I will try to remember what I wrote BEFORE I lost my post. Darn Houzz. I was outside yesterday watering all my gardens and was wondering why my long borders by the road weren't as colorful as usual.....and then I took a closer look. Deer had snipped off the buds of most of the daylily clumps, roses and Asiatic lilies. We had let our guard down 3 years ago and stopped using the motion activated sprinkler deterrents and the deer had stayed away. Those deterrents work but because the past 3 years have been so dry, I stopped using them since I need my water hose (they hook up to the hose). Because I have so many gardens all over, I got tired of unhooking the hose from the sprinkler every time I needed to water. They're getting installed tonight but the damage is already done and there are some daylilies I won't even see bloom this year. I know others of you had this happen to you so I know I can find sympathy here. The rest of my yard is fine, but the borders by the road are the show-stoppers that people slow down to look at.....and they are pitiful now. There are bare scapes with no buds and roses that are just leaves now. Ugh.

Now my rant is done, I will try to post a few photos of what the deer didn't enjoy.

This is ORANGUTAN. It always blooms early. A skimpy bloomer here.

Austin rose, HARLOW CARR

Modern rose, OCTAVIA HILL

some Asiatic lilies

I'm sorry about all the rose photos.....I don't have any other daylilies in bloom yet! I was also just 'trying out' Houzz to see if any pictures would actually take.

Nancy, I still have tons of daylilies left in other gardens so all is not lost. Just certain ones that I'll miss this year were in the borders. Thankfully, the deer just walked down the road and sampled everything from the borders but did not venture into my yard.

I, too, can sympathasize with you. I hate that. I lost the outside two rows of mine. The buds must be delicious because there is plenty other stuff to eat. So sorry. Hope you can deter them from more damage. By the way, your roses are gorgeous!

Kate

Oh Celeste, I'm so sorry the deer got to your daylilies AND roses by the road. We can't ever let down our guard, I guess. I just hope Bambi and family doesn't venture further into your yard. Orangutan and Heavenly Fire Arrow are nice ones to introduce your season. The roses are all equisitely beautiful.

Debra

I am so very sorry Celeste...

I hope their mouths are sore from thorns, but I guess they avoid that part. I feel so fortunate that the deer have avoided my daylilies. I have seen deer in my yard, usually later when the apples and pears are ripe. I see their tracks on the driveway, but so far they have not gotten my plants.

Your roses are so beautiful, I am very envious. But I comfort myself, my weeds are probably the healthiest and most vigorous you will find anywhere. I think their roots must go to China.

Doesn't it seem like the deer have favorites? They will walk past several and then eat all the buds off one plant. We have tried several different sprays and they still come back. It has been a tough year for my poor plants.

Well that just sucks Celeste ! Your garden images and daylily images have wowed me in the past and I was looking forward to seeing more this year. Perhaps if the scapes are cut back to the crown the plant will rebound and put out new scapes? Is that a possibility.?

I too love the pictures of everyone's "other " plants so never apologize for posting pictures of any beautiful plant .

I know there are deer out there around us but have never ( knock on wood) had them enter our yard . Our only fence is around the back yard to keep the doggies in but I have daylilies planted all over the property .....and we have had no trespassers of the eating kind. We do have rabbits .......they have never touched a plant to my knowledge. again ( knock on wood) .but we are surrounded by farmers fields so we do see them out there odd times.

I absolutely love your purple roses ..........I only have a few roses but I love them . They dont all like being here with the heavy clay soil and droughts we get though so I count my blessings they even survive. I cant count the number of roses I have bought , planted and lost here.

I hope you get to see some rebloom on your daylilies in your border.

I think the worst plague I've heard about in gardens are wild hogs. They root up your plants and charge at you if you disturb them. Next it's got to be deer. I feel so sorry for all you people that have to deal with that problem.....I love your roses Celeste and always enjoy seeing them. So the deer just eat the flowers and not the foliage? You would think that the thorns that stick me like a pincushion would be a deterrent, but apparently only to me..........Maryl

Well I adore your rose photos as always...I can sit and drool over roses grown in cooler weather. I am so sorry about the deer. I seriously will be out with a shotgun if they come here. Celeste, That Orangutan is such a pretty color. And I can really understand rustling that purple rose. One of my old garden roses is the most purple, but it isn't as purple as that one. Bishops Castle is a beauty as well. sting deer mess up everyone's fun.

kay

Nice rose photos. Too bad about the deer. It can be a problem here too so I feel your pain. So much work goes into gardening only to have them come along and demolish your hard work.

Oh Celeste, I'm so sorry! Hopefully they stay away now and don't cause you any more trouble. I hope you don't have any of your new ones planted there, so that you'll still get to see them all bloom this year.

THANK YOU everyone for your messages of sympathy and kindness! The motion activated sprinklers are all set up and working (they soaked my poor neighbor as she backed out of her drive with the window down....oops....now she's warned...lol). Tonight it's on, deer! I went to the feed store and got a bag of milorganite, put that down, and then sprayed my plants with Gain too. Of course I can't get every flower bed in my yard hooked up with the sprinklers, nor can I spray everything. When the daylily addiction gets out of hand and you have over 600 clumps scattered everywhere, you take your chances. But at least the borders by the road which seem to be the preferred dining choice, are protected. At least, we shall see.

Have you tried Bobbex? It works well for us as long as we get it on in time.

I like the rose photos. By this time here, the Japanese beetles are having a feast on roses. What is your favorite? I notice Heirloom Roses no longer carries Octavia Hill. In a warmer climate, some rose blooms blow quickly.A friend just added Quietness.

If you have fawns, nothing seems to deter them.

Daylilies must have been photographed on a bright day.

Adding to the chorus of everyone who has lost plants to the deer, rabbits, moles, etc. I feel your pain. Right now the critters are mostly eating the veggies, but rabbits are not deterred by electric fencing and they occasionally eat roses, lilies, and tuberoses. Maybe Milorganite is the way to go for them. Your flowers are beautiful--especially those purple shades. Love the Austin Harlow Carr, and the "rustled" oldie, what a great color. Looking forward, I hope, to some photos of your fantastic purple daylilies.

Very sorry to hear about the deer! So frustrating. Hopefully all your preventative measures will deter them for the rest of the season. I like both the daylily photos but love the photos of your roses. Beautiful!! Feel free to share more photos of your roses and other plants while waiting on daylily blooms.

Lori