Acceptance

"Do deer eat it?" is the FAQ at the monthly meetings of the Durham Garden Forum.  During every meeting, the invited speaker stands at the front of the room with slides that show a new plant or lovely combination of perennials.

The slide changes and the speaker identifies the planting.  Someone from the audience asks, "Do deer eat it?"

The question is tiresome.  The answer is yes.  Yes.  Hungry deer will eat almost anything. 

Deer graze the gardens in our neighborhood.  Homeowners go to battle using deer repellants of various kinds, but they never work for very long.  For years in my garden, tall pots of autumn ferns kept the deer moving by, but this winter, the tree man limbed up the oaks and maple in my front garden. Now the deer stand in my front yard in broad daylight and reach over the containers of ferns to eat whatever they wish.

This one can barely reach over the autumn ferns to get to my favorite hosta 'Sum and Substance.'  But by stretching its neck just a little more....

 

 

What?  Is someone tapping on the window?  How rude!

When I look around our neighborhood, most of the yards are lawn, punctuated by a few choice plantings in tidy beds.  The deer make mincemeat of those offerings overnight. 

But if we all had gardens full of tender foliage, there would be plenty for the deer to eat, and enough left over for us to enjoy.  Anyone wanting deer favorites like hostas, has the option of protecting  them within a fenced back yard. 

Years ago, I installed a tiny frog pond, but no frogs came.  I hung out a hummingbird feeder, but the wasps took over.  I bought bird feeders but only attracted squirrels.

My new strategy:  Embrace the wildlife that visits my garden -- the gentle rabbit, the crafty squirrel, the regal deer.  Amend the soil with compost every year to keep the foliage growing thickly.  Then hope for the best.

I'll let you know how this works out.