Landscape Tips – July 2024 What our The View Author has Learned in Doing Battle with the Deer for 30 Years
Peter and Louise Gentry
10109 Bishop Lake Rd W
In our front yard:
Foundation Shrubs – initial planting of pittosporums all eaten by deer during first 10 years. Replaced with azaleas, eaten by deer and barely hanging on now.
Pots – 4 large containers with pentas, caladiums, pothos vine, anchored by a tall dracena – some nibbling by the deer.
Front Door – Begonias, sprayed and covered at night (deer love them). Bring them inside when going out of town.
Walkway – Boxwood, irises, palms all okay. Also have white azaleas, which the deer love, only get blooms on the tip top of the plants.
Front – Ginger, mini azaleas and holly all okay; planted lots of aloe cacti in front of plants to deter deer, seems to be working.
In the backyard (fenced in pool and deer proof garden):
Jatropha – Large bush with red flowers; neighbors’ bushes have survived for years. However, a small cutting planted near the fence has been nibbled (deer like tender young plants of all kinds).
Bananas – Thriving inside and outside our fence.
Hibiscus – Doing well inside the fence, though would not try out front.
Plumbagos – Blue and white varieties. Very colorful, Would not plant out front.
Sunshine Ligustrum – Not bothered by deer and healthy, super bright yellow.
Angel Trumpet – Looks delicate but bloom well.
Beds by pool – Vinca grows like a weed, along with lavender, impatiens and red feather celosia. Grows great inside fence, if outside, would be dessert for the deer.
