Gardening with Deer and Ornamental Grasses

This is an interesting time of year for gardeners - still in the afterglow of the holidays and before we get really stir-crazy from being trapped in the house with snow on the ground. So far, this winter's been great. I even worked in the garden a little this past weekend...cutting back some plants I didn't get to clean up in the fall.

It's also a great time because this is when all the seed and perennial catalogs show up in the mailbox. I start to get excited with the possibilities for this year's vegetable and flower garden.

A few year's ago, my husband and I invested in the single most important thing a gardener in this area can have...deer fencing. Up until a few years ago, our backyard was a veritable buffet for the deer. I think that's probably why I still suffer from the "one plant syndrome". I'd study the 'deer proof/resistant' lists and buy one of a plant to test to see if the deer would eat it. Inevitably, they would...sometimes it wouldn't be right away and I'd get lulled into a false sense of security, but then I'd look outside and YIKES, it was gone, or at least seriously "pruned".

For the most part I ignore "deer resistant" lists now- sooner or later, when the winter is cold enough, or the snow is deep enough, or the fawns are young enough...it's going to be deer food. Our front yard isn't fenced in, so I still feel this pain. That's never kept me from gardening though.

Before the fence (BTF), I focused on ornamental grasses and a few bulbs and perennials the deer seemed to leave alone at my house - daffodils, ferns, iris, and hellebores. I also had a lot of container gardens on my deck...which by the way, are good for flowers AND certain kinds of vegetables (more on that in a future post).

Grasses are are great because they have color, texture and provide "movement" in the garden. Some are really tall, so they're good for the back or middle of the border. Others are shorter or "see-through" so they look good in the middle or front of the garden or in containers. What can I say...I'm a fan.

For anybody facing the challenge of gardening with deer, I'd recommend considering a few grasses. Come springtime, a few of the Garden Club members will be splitting the grasses growing in our gardens for the Mother's Day plant sale. Or if you can't wait, those catalogs in the mailbox are sure to have some too.

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