Deer are both graceful wild creatures, and a garden menace. Deer browsing can reduce your beautiful garden to stubs, and young trees can be damaged by deer rubbing their antlers. The simplest and easiest way to keep deer out of your yard is to build a fence. Because they can jump fairly high, the most effective fences are at least 8 feet tall. If your garden is at the bottom of a slope, you should build it even higher: perhaps 10 feet. Another technique for warding off deer is the motion-activated “scarecrow” sprinkler.
| Trees | Shrubs | Perennials |
| Abies, Fir | Abelia | Agastache, Hyssop |
| Betula, Birch | Arctostaphylos, Manzanita | Allium |
| Calocedrus, Cedar | Buxus, Boxwood | Asclepias, Milkweed |
| Carpinus, Hornbeam | Berberis, Barberry | Ferns: Many such as Dryopteris, Athyrium, Adiantum, etc. |
| Chamaecyparis, False Cypress | Erica, Heath | Grasses: Many such as Acorus, Carex, Miscanthus, Molina, etc. |
| Picea, Spruce | Mahonia, Oregon Grape | Hellebores |
| Pseudotsuga menziesii, Doug Fir | Rhododendron | Iris |
| Sequoia, Redwood | Rosemarinus, Rosemary | Narcissus, Daffodil |
| Tsuga, Hemlock | Yucca | Salvia, Sage |
If you have a large property, another strategy is to leave an area more “natural” as a wildlife buffer in which the deer can forage, and landscape the rest. The theory being in this scenario that the deer will be more likely to leave your ornamental plants alone.
Blessing Landscapes can help you create a deer-resistant garden. Contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our landscape professionals.