Everyone loves to grow a great and a sprawling garden. However, just imagine, one fine day, when you wake up and you see the beautiful cucumbers, spinach and pumpkin all destroyed by animals. Undoubtedly it would be a shattering experience. Therefore, when you decide to lay out the garden, try to grow plants mainly the perennials which do not attract animals like deer so much. Even rodents and rabbits are also very common hindrance in the garden.
Growing plants that have strong and woody stems, will not make them attractive any more to animals like deer. Likewise, grow plants like alliums, lavenders and anemone. These plants are deer resistant perennials. All the more, these plants not being edible are all the better to grow easily. To grow these perennials, remember to grow species which are tall and bushy. These perennials need properly moist soil and not flooded soil. Since, these are really bushy and have large foliage, so for proper growth they also need regular fertilizers. Hence, here in we have collected a wide range of deer resistant perennials. So that you can be making your garden more tolerant to the stray animals and deer mainly.
Best and common deer resistant perennials
1. Delphinium
Delphinium plants with long swaying blue to flowers. Usually, these plants can grow up to a maximum height of three feet. Growing these plants is very easy. A proper fertile soil (mainly alkaline soil) with a thick layer of organic manure, can easily help these plants to bloom.
These plants might look very attractive but these are equally dangerous as well. If swallowed by deer, then the plant part can easily cause lung failure and a sudden fall in blood pressure. At extreme cases, the animals might also get an affected heart.
2. Aconitum
These plants are beautifully crowned with great purplish to violet to deep blue flowers. Aconitum grows leaves that are very different from the rest of the plants. They are rounded. Since, these plants grow up to a height of three to four feet, hence these are easily not chewed upon by deer. These plants are available in various names like women’s bane, wolf’s bane, queen of poisons and monkshood.
Certain species of this plant can turn extremely lethal. The most dangerous part of this plant is its roots. The roots are extremely poisonous. These can induce intense pain and vomiting. Hence, these are avoided by deer and other animals.
3. Hardy Geranium
This plant grows in fluffy bushes with beautiful flowers from pink to white colours. These grow well in shady areas. They come in various names, likewise storksbill, spotted cranesbill and chocolate flower. The roots of Hardy Geranium constitutes of huge heaps of tannin. The heavy dosage of tannin in the body of the feeder can easily weaken the liver.
4. Digitalis
This plant with drooping bell shaped purple and red flowers, it is heavenly to look at. These plants are also called by the name of “foxgloves”. Even the mere brushing off of this plant part can cause quick irritation. They can cause allergy very easily. The extremely poisonous berries of this plant tend to heighten the blood pressure of the consumer. These plants can grow up to a height of 5 to 6 feet. Hence, these are not at all an attraction for deer.
5. Allium
Alliums are great stalked plants. These are beautiful and colourful plants. They grow in various colours like blue, yellow, purple, pink and white. From pink lily leek to purple sensation allium, the variety of species of alliums is very diverse. Mainly, the pink one is edible fancy onions. Mainly because of the odour, these plants are not loved by deer. It is true that they shoo away animals but their wonderful colours very effectively attract pollinators mainly bees and birds.
6. Lenten rose
If you wish to grow plants that can easily and hurriedly ward off the animals eating away your produce, then definitely grow these colourful Lenten roses. These are found in various colours like pink, purple, deep blue, yellow and so on and so forth. Lenten roses are found in a large range of varieties. The most famous species of this plant are Winter queen and Red lady. These plants have the capacity to cause cardiac arrests. Lenten roses are very toxic to the nervous system as well. Hence, these are not loved by deer or any other animals.
Conclusion
From Alchemilla to Cerastium, there are so many plants that can easily ward away deer and many other animals. However, while planting such perennials, never grow plants that are too lethal for the animals. It is quite usual that animals do not munch on plants which do not bear fruits or which do not have leaves which are easily digestible.