I don't have any suggestion about the plants to choose. But our experiences with deer are that they get used to dog and human smells quickly. I am guessing that if a person lives in the wilderness, the deer there will be touchier. But if the deer are in a moderately or highly populated area and are frequent yard visitors, they get used to the dog and human smells and pay little attention to them. Our deer could not care less about hair, urine, etc.

One thing that sounds promising is to set up a second fence a few feet outside the first. They are not as confident of their "long jump" as they are of their "high jump".

I take it this is a brand new forum? I'll find out from my wife which plants the deer have not eaten, and I will post. But none are climbers.

-Don M

hi vermont,
we live in a very woodsy deer-filled area. they come by in herds here! when we bought our house there was a clematis with big purple flowers (i think jackmannii) climbing up the house. it is still there, doing great, and i never see a leaf or flower eaten by any deer or any insect for that matter. the deer love our apple trees and arborvitae, but i think clematis (at least this species) is a good bet, and it's a perennial you won't have to replant every year. lisa

I too plant morning glories and runner beans and the deer come and munch. I live in a suburb just outside Cleveland and the deer are very used to people and pets that might otherwise keep them away...in fact they've been seen eating vegetables I've left on the steps to the kitchen door!

Anyway, my favorite garden center sells a product called Green Screen. It's inexpensive, all natural, and works the entire season. Check out their web site and look for it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Green Screen

hi, i would like to mention that deer will eat almost anything if the conditions are severe enough. they had a great munch-fest with my clematis last year during our drought but since clematis are such vigorous climbers they survived just fine. plants are meant to be eaten, just choose one that will recover quickly from it.

i also have 2 climbing hydrangeas that the deer haven't touched. the only problem is that they are shade plants and will burn in the sun. plus they can get pretty big and heavy and need some study support.

oh and i also wanted to mention that one alternative is to "train" the deer every spring not to set their trail through your garden. you can do this by being very diligent with deer repellents during the spring until the deer learn to set their path elsewhere. i've seen other threads about this...

Hello VtLove, Here is a web page you might like. It has some wonderful information. You can also get the email newsletter monthly if you like. My Deer Garden .Com
Hope this helps, good luck. Frank

Here is a link that might be useful: Deer resistant gardening.

I have put this suggestion elsewhere but you might have missed it. I string heavy fishing line about 2 feet above the ground in the front parts of my gardens and make it an open web, tied to shrubs or stakes. The deer can feel it on their legs but can't see it very well so they stay away. I just step around through the holes in the web when i'm weeding. Hope this works for you too. Min

Bleeding Heart vine is deer-resistant.

We have a real problem with deer eating plants in my yard, but they haven't bothered our clematis vine. It's a Sweet Autumn clematis, C. paniculata. I would think that Carolina Jasmine would also grow because it's a native plant in this area and there are lots of deer. We also grew a Thunbergia, which is an annual vine with yellow flowers that does well in shady spots, and the deer didn't bother it. The deer also did not bother our Mandevila vine, but it was growing from a pot on our deck, and I don't think the deer haven't gotten so brazen that they will venture onto our deck -- not yet anyway.

Bleeding Heart vine (Dicentra scandens) is not hardy in Vermont.

That's right - they did not eat our Sweet Autumn clematis!

I have a lot of deer and lot of clematis. They leave them alone, and thats been going on for several years now. I have examples of all different kinds of clematis, at least 20 different kinds, and none have been touched. famous last words,

well the deer here in Ct love clematis ,

,especially the sweet autum variety and a pink one called Countess de Brous (?) ..they do tend to leave Montana rubens alone for the most part

they eat the English Ivy when they get hungry/bored

the perrenial sweetpea ( lathyrus ) has never been touched and blooms all summer

they NEVER eat wisteria ..ever

also mandevilla ( tropical used as an annual ) is not appealing to them at all ,,although it looks delicious ( it is relatd to oleanders which they will not eat either )

Liquid Fence is an ecologically safe spray that works great at keeping the deer away. It's a rotten egg/garlic smell that quickly dissipates for humans, but lasts even through rainfalls for deer and rabbits.

I have a problem with morning glories and deer taking over. I wish the deer here DID eat morning glories. At least one problem would be gone.
Normally not grown for flowers so much as fall color, but virginia creeper is also left alone here. A bit much for a small arbor though.

Ziggy

they don't touch my clematis

I know the dear around here LOVE morning glories, I tried to grow them one year and they never got a chance to bloom cuz the deer loved them so much, they'll eat the entire vine if they are able to reach all of it. One thing the dear never touch though is my honey suckle, it's right next to where I had the morning glories too so if they liked it I know it would be gone, but they never even go for a single bite of it, it goes crazy with blooms every year, I'm not a big fan of the all yellow varieties but my orange and pink is gorgeous!