My husband and I have a little cottage about thirty miles away, very secluded and simple, actually in need of numerous repairs. We have worked hard to keep the yard mowed and the garden weeded. We are currently battling kudzu, wysteria, and poison ivy that ran rampant for some years after the elderly owner passed away. Earlier this spring we were surprised and delighted to find pink and white trilliums and giant solomon's seal growing in the postage stamp-sized garden in the back of the house. We only get to visit about once every week or so, and each visit was highlighted by the progress of the garden. Of course, you all know what came next. As I turned the corner of the house on our last visit, every precious wildflower in the garden had been nipped off to about knee level. Walking around the perimeter of the property I found that various fruit trees had been browsed from ground level to about four feet high. The deer ate the leaves of certain plants, like French mallows but left the stems, and didn't touch the petunias, geraniums, lemon balm or rosemary that were in the same planter. Learning what deer will and will not eat is a hard lesson. When I see some of the glorious gardens in this area, I wonder if the owners stay up all night to protect them.