Hi Jane,

I've attached a link below to a list of deer resistant plants. The author of the list, Brad Roeller, often speaks on the topic, and is well known in the area. However, regardless of this list, deer will eat just about anything if they are hungry enough - as unfortunately they can't read this list :-)

Often, plants with heavily scented, or fuzzy, foliage are not heavily browsed by deer, such as Agastache - they have never touched mine and they are gorgeous plants. There are also poisonous plants which they also generally do not touch, such as hellebore, monkshood and pieris. However, you need to be careful of those if there are small children or dogs about. Cats and other animals seem to know the plants are not good to eat.

I hope that helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: deer resistant list

Jane,

I'm on the west side of the river from where you will be moving so the soil might be a bit different. If possible, I'd ask your fiance to have a soil test done (or at least buy one of the pH meters that they sell in the stores) to see what your soil pH is. Mine's essentially mud shale and on the acid side so heathers do pretty well here and the couple I've grown are happy.

Deer are tough here ... as Philomena said, they'll eat just about anything or at least try it - even the poisonous things. I've got lots of deer on the property (currently 5 sleeping in the snow just below the house) and aside from a seven foot fence with another two feet pointing in at a 45 degree angle, there's not too much that will stop them if they really want to have lunch. So far, outside the fence the cleome, valerian and horehound don't get touched, boxwood and bayberry only get an occasional mibble, the salvias get eaten in late fall as do foxglove and some alliums and strangely a tropical like lemongrass has been immune so far (two years).

The ground freezes solid here in the winter so once we can plant in the spring, shallots, thyme and oregano have done ok as have zucchini; tomatoes / tomatillos, bunching onions, alpine strawberries and for some reason rue have been nibbled on and for me, things like hollyhocks, crocus, tulips, Jerusalem Artichokes and hostas just create a salad for the deer.

I'd really recommend a fence or if it's not possible, start small with a variety of plants and see which ones get eaten in your area since it will differ by the year as well as the location. Good luck and welcome to the valley.

Hi, I'm about 20 miles northwest of Patterson in Dutchess county. Last spring and summer my yard was heavilty deer browsed, over and over, even though everything I've planted has come off the deer resistent list. I used a product called Deer Off which is recommended by Mohonk Mountain House and it seemed to help. I have several buddleia however that have never been touched, tansy and my entire herb garden have been left alone. Butterfly Weed and Monarda, Rudbeckia varieties, and Sweetspire and Viburnum shrubs also were left alone. I know that's kind of random but there are some ideas for you.

There are a few heathers that you might want to try that are hardy here. Bluestone Perennials is a mail-order place that is based in zone 5 in Ohio. They sell hardy heather.

Deer have eaten every plant in my garden (except pieris and daffodils) that is on the safe list. I really give up. I garden up on my deck and on my front steps in pots, and in my fenced-in garden... my haven.

I'm north of you in Dutchess County and I've had good results with lavenders....except when the deer chew on them.

Last year the deer where more active than in previous years so I was able to pay closer attention to what they liked to eat or not. So far they don't seem to bother the aromatics much....basil, sage, oregano, artemisia, daffodils, tarragon, mint, peppers, eggplant also lettuce and tomatoes don't seem to attract deer...yet. They enjoyed my spinach (I didn't even get to eat any and had the nerve to leave a hoof print in the row!!!), hosta, lily, daylily, tulips, crocus and the experimental lavendar bud made a lovely deer salad last year. I've had pretty good results so far with garlic clips and Garlic Pharm spray (also repels teenagers).

Squirrels are another problem, they eat almost anything they can get their paws on and will dig up plants and bulbs!! I found my lily bulbs stockpiled behind the shed last spring...unfortunately I vividly remember planting them in the ground the previous autumn. Black pepper, cayenne pepper and coffee grounds seem to have some repellent effect as does Repels-All spray. The challenge has been finding repellent measures that I can use around veggies and herbs...I'm a semi-organic gardener.

Welcome to the valley - lots of challenges but lots of great rewards. It's worth it in the end.

Hi Jane,
I'm a bit south of you (in Rockland County). Hungry deer will eat almost anything, including: peonies, yucca, poppies, and they have even repeatedly sampled my hellebores (H. foetidus).

They don't bother my thistle, the stray barberry bush, and the privet hedge (they do enjoy the forsythia and high bush cranberry (Viburnum trilobum).

Fencing seems to be the best alternative to deer depradations of gardens, but the fences need to be high, or opaque. Deer don't like to jump fences if they can't see what's on the other side (which means a solid fence 6' high) or an open fence fence 8' high).

Gardeners enemy number 2 is the groundhog (wood chuck) an herbivorous rodent with a big appetite, and minimal taste buds, eats whatever the deer leave behind.

Most of my yard is safe because I have put fencing (poultry mesh 4" by 6") around three sides of the yard (village objects to street side fencing) but the fencing is 5' high placed 1'above the grade - it is a deterrent! That has reduced the number of deer in my yard from 24+ to 2-3 (1 adult 2 juveniles)
Dad