Oh, Deer...

"Is it even possible to keep deer from gobbling the garden?"

Allium, Catnip, Chives... There are lots of perennials and annuals that smell terrible to deer. But, a couple of flowers are rarely enough to send them elsewhere. At our place, mass plantings do the trick.

I was awakened before dawn by the noisiest of neighbors.

The Sandhill Cranes are back ~ bugling up a storm ~ with little regard for the lazy human who happens to live next door.  [In the mood to share my pain? Click here and listen to their song.]

Sandhill Cranes are BIG - too big, if you ask me - 4 feet tall and very noisy. Bad Dog prefers to keep a safe distance. Me, too! When I see these cranes walking across the meadow they remind me of hungry velociraptors in that movie, Jurassic Park.

Watching them out the window, this morning, got me thinking about how every gardener has a wildlife problem of some kind. I suppose the most unpopular pest is deer.

Poppies, poppies and more poppies! Our deer hate poppies so I plant them everywhere. These three are guarding cherry tomatoes in the background.

Strange, but true: I never see deer in my gardens ~ odd since I live across the road from a huge nature preserve where deer, elk and other garden gobblers come and go all year long.

Marigolds, Lavender and Sage encourage deer to walk on by.

Boatloads of Daffodils send deer elsewhere, long before irresistible goodies start to sprout.

Six Hills Giant Cat Mint makes a pretty flowering hedge, though our deer disagree. 

They can't stand the fragrance.

I think that's because I plant dense strips of Six Hills Giant Cat Mint and other truly horrible-smelling flowers (from a deer's perspective) around the perimeter of my yard. One whiff and they decide to visit my neighbors, instead.

So there you have it! Hot tips for keeping deer out of the garden.

PS: I certainly hope you don't consider this free advice. No, no... now it's your turn! How do I get rid of those #!#%! sandhill cranes?