A Few Deer Resistant Perennial Flowers to Consider


Coreopsis loves hot sunny areas and lights up a garden - photo Jan Johnsen

In my part of the world, deer are rampant. Walking down the streets of my village, chomping on our plants like a free buffet. The situation is so bad that it makes a plant lover sigh with resignation. But - with a little knowledge and some design ideas - you can have a lovely garden that deer avoid, or at least, not chew on. These suggestions are from my new 2021 book - Floratopia: 110 Flower Garden Ideas for Yard, Patio or Balcony .

In this post I am going to look at a few perennial plants (those flowering plants that come back every year) that deer rarely damage. You can create a deer resistant garden with blooms from spring to fall. 


Coreopsis -shown above-  is a sun lover and is easy to grow because it is drought-tolerant and needs no fertilizing. Deadheading spent blooms can encourage more flowers throughout the summer. Tough perennial!



Catmint 'Walker's Low'  -  photo Jan Johnsen

 Here is a great perennial - Catmint 'Walker's Low' is a lavender blooming flower that you see here. It blooms reliably in mid spring. Deer never touch it. Cut it back hard after that first flush of brilliant purple flowers, and you'll be rewarded with another bloom before the end of the season. The golden foliage is Spirea 'Goldmound' You can prune it low in the early spring to keep it compact. It blooms in mid summer.



'East Friesland' perennial Salvia (Meadow Sage) -  Jan Johnsen

Another striking deer resistant perennial is 'East Friesland' perennial Salvia. It is deep purple and blooms at same time as catmint. Prune off the flowers as they pass and it will encourage more blooms. Can be divided every 3 - 5 years in early spring. After blooming, cut down to basal growth, as new growth will be more appealing. May flop if given too rich soil or in shade.  

 

Allium 'Summer Beauty'

For a summer flower that comes back and deer don't touch - try Allium 'Summer Beauty' or 'Millenium'. The round globe heads are a real eye catcher! Can plant bulbs or small plants in spring.



'Lemon Meringue' Baptisia - Jan Johnsen

A deer resistant, native cultivar is a Baptisia hybrid:  Decadence® 'Lemon Meringue' False Indigo.  Long, charcoal grey stems with lemon yellow flowers. The upright mound of blue-green foliage shows off the flowers on 36" high stems. Zones 4-9. Moderately drought tolerant once established. Very long-lived perennial.


Here is a great list - 

HERBACEOUS Perennial Plants RARELY Damaged by Deer



AmsoniaAnemonesAngelica
AstilbeAvensBaby's breath
Balloon flowerBarrenwortBasket of gold
BeebalmBergeniaBleeding heart
BoltoniaBugbaneButtercup
Butterfly bushCandytuftChristmas fern
Cinnamon fernCinquefoilClematis
ColumbineCoreopsisCrown imperial
DaffodilDead nettleEvening primrose
False indigoFeverfewForget-me-not
Garlic chivesGas plantGlobe thistle
GoldenrodHay-scented fernHeath
HeatherHelleboreHungarian speedwell
Interrupted fernJack-in-the-pulpitJapanese pachysandra
Joe pyeweedKirengeshomaLabrador violet
Lamb's earLavenderLily-of-the-valley
LupineLungwortMint
MulleinNew York fernOregano
Ornamental onionOstrich fernOriental poppy
PartridgeberryPennyroyalPerennial blue flax
PlumbagoPrimrosePurple coneflower
Queen-of-the-prarieRibbon grassRoyal fern
SageScillaShasta daisy
Spike gayfeatherStaticeSundrops
Sweet CicelySweet WilliamSweet woodruff
Tiger lilyTurtleheadTussock bellflower
WisteriaWormwoodYarrow









Comments

Post a Comment

Hi there! I would love to hear from you....

Popular Posts of all Time

Angelface Blue and Dark Violet Angelonia - a Flower that Keeps Giving

Image
(Angelonia with Helichrysum, petunia, Johnsen Landscapes) Blue is everyone's "favorite color."  It is, hands down, the most popular color worldwide and is the least "gender specific" color, having equal appeal to both men and women. Now Purple is giving blue a run for its money as the second favorite color.... Blue is the favored color for toothbrushes, so that says it all!  ( this info is from a great website: Sensation Color ) but can purple be far behind? Scientists have found that the color blue causes the body to produce chemicals that are calming. This may be why we all like to be around blue....stare at this square and see if it calms you. In fact, over the past decade, scientists have reported the successful use of blue light in the treatment of psychological problems such as addictions, eating disorders, impotence, and depression. Moreover, a deep blue/purple such as Indigo or Deep Violet symbolizes mystical wisdom and spiritual insight. It incr
Read more

'Purple Smoke' - The best Baptisia

Image
Try  planting  Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'.  And pair it with Baptisia Cherries Jubilee. A deer resistant, native, drought tolerant, purple, long lived perennial! Wow! Photo - Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden - Puple Smoke Baptisia and Carolina Moonlight Baptisia It is a hybrid of  B. australis  and  B. alba and is a vigorous grower.   Discovered by Rob Gardener of the North Carolina Botanical Gardens, it has charcoal-gray stems and is purple.   Baptisia is a native perennial that has a long taproot, loves sunny sites with lean or poor soil. Average to dry soil is best.  Its deep tap root allows it to survive long dry periods, making it a challenge to move once it is established.  Purple Smoke from Bluestone Perennials The flowers resemble lupines and are smoky violet. Numerous flowers open first at the base of the flower stalk in May and ascend upwards, topping out at 4.5' tall. It has fine textured, blue-green foliage.  The flowe
Read more

Getting in the 'Flow' by Gardening

Image
" How do adults recapture that feeling of joy that children get from play?" This is what psychologist  Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi  wanted to know. He is a Croation-born professor of American psychology at the Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA and has spent years studying the state of being that he calls  "flow." Flow is what we feel when we are totally absorbed in an activity for its own sake.  This does not refer to a game where you win or lose or to watching a game.  "You don't get much out of the passive consumption of pleasure," Csikszentmihalyi* says, "compared to enjoyment which is much more active and creative and self-directive."   Gardening is a great example of an activity that is creative, self directed and gets you into the flow.   You lose yourself when outdoors, planting, deadheading, weeding, edging watering or even raking the gravel (!?)   Well, maybe you don't actually rake gravel but
Read more

No-Fail Tips for Turning Hydrangeas Blue!

Image
(photographer - unknown) Everyone wants Blue Hydrangeas.  The rarity of naturally blue flowers is an irresistible draw to gardeners.  How to Turn Your Hydrangeas Blue?  Here are a few tips from Proven Winners: Nikko Blue Hydrangea from Missouri Botanical garden 1. Be sure you’re working with the right kind of hydrangea.  You must have a Hydrangea macrophylla or H. serrata to have pink or blue flowers.  (photographer -unknown) 2. Aluminum availability determines flower color. The availability of aluminum makes the flowers turn blue. Without aluminum the blooms will be pink.  Soil pH must be low or acid (5.2-5.5) for the plant to absorb the aluminum. from nely.bluehortensia blogspot.com 3. Color changes need time to take effect.  Consistent treatment is necessary to  turn your hydrangeas blue:  Plant your hydrangeas in a phosphorous-free medium, and use a phosphorus-free fertilizer with lots of potassium (i.e. 25-5-30). PHOTO BY DEBOR
Read more

Repurposed and Recycled - Creative Ideas for Garden Design

Image
Nothing like piano keys to liven up a garden space....(above photo from Stone Art Blog) Recycling can be many things to many people... or, in other words,   " One man's trash is another's man treasure" from Stone Art Blog This piano was placed here in the garden. Here is what Sunny Wieler of Stone Art Blog wrote about this: "Besides being a passionate gardener, my dad is also a passionate piano player, so a few years back we got him a new piano for his birthday. So the old piano spent a while in the shed before he had the great idea to put it out in the garden..." Little did Sunny's dad know that he was at the forefront of the conceptual art movement:...they would say something like this is a testament to the natural decomposing processes, a statement of the fragility of life, the impermanence of existence... his dad would say, 'Hey, why not put it in the garden?" photos of broken concrete from Bourget Bros web
Read more

Planting Design for Dry Gardens by Olivier Filippi

Image
Do you garden in a dry area?  I love this teaching approach by Olivier Filippi. 1: Salvia chamaedryoides 2: Rhodanthemum hosmariense 3: Artemisia abrotanum 'Silver' 4: Phlomis 'The South' 5:  Senecio vira-vira 6: Salvia fruticosa 7: Salvia leucophylla 8: Artemisia lanata This photo and information is from a French website that I cannot translate into English. It is by the authority on dry gardens, Olivier Filippi, and is very good. Check it out:    http://www.jardin-sec.com/ Also he wrote a great book called 'Planting Design for Dry Gardens'.  Nigel Dunnett says,  "In  Planting Design for Dry Gardens  Olivier Filippi has charted a future for garden and planting Design. Combining authoritative practical advice with deep ecological insight, Olivier shows how learning from nature can give us the best of all worlds: beautiful and sustainable gardens with a unique sense of place. I challenge anyone
Read more

The Magnificent Purslane - Edible Landscaping at its best!

Image
What was one of Mahatma Gandhi's favorite foods?  and what did Henry Thoreau eat while residing at Walden Pond?  PURSLANE . Purslane, long considered an obnoxious weed in the U.S., is, in fact, full of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids!  And now this overlooked gem - considered 'one of the most nutritious greens in the world' -  is receiving the attention it is due. Usha Palaniswamy of the Department of Plant Science, University of Connecticut, reports that, "Purslane is receiving much attention for cultivation by the United States Department of Agriculture as part of their effort to bring about a modification in the western diet with increased intake of fresh fruits and vegetables." Purslane contains a high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), one of the highly sought-after Omega-3 fatty acids. It has several times the concentration of ALA than is found in spinach.  So throw away those fish oil capsules and grow your own Omega-3 fatty acids! It
Read more

My one day Class Wednesday April 16 in NY - Jan Johnsen

Image
I am teaching a one day class on Wednesday April 16 at the NY Botanical Garden  It is a fun, eye opening and fun class!            (class size is limited.) I  share my insights into landscape design and how to use various cultural and ancient traditions in a garden. I discuss how to use the compelling duality of Yin and Yang in a setting, explain how each of the four cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) affects us differently, which proportions create a more harmonious setting.  I also show how to place rocks in the landscape according to the Japanese understanding. Everyone loves this. and of course, I discuss Color and its effects on our wellbeing... I show 2 beautiful powerpoint to illustrate my talk..  Handouts reinforce the information I provide. Here is what students have written: No wonder you were instructor of the year! Your talk was delightful, Jan. You gave us all a thoughtful, colorful start to planting season. I have some great
Read more

The Tradition of Hanami - Cherry Blossom Viewing in Japan

Image
Cherry blossoms in Kyoto Japan, along Kano River The Tradition of  Hanami When I lived in Kyoto, Japan I was lucky to see Hanami in action.  In Japan, the seasonal blooming of cherry trees is celebrated nationally in an event known as  hanami   (flower-viewing).  The practice of  hanami  is centuries old; it began  during the 8th century, when it referred to the viewing of the  ume , or plum tree. But  later  hanami  was synonymous with ' sakura' - cherry -  and the  blossoming of the cherry trees was used to predict the next year's harvest. H anami  was a time to perform rituals marking the start of the planting season. These rituals ended with a feast under the cherry trees, and this persists to today.    Starting in late March, television weather reporters give the public daily blossom forecasts, tracking the "cherry blossom front" as it progresses from the south to the north.   Families, coworkers, and friends rely on these to quickly
Read more