Death to Bambi

Last year all our lilies bloomed nicely. A couple of nights ago deer ate the tops off 15 to 20 lilies, meaning they will not produce blooms this year. Grrrrr.....

David---

So sorry! I would just cry if that happened to me....!

Fortunately, I do not have deer around here. I live in a development...
There are woods all over here--and i am sure there are a few deer,
but they just don't come into a big housing area...

I have had the below link saved for eons---and many others of all kinds--
perhaps you may see something to try there...
One thing I have heard that works is rotten eggs--mixed in water and
sprayed on plants--OR--ahem...."releaving yourself" around the perimeter
where deer cross to come in. Easy for you guys....:o)

Gita

http://www.ghorganics.com/page6.html#Rabbits

A few years ago I was doing a project for a woman in the Frederick, MD area. She had a beautiful rose garden with dozens of plants in bloom. I arrived one Saturday morning and found her quite distraught. During the night deer had eaten EVERY blossom and bud on ALL her roses, and she was hosting the local garden club that afternoon.

oh its sooo disappointing, both stories. That woman must have been beside herself.
I planted a couple things for Mom last year and was so sad that deer came within a couple days and ate all the buds of the Stella D'oro', and chomped on the patio tomato. I think I know how you feel.

Take out Thumper while you're at it. He ate the tip of every single english pea planted and had grown to about 8 inches by last week.



This message was edited Apr 24, 2011 10:05 PM

I totally know how you feel, Dave. So sorry about the lilies. When I was in Va, I had quite a lot of lilies and loved the fragrance! I planted a few packs of lilies 3 years ago when I first moved to Maryland. So far, I have not seen one flower. The plants are doing every well and have buds every year. Deer seem to wait just until the buds are about to open and eat them all :-(

Unfortunately, it has not been just the lilies. For some reason the deer have been comming closer to the house this spring and browsing gardens they have not bothered in the past. They have eaten the tops off of Tierellas, Heucheras, Hostas, Giant Solomon's Seal and other plants. The food supply this spring is more plentiful than last year, so why the greater damage?

Maybe the deer population is up too.