I live rural - too much land to fence - and no desire for another dog ..........so you KNOW that the deer absolutely LOVE to dine on nearly anything I might plant!!!
Now - there is ONE thing the deer are NOT supposed to browse, so imagine my horror when, in early March, the newly emerging daffodil bulbs were being systematically munched!!! THAT did it!!!!!!
I happened to have a flyer showing how to make "hoop houses" for floating crop covers etc - and suddenly it all became quite clear to me. I headed for Home Depot - and came home w/ precut lengths of rebar (I have no DH to help w/ such matters), rolls of BLACK polyvinyl pipe, bird netting, and ground staples.
Within short order, I had created hoop houses over the daffs under attack ........ and now ........a full month later, I am gleefully planting all manner of perennials and other delights that the deer generally browse!
I have many pictures, but will post only a close up of the materials used - others can be put up if there is interest! OR - you may write to me directly and I will send additional info and/or .jpgs to you. (wannadanc@earthlink.net)
Martha Stewart would not find this lovely - but for those of us who live w/ the deer, and who want to have flowers, and don't want to waste money on various chemicals that seldom/never work and have to be replaced - you might find this to be an acceptable alternative.
Weeding and transplanting is easy - "lifting the shirts on the hoop houses" is not a problem. The net is nearly invisible and does NOT interfere w/ visual pleasure of the garden. The black hoops simply fade into the background of acceptable artifacts.
Moving rebar is very easy - and the fall take down will be easy as well - allowing for flower bed cleanup.
As they say in Costa Rica "Pura Vida" - as they say in Olympia, WA "Life IS good".
Vicki
