New member

Hello all!

I've been using this web site for a couple of years, and realized as I was consulting it again and again before placing my perennial/herb plant orders for the spring, that I really should do my part to support this wonderful place! So, today I joined.

My primary gardening interests are herbs and perennials. When we moved here (in NH), my house was new construction, and previous experience at our old house told me that I really prefer perennial gardening. I have slowly built up my garden over the past six years, and I am now working on replacing some older died-out plants, and filling in around places that really need it. I live right next to a wetlands area, and our property is absolutely overrun with deer on a daily basis. In fact, I can look out my window on any given early morning (around 4am) and see 3 or 4 deer munching on my yews. Grrr! They are beautiful, but very destructive. I recently got a deer-repellant product from the local Fish and Game that seems to be working - it's an all-natural product made from bovine blood (!), that smells and looks awful, but both seem to fade after a couple of days. I'd be interested to hear others' experience with deer in the garden.

When I first planted my herb garden, I made the mistake of planting several mint plants right into the ground, so my herb garden anually runs amok with mint! Last year, my husband and I discovered mojitos, so we have found a great way to use all of that mint. :-) I have to admit that it also smells wonderful after mowing (as it now seems to be creeping into my grass!) I pull it up when it gets too aggressive, and the oregano growing alongside seems to adapt well to the company. Anyway, I plan to grow many of my new herbs in containers this year.

Here's to Spring!

Hi and welcome!

Welcome. I have a 50' by 3' herb garden that has creeping thyme as a base. I grow other herbs on top of the thyme and saffron crocus come up through it in the fall. Have you found a hardy rosemary? I looked this morning and I'm not sure that my Hardy Hill made it through the artic blasts we have had recently.

Welcome to DG - you are going to love it here :-)

Welcome to DG and the NE forum! Fighting deer requires a multiprong approach, in my experience. I have had pretty good success using Milorganite (put 5 or so inch piles around the garden), sprays (currently using Liquid Fence) and garlic clips. Best solution is an 8 foot fence but that's not really an option in the suburbs. Also, I try to use as many deer resistant plants as possible. There are many that the deer just do not touch.

Victor

AYankeeCat- I have never had luck with rosemary beyond the second season, and my herb garden is pretty sheltered against the wind. I'm going to grow it in a pot this year, and then bring it indoors in the fall. Have you visited Old Sturbridge Village's herb garden? They have several huge rosemary plants, and I failed to take note of the variety when I was there last. You might give them a try for info.

Welcome, ckk,

This is a great forum; I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

I have a deer problem too. Victor is right. The only sure deterrent is an 8' fence. I've tried a number of different products including:

pepper spray (the sprayed hosta were all eaten within a week)
Irish Spring soap (I found teeth marks in the bars)
garlic clips (no effect unless the plant was filled with them-not attractive and not a great summertime scent)
Milorganite (no effect unless a lot was used--then the whole place smelled like a sewer)
Deer Fence and Deer Off (too stinky. sick-making.)
Plantskyd spray (left white film on plants)
Deer Scram (don't really know--the deer had already feasted by the time I got to this)

I haven't tried any of the home remedies since most involve raw eggs that have to sit awhile.

As Victor said, you need a multiprong approach. Plus, you have to change tactics from time to time because the deer get used to everything, and all need to be reapplied periodically. It all adds up in time and expense, and is no fun. (Even if the smells dissipate, most products smell while you're applying them--NO FUN.)

I've read that deer-resistant plants vary by location. "My" deer have even nibbled on alium, rosemary, lilac, peonies, vinca (groundcover)--all of which are on many resistant plant lists. The only thing they haven't touched (yet) is lavender, but they reached right over and through it to get to Japanese anemones which I thought were cleverly disguised. They might leave something alone for a couple of years, then eat it the following year. It's a challenge.

If you can figure out what's really deer resistant in your area, you can try putting those plants around the entry points to your garden. Mint is supposed to be deer resistant (!!??).

I'm planning to fence in a small area in my backyard with 8' deer netting and move the most vulnerable plants inside it. It's going to be crowded.

Loretta

I have to say I saw a noticeable difference since using Milorganite. I pour it in piles and periodically broadcast it into my beds. I also use it as my lawn fertilizer. It only stinks for a short time, at least to me.

The garlic clips are effective but Loretta is correct that a number of them have to be used. I have not used them in a while. Rotating products is essential. They do get used to things. And if they're hungry enough, they will probably eat anything.

Liquid Fence has worked. As with any spray however, you have to keep spraying the new foliage. Many people think that because the residual effect lasts for a few months that they can apply once and then not worry about it for months. Deer especially love the lush, green growth so that has to be sprayed.

My garden is spread out too much to create a 'safe zone' with a fence. I probably wouldn't like the way it would look anyway.

It's a constant challenge and one that sometimes makes me wish I had a different hobby, but I haven't surrendered yet. Keep hearing about coyote in the general area. They're welcome anytime.

Hello and welcome from the western range of the Northeast. I have been in this forum since nearly the beginning and agree it's the best. No deer problems here so I can't help much with that.

Al

Lucky you, Al!

My pesky visitors are all humans(neighbors). I put up hardware cloth in the winter for the rabbits, but deer do damage all year from what I've seen.

Hi and welcome. DG is the best and you'll love the folks on this forum. can't help you with the deer problem. we don't have any here, either.

I'm putting in a new herb garden this spring. using clay chimney flue liners (idea from another DG member) to contain the spreaders like mints and oreganos. I planted a rosemary 'Arp' last season. can't wait to see if it made it thru the winter. yank, when did you plant your 'Hardy Hill;?

ckk, what other kinds of herbs do you grow? I've fallen in love with creeping thyme. Can't see a variety I don't have without buying it. And I love basil...have six kinds started right now.

jan (aka gram)

I planted it last summer near a really big rock close to the house on a southern exposure. I'm not sure it is gone - just didn't look very promising when I glanced at it over the weekend.

A big hearty welcome ckk!!

We reside in the city and have other issues (similar to bigcityal with pesky humans), so I can't offer any insights about invasive deer. Aside from pesky humans, we have large romping, stomping dogs...another topic for another day.

Can't wait to hear more about your garden (and hopefully see some lovely photos as well)!!

Hello ckk & welcome.
Deer are creatures of habit and it is much harder to get them to stop coming in your yard than to keep them out. I've had some success with milorganite and some with sprays including a homemade spray which saved a lot of money. What is important to remember is to reapply regularly plus after it rains. I always seem to have it going well then I forget an application and lose a lot. (Always seems to be just before my lily buds have opened...so all I have to show for my lilies for the whole year is a stick!)

Oh no, Dave! That's too upsetting to just see sticks instead of lilies.

Welcome ckk - sorry to be the last to welcome you to DG. As Al said, this is the nicest forum of all and everyone is eager to help. I'm sure you'll enjoy it here.

grampapa: At various times, I've had basils (my favorite, too), sages, oreganos, rosemary, thyme, dill, mint, mint, and more mint (did I mention mint?). This year, I'm going to plant my herbs primarily in containers because (1) I'm running out of room in full/mostly sun and (2) I'm starting to encroach on the kids' lawn area (can't wait for those kids to grow up hee hee!). I've got big beds scattered around the yard, but I've earmarked empty areas for other stuff. :-)

I'm really excited about planting chamomile in between my stone paths this year. I realized as I walking in an old farm area over the summer and smelling that wonderful appley smell that it was chamomile! I had never thought of growing it before.

tehegemon: I am also an avid garden photographer, although I concentrate on flowers(see below). I will certainly post pictures as things thaw and grow.

Thank you all for the warm welcome! I was getting tired of the glassy eyed looks from my family when I went on and on about this stuff!

FAB photo ckk ~ WOW ~ thanks for sharing ~ now I'm really excited about seeing more!!!

I am a newbie myself, I am intersted in the perennial flowers but my own focus is vegetables and fruit. I have ventures out to include marigold and nastutium in the garden patch. My wife and seem to have a division of labor, she does the flowers I do the veggies. I works for us as silly as it seems. With photos like this and the vivid descriptions, you are inspiring! I have decided to do an herb garden this year, I use the Square Foot Garden method so I am figuing a 4x4 box for a variety of herbs. I grew and dried cilantro and parsley last year and the flavor was so much better than anything I have ever bought that I was convinced to grow as many herbs as I can for cooking, my second favorite hobby.

As for the deer problem, I never grow kale anymore. It is a deer magnet. I have a very possesive dog who protects her turf, only with a bark, she's be scared to death if she ever met a deer! Seems to keep them at a distance.

ckk, thanks for the idea about chamomile. I should get some :0) your pic is wonderful. I'll be looking forward to lots more! photos from real people are so much more inspiring than the catalogs. makes you think it's really possible. and usually better photography, too.

TD, I used to grow a fairly large veggie garden and used the square foot ideas. loved that book! now my veggies are in containers.

Dave, how nice to be married to your best friend. Mine is kind of the opposite. My DH grew to be my best friend. Works out the same in the end :-) we've just been living together longer (ha ha)

gram, TD, tehegemon: I'm glad that you like the pictures! I posted another one in this post. I have been taking macro pictures of flowers for twenty years, but didn't really get going seriously until digital cameras became available (instant gratification!). I have an Olympus digital that takes wonderful close-ups, and I like to use my husband's Canon digital SLR. Costco has some new DSLRs for good prices, so I'm tempted to get one of my own. What's with Costco selling bare root roses and fruit plants right now in the Northeast? There's no way that my ground is dry enough to work, not to mention the freezing temps out there!

Anyway, TD, your kale comment reminded me of my Dad - he is one of those super gardeners that seems to make everyrhing that he grows bigger than normal - his vegetables look like someone irradiated them! Everything he touches grows amazingly well, and completely organically. He used to grow kale, but the bed was always being raided by critters at night. He was so upset that he used to doze on the back porch at night, hoping to scare away intruders! Finally, he gave up and moved on to other (freakishly large) things. He has since moved down to Florida, and the first time that we visited, I immediately knew which was his house in his development of pretty-much-identical homes - the one with the gigantic flowers overrunning the yard! Too funny.

ckk, have you considered adding your outstanding photos to the Plant Files including remarks about your experience with these plants?

Beautiful photos, ckk. I look forward to seeing more.

ckk, if you're into garden photography (I am as well), be sure to check out the Photos forum.

Victor is right. It pays to check before you purchase anything so you can see the colors in real life.

tehegemon: Yes, definitely I will start to add photos to Plant Files. I have over 3000 photos to go through and catalog by type! At present, I have them ordered on disc by growing year "garden 2006" etc. I have actually thought for awhile that it would be more useful for me to do it by plant type also since it will show the growth habit and pattern of individual plants, but it is a big task.

Thank you all for your kind words!

BTW: I use many of my close ups, like the one in this post, for backgrounds on my computer. If any of you would like one of them that you see, just shoot me an email and I'll send it to you.

This message was edited Mar 14, 2007 7:05 AM

This message was edited Mar 16, 2007 3:57 AM

ckk, start posting to Photos as well. There is a thread started by Andy for Daily Pics, where we post anything we want, though most are garden shots of course. I will often post shots there that I did not add to PlantFiles because the plant in question already had too many good shots in PF already. I also post pics to Photos that are wider shots with many plants or plants whose name escapes me. For PF, you should know the variety name. Have fun!

Victor

Victor, thanks for the suggestion! I posted a photo over there. Your photos are beautiful!

Victor,

I didn't know about Andy's photo thread. Thanks. And thank you, Andy, for starting it. Beautiful photos from both of you.

You're welcome!

Welcome CKK....w/over 3000 photo's, I can see you will be a great asset here at DG!!

ckk thanks for the laugh, I can imagine myself doing the same thing as your Dad to 'protect' the garden. I grow elderberries just for the deer, the polish them off in one night.

Your should have an SLR, it is clear you have an eye for photography.

I took a bunch of mushroom pictures this fall, this one was very hard to really capture the whole scene. The mushroom had all these dew drops on the bottom and the were five 'toes' down below it and a few 'fairy' mushrooms around the log. Hope you enjoy.