I can be pretty patient, when it comes to gardening, but I had pretty much thrown in the towel on bulbs. If it wasn't the deer, it was the voles or the squirrels who mistakenly thought I'd planted a spring banquet for them.
But the bulb catalogs have me tempted and I love to be out in the garden in the fall . So now I toss a handful of gravel into the planting holes to deter the voles, keep the tulips in sheltered pots and focus on deer resistant varieties. Yes, there are a few bulbs that deer don't particularly like. Some, like the blue Glory of the Snow (Chinodoxa forbesii) shown here, can be poisonous. Others, like daffodils and hyacinth, simply taste bad. Whatever the reason, the animals leave them alone long enough for me to enjoy and luxuriate in the first signs of spring. What about you? Any more suggestions?
Photo: © Marie Iannotti
Comments
I feel your pain. I planted at least 175 tulip bulbs (before I knew any better) and the ones that didn’t rot in the ground because of the god awful clay were completely eaten by the deer
I rely upon Dutch irises, Spanish bluebells and daffodils for deer resistant spring bulbs. These are throughly tested in my garden where 20+ deer sleep every night. I added allium for the first time last year and those are also great for deer resistant gardens. I just need to see if those winter over here in zone 7 before I go too crazy planting hundreds! LOL
Cameron
Have you tried spraying bulbs with deer repellent spray by liquidfence.com? I have had good luck with this spray, for rabbits and deer on other plants.
Does this product also work for squirrels? Those pests have eaten all of my squash, peppers, eggplants, and some tomatoes. They have even eaten some of my bulbs! They are eating my Black-eyed Susan flower heads that have died. It seems that I planted a smorgasbord for the squirrels to enjoy!
When I plant any new bulbs – for spring or summer, I cover them with the fine but strong netting you can buy at the garden centre to deter birds. It comes in long rolls, and I just cut enough to cover the bulb area and anchor it with garden staples. As soon as the bulbs are shooting 1 to 2 inches high I remove it. This works like a charm.
MissaRosa, deer deterrents don’t seem to faze squirrels. The only success I’ve ever had with squirrels is fencing them out and that takes a lot of effort.
If any one has any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.
Lynda, I’m confused. What are you deterring with the netting? Is that to keep the squirrels from digging? Sounds like it would be great for that.
Yes – it’s for the squirrels – there are no deer where I am -
Thanks Lynda! My mom made a similar suggestion. I will have to try it. I also thought of putting a type of rabbit proof fence around and on top of my garden to keep the pests out. What do you think?
Just wondering if anyone has tried the liquid fence spray that I used. It worked for me, and I want to know if it worked for you. My neighbor knows just when she needs to spray again – she has it down to a science. and it is way cheaper than replanting your whole yard or getting a huge ugly fence.
Liquid Fence is a good product. I like the sprays, but you have to remember to reapply every so often, because any new growth will still be susceptible.
Chicken-fried squirrel is quite tasty, you know. . .
What, no tips on preparing venison?
Have had about 20 peonia plants all arount the house for over 10 years and have never had a deer to taste any of them. Zenias are also a good choice not to be touched by the deer. Just for info; the deer are here every day grazing in the yards.