It’s Time to Deer-Proof Your Spring and Summer Garden

Deer are the most adorable menace. They nibble your tree branches, graze on your garden veggies, and chew your shrubs and flowers. What is a gardener in BC to do about our ever-present deer population?

Our friends at Emerald Irrigation and Landscaping are Okanagan experts in keeping lawns and gardens looking their best. They are very familiar with the common problems BC gardeners experience! We’ve asked for their advice on protecting our plants from the spring/summer deer invasion.

There are practical, plant-based solutions to protect against roaming, hungry deer. Choosing deer-resistant shrubs, annuals, perennials and bulbs can be effective for protecting your garden beauty.

Plants known to be unappealing or repellant to deer include the following herbs, flowers, and bushes:

Deer and other scavenging animals like to feast on flower bulbs and new shoots. It’s wise to select bulbs that produce gorgeous flowers but have a strong smell, taste, or toxicity, such as:

If you want an extra layer of protection against deer nibbling, consider applying a repellent to your trees, shrubs and plants at any time of the year. Choose repellents that are made with environmentally friendly, natural ingredients. The repellent can be sprayed or spread in your garden to cause smells or flavours that are distasteful to deer.

For a DIY approach to taming deer appetites, try adding red pepper flakes, garlic, hot sauce, or mothballs directly in your garden’s soil. Apply in the fall and again in the spring when shoots begin to show.