Feeling depressed - any deer experts?

[ratqueen]

Hello, I am new to this board, hoping for some advice :)

I feel a bit sad and frustrated atm, about how many things get eaten by the deer that come into our garden, this morning the sedum I planted for some autumn colour. The garden was just quite boring shrubs before our planting frenzy and I am beginning to realise why the previous owners didn't have much colour.

DH is sceptical that any fence will stop them. I find that such a defeatist attitude and quite sad. Has anyone had any luck keeping deer out? My bambi love is diminishing by the month.

Human hair tied at different spots throughout the garden. If you can get to a zoo that keeps big cats, see if they'll sell dung - objective is to use scent from both hair and dung as a deterrent Here. You'll need to keep the scent moving around those areas you want to protect, and keep it fresh. You can also buy motion sensitive water sprinklers, look on amazon uk. Good luck!

The best fencing option is a proper deer fence - they're very tall post-and-wire so not intrusive but are high -so they need a professional installation, and planning permission (in conservation areas anyway).

For individual trees, a tree guard is best, as trees won't survive if the deer take a complete ring of bark off them.

Deer resistant plants do exist. Try the RHS plant selector - select "rabbit and deer resistant" under "other features". Basically, plants that deer don't find palatable.

This link is useful. Talks about deer resistant plants and fence heights etc. You do need tall fences!

In my garden I have completely fenced in my veg plot in the back garden where I cannot keep them out (see profile pictures). The front garden has 1.8m fences so unless they are cheeky and decide to come in via the back garden then it's fairly safe. They love the orchard and pretty much move in there when the apples start falling. They eat all the windfalls and don't move much as drunk deer are quite clumsy which keeps the mess and wasps down so we like them there.

Getting a dog also helps

I agree about deer fencing. It isn't necessarily tough but it is tall to provide a visual barrier against jumping.