by CHRIS WINSLOW
Many years back, when my wife Diane and I moved to Hays Country Oaks, we were excited by the prospect of planting her collection of antique roses.
Over many years in the nursery business, Diane had accumulated over 100 varieties of these old fashioned beauties. First we planted a mutabilis rose on the east side of the house and started with a row of climbing roses along a pasture fence.
We soon discovered our mistake.
This new neighborhood was home to a large population of whitetail deer… and they love roses about as much as we do.
Despite the thorns, the deer went after our mutabilis as if it was delicious candy. Within days they were stripped to bare canes, as were our hopes of a beautiful antique rose garden.
Our choices were to build a deer-proof fence or give up the roses and find plants that deer found less palatable. We chose the second option.
Starting out with a culinary herb garden, we discovered that deer didn’t care for plants that have a strong scent or flavor. Rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, and the different varieties of oregano were safe.
Our next venture was into the world of flowers.
Which plants would give us color, and be left alone by the whitetails? This time we did some research. We telephoned Mick Vann, our chef-friend who also works at the University of Texas as a horticulturist.
He dropped by with a list of deer-resistant plants he had accumulated over the years. It turned out that there was a ton of native plants that provided great flower color, many of them also useful in attracting butterflies, hummingbirds and songbirds. Mick also suggested that the web was a great source of information on deer resistant plants.
Salvias have been a huge success for us. This group has a wide range of color, heights, and leaf textures, and most are herbaceous perennials, so they flower throughout the spring, summer, and fall and sleep through the winter.
Cut back after the first freeze and with a little mulch and water through the winter, they happily return with the ground-warming weather of spring.
Autumn sage (Salvia gregii), which comes in an array of colors, is an evergreen. It provides green foliage through the winter and often flowers through the winter months of January and February.
Another reliable group is the lantanas. Like the salvias, they bloom spring to fall, and are available as short groundcover plants, midsize rounded bushes, and shrubs up to four feet.
As a bonus, you will soon discover that rather than whitetails, it’s the butterflies who love them. They are much better behaved guests in your garden!
Sometimes a new plant comes along and experimentation is the only way to know how deer will respond. Set a small pot out overnight and you will usually have your answer by morning.
For a wide list of deer-resistant plants, look for the Grow Green booklet “Native and Adapted Landscape Plants.” It’s full of suggestions for plantings that deer will walk by without browsing. It is available for free in most area nurseries, or visit www.growgreen.org.
Happy (deer proof) gardening everyone!
If you have a question for Chris, send it via email to [email protected]. Or mail a postcard to It’s About Thyme: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748 www.itsaboutthyme.com
