Homeowners and people who like to garden may get excited when they first see a family of deer walking through their yards. As the excitement fades you start to realize deer are smarter than we often give them credit. As the deer make their way through your property, you might find your trees chewed to nubs and your garden destroyed. Deer can decimate ornamental trees and shrubs. The most successful strategy to protect trees, plants, and gardens from deer is to keep them guessing and use a variety of methods to keep them away from your landscape.
To best cope with deer in your garden or landscaping, consider all the available options of wild foods. When wild foods aren’t available, like in the Northeast winters, deer will seek out new food sources. Most of the time that food source is your backyard. A garden planted with deer resistant plants around the perimeter can help discourage them from entering. Try choosing species from this list of deer resistant plants.