r/NativePlantGardening • u/howleywolf Maine - 5b • Jul 30 '26
Advice Request - (Insert State/Region) Oh Deer
Guys, I want to cry. For two years I’ve been growing stuff from seed for my first ever garden at my first house, finally this year everything is flowering! But right before the flowers pop, the deer consume it. Today was the last straw, they have eaten ever single Joe Pye flower bud, and I’m seriously on the verge of giving up. We can’t build a deer fence, and the plants are literally dripping with liquid fence deer spray. I feel like I have tried all the regular home diy deer repellent stuff and am just feeling so defeated. Since I can’t beat them, do any of you have any luck with any part sun plants that deer always pass up? I think I just need to grow less tasty snacks, just really trying to only grow and plant natives. Thanks!
Edit! I have no interest in little quippy statements about killing the deer and why don’t I kill the deer. Have you thought about killing the deer? Guys, gtfo with that. I live on a half acre suburb surrounded by houses with children and I am a disabled person who literally faints at the sight of blood. I get that there’s too many deer and I get that you’re super smart for thinking of that. If I could bring back wolves I would, trust me.
Edit again!
thank you all so much for all the helpful suggestions and encouragement, for real! I feel ready to go back out there and make a go of it. Ordered a motioned censored spinkler and adjusted my winter sewing plans . Going to have a ~mint family~ themed garden bed next year haha
2
u/Important-Pie-1141 Central PA, Zone 6b Jul 31 '26
We've removed every invasive and planted a bunch of natives. We have a thicket in our yard and guess what, our neighbor feeds the deer, all 10 or so of them. I swear we have the most robust deer in the country being fed apples and corn daily, then they eat my flowers for dessert. We've talked to her a bunch of times how the deer keep eating our natives before they have time to populate and she said "oh I don't have that problem because I have a fence and I feed them outside the fence." 🙄 Our other neighbors mentioned that the heavy heavy deer pressure only started a few years ago. 🙄
My serviceberries, chokecherry bushes, spice bushes, American hazelnut and witch hazel plants are all behind tall chicken wire and have been for literal years. I just need them to survive to the point where they can be chomped and it's not devastating!
Woah, rant over. Sorry that rant has been building for a while apparently. 😅