Kara

I am always looking for the next plant to try in my quest to have perennial and shrub borders in deer country. We have a surprising variety that do well, here in eastern Washington state. We have a LOT of deer, daily. I have far better luck with perennials over shrubs. With shrubs we cage them until they are above deer height. Several that have succeeded are smoke bush (Cotinus), Serviceberry, Butterflybush, kolkwitza, Barberry, boxwood, Caryopteris, Cotoneaster, several varieties of Viburnum, especially Koreanspice. Those with leathery leaves are best. My best tip for keeping the deer away while plants gain some height is to spray them regularly with an egg wash, probably every two weeks. They don't like the smell. I just blend a couple of eggs in the blender fill it with water and spray it on plants with a squirt bottle. I have heard of people putting in a little Tabasco too. Haven't tried that. I can tell you that I successfully have grown Hosta with this technique. I try not to grow them in the path the deer normally take. Perennials that succeed in my garden are Lambsears, lavender, iris, Verbascum, all Salvia types, Penstemon, Alliums, Sedums, such as Autumn Joy, Dicentra, Nepeta, Coneflower, Liatris, Flax, Yarrow, Shasta Daisy, Daylilies, Brunnera, all ferns, shorter Campanula, perennial Geranium, though they like the flowers on some of them, Spurge, Foxglove, Echinops, Arabis, Coreopsis, Creeping Babysbreath, Gooseneck Loosestrife, all grasses, Gentian, Armeria, Soldidago, Black eyed Susan, Russian sage, Pulmonaria, Lysimachia, Cimicifuga, Monkshood, Artimesia varieties, etc. With all the varieties of colors and sizes in these perennials that are available, it's pretty easy to fill the beds. Good luck!