by Shirley Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener

Deer.  Ah yes, those beautiful, lithe creatures that seem to float across the landscape.  Uh, NO!  They eat ALL my beautiful plants down to the ground!  If you are an avid gardener (or not) as I am, then the word “deer” is a four-letter word!  They will eat almost anything – including occasional forays into the foods listed on our “won’t eat” list.  How, you ask, can they be deterred?!

Springtime finds deer at one of their hungriest states:  does are nursing their fawns and anxious to gain back weight lost during the winter’s freeze and every deer is looking to gorge on high-protein, moisture-rich plants.  Don’t throw your hands up in utter despair; there is help (somewhat) to be had!

There are deer-defying sprays for our plants, such as rotten-egg and water, soap spray, hot-pepper spray, and many types of commercial sprays.  Some folks even try to lure deer away by planting the animal’s favorite foods in a remote part of their property, far from gardens and flowerbeds.

Fences are the most effective technique to keep deer out.  However, it needs to be at least 8’ tall, extend partly underground and not have gaps bigger than 6”x6” where a deer can squeeze through or crawl under.  Enclose the entire garden or the deer will just go around the fence.  Or try two 4- 5-foot high fences placed 3’ apart.

Planting the right plant is another way to discourage deer from visiting.  Deer will steer clear of plants that are poisonous, fuzzy, coarse, spiny, bitter or very aromatic (lamb’s ear, barberries and cleome).  You might want to plant more undesirable plants near the entrance of your gardens to further discourage “Bambi”.  But if deer are unclear about liking something, they’ll try it, so even things they don’t like aren’t always safe from being tasted by the visiting deer.  As a general rule, deer love to dine on anything that’s smooth, tender, and flavorful.

With wildlife biologists’ modest estimate of 18-24 deer per square mile, and full-grown adults each feeding on 6-10 pounds of greenery a day, the best line of defense lies in making your backyard less appetizing than your neighbors.  Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell for feeding, so adding patches of strongly scented herbs – from garlic and chives, to mint and lavender – can mask the appealing aroma of nearby annuals.

Do you long for the sight of those beautiful yellow daffodils and tulips coming up in the spring?  Well, so do deer.  Instead, you might want to try something entirely different.  There is a vast assortment of flower bulbs to which deer normally turn up their noses.   For any number of lists, do an Internet search of deer-resistant bulbs. Trim tall grasses to deter deer from bedding down there.  Deer aren’t avid climbers so adding terraces or sunken beds can discourage them from coming into the yard.  As neophobes, deer fear new, unfamiliar objects.  Though they aren’t always attractive, scarecrows, sundials and other garden ornaments – especially those with movable parts – make deer skittish.  Use them in combination with wind chimes or bright lights for added effect.  Place netting over your most cherished plants.

Some gardeners swear by hanging fabric softener strips and/or wrapped bars of soap from trees, both of which can confuse a deer’s sense of smell.  Other’s point to using hot pepper sprays, garlic and rotten egg mixtures, ammonia-soaked rags, and bags of hair and/or blood meal around the garden for the same reason.

Relatively cheap and easy (that sounds just right!) when compared to putting up a fence, string a line of monofilament fishing line around your beds within the deer feeding zone – ideally 2’ to 3’ above ground. This clear, taut barrier also confuses deer, ultimately causing them to flee.

Having a dog (no matter the size) is also a good deer deterrent.  Their scent and bark are natural deer repellents.

Sprinklers with sensors will spray on passing deer.  The sudden sound and moisture sends deer back into the woods.  Also, motion sensor lights have proved to be effective to keep deer away although over time they will get used to the light (argh!).

As you can see, there are any number of methods to be tried to keep the deer away from your prized plants.  If one of these does not work for you, then try another.

Keep gardening!

Sources:  This Old House “20 Ways to Keep Deer Out of Your Yard” by Danielle Blundell, This Old House Online and Tips for Deterring Deer, bhg.com.

By Sheryl Kleinschmidt, Somervell County Master Gardener

My earliest recollection of spearmint is from my grandmother’s house in Central Texas when I was a little girl.  My grandmother was a naturalist of sorts and taught me many important lessons such as how to forage non-poisonous mushrooms, how to identify wildflowers, and how to use mint to flavor my iced tea.   From that time on, the mint plant has held a special place in my memory, and most of my adult life I’ve grown it in either a pot or in the garden.

The spearmint plant (so-called because the pointy leaves reminded someone of a spear) is not native to America but was brought here by early English settlers who acquired their mints from the Romans.  There are some thirty species of mint, but since the mints are feisty plants, they interbreed quite easily resulting in many hybrids. (Hint:  if you want your spearmint to remain pure, don’t mix it with other mints in the garden.)

All mint plants have a square stem with simple leaves in opposite pairs. They prefer semi-shade and rich, moist soil but adapt quite readily to lesser environments when necessary.  Underground runners help this aromatic little plant spread quite rapidly and it can become a nuisance if not kept in check.  It grows so prolifically in the state of Tennessee that it is considered an invasive weed there.  Not so in other states where spearmint has become a cash crop.  Some of the Northern Plains and Midwest states are selling mint to companies that use it for flavoring and medicinal uses.  Thus, we have mint candy, toothpaste, gum, soaps, and shampoos, as well as medicines for stomach ailments.

Spearmint has played its part in American history as well as in the kitchen and medicine cabinet.  Prior to the American Revolution, the colonists drank mint tea as opposed to black teas to avoid the dreaded English tax.  And, during the Civil War, black tea was mostly unavailable, so Americans again turned to mint tea as a common beverage.

As far as my personal usage goes, I still use mint in my iced tea and sometimes put it in a cup of hot chocolate.  If I need a quick breath mint, a chewed leave suffices quite well.  My grandchildren are learning the difference between spearmint and lemon balm and enjoy tasting and smelling them in the garden.  I hope I instill in them the love of nature/gardening as my grandmother did in me.  I am also anxious to see if my lemon balm and spearmint plants will cross-breed this spring!

The next tri-county Master Gardener training registration ends Friday!

Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 9am-12pm and 1pm-4pm beginning March 31 and runs through May 26. Location of classes rotate between Glen Rose, Granbury and Cleburne.

If interested, please call the Somervell County Extension Office at 254-897-2809 and HURRY, registration ends Friday, February 27th!