With a one acre garden chock full of flowers, berries, and leafy treasures, I am pleased to do my small part to feed the neighborhood wildlife. Like it or not, and I don’t, the koi pond should be mentioned for attracting a variety of herons and snakes looking to feast on frogs and small fish. While the gardener can plant to attract bees and butterflies, some wildlife is enticed to visit despite his best efforts, and in recent weeks there have been more than the usual visits from our local deer population.

Why? In the hot and dry late summer many of the garden’s hostas took a premature turn for the worse. So, in August I quit spraying the deer repellent that very successfully encourages them to go elsewhere to snack. The result has been predictable.

With the last repellent application in late July, it was about six or seven weeks before the first signs of grazing. First were small leafed hostas, while larger leafed Frances Williams and others were ignored. But, over several weeks deer became bolder, and perhaps less discriminating, munching on hostas along the front walk before moving on to larger leafed varieties. With winter dormancy imminent, this was not a bother, and the progression from one variety to another has been interesting. Until.

While there was no concern for the hostas this late in the season, one thing led to another, and a few nibbles of hydrangeas turned to defoliation of lower branches Oakleaf hydrangeas and azaleas. This will not matter much, but along with leaves a few too many branch tips have been chewed off, and spring flower buds of azaleas have been lost. The next thing, I’m certain, will be the aucubas and camellias,which are only bothered in mid winter if I’ve missed one in spraying. So finally, I was spurred to action.

The usual double dose of repellent was sprayed, and I suspect this will be the last of the problem until spring, when the decision must be made when to spray to catch new growth as it opens.