The garden is protected against damage from deer by spraying a stinky but non-toxic repellent every five to six weeks, if I remember. But if I delay (which is often), deer quickly remind me. Without the repellent, I could not grow hostas and many favorites. Unfortunately, the repellent does no good in protecting from other regular garden visitors.
Bordering two sides of the garden are ponds, one a remnant from days the property was an active farm and the other dug by the developer as the last houses were built. There are no obvious signs of beavers on either, but there is ample evidence of gnawed trees just below the garden.
Several buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis, above) at the low end of the garden have been gnawed in autumn the past two years. The vigorous native shrubs are quite vigorous in this damp ground, so it’s hardly a problem, but this past autumn beavers ventured further into the garden to gnaw halfway through a ‘Koto no ito’ Japanese maple (below). Fortunately, they stopped before finishing the job. The maple is fully leafed, but I won’t be confident of its survival until it hits the summer heat.
What to do about beavers? Or rabbits that nibble and destroy tender treasures as they emerge? I’d like to give them a stern lecture, but otherwise, I hope for the best. I’ll put protective wire around the Japanese maples in the lower garden this autumn, if I remember, but nothing more.
Despite these minor bothers, all wildlife is welcomed into the garden. Oh yeah, maybe not the freshwater otter that has discovered the koi pond, but again, there’s no practical way to discourage the beast. The skunks, raccoons, foxes, and possums that visit, mostly after dark, are never a problem. Squirrels are seen throughout the day, and they should clean up the messes they make, but their antics are enjoyed.
Along with fish and frogs, bees and butterflies, and abundant numbers of birds there are, of course, snakes. Black snakes, Northern water snakes, and occasionally others, but none are much of a problem. Except to my wife. The garden was not intended to be a refuge for wildlife, but there’s no doubt that’s what it’s become.
Ramblin' through Dave's Garden 
FWIW, one year for some unknown reason, I had a Japanese maple start to heavily defoliate in the heat of summer. I was panicked it wouldn’t survive so we constructed a temporary shade covering using some landscape fabric (as I vaguely recall) draped over some tall wood 1″x1″x6′ (or so) posts. Worked very well and the stress never reoccurred.
Also, if you get a few lively dogs I bet that will curtail your wildlife damage, but they might exact their own type of damage. 🤣
We had dogs for years. They were helpful in digging up and capturing moles, and long before this area became a suburb, they would frolic in the forests, chasing deer for hours. Today, they would require walking on a leash, so I’ll live with the beavers and rabbits and enjoy the others.
Can you share what deer repellent you have found most effective? We have a few Japanese flowering cherry trees that they just roamed through and demolished and would love to deter them if possible. Also, do you just spray the plants you are protecting or make more of a perimeter around the entire garden. Many thanks for any info.
I’ve used a variety of repellents, all with success, but have used Bobbex for years. Occasionally, I mix a hot pepper sauce to vary the scent. I spray individual plants, not the perimeter, and many plants do not need to be sprayed.