I first noticed it in the fall. Something had eaten my hostas. My usual culprits have been the rabbits, but this was well beyond their usual food shopping spree. Perhaps they decided to invite their entire extended family this time. The raccoons ate all the minnows in my new small pond, so they weren’t hungry either. So I decided to install Ring cameras to see who was having a party in my garden while I innocently slept.

And there he was, a huge antlered deer. Oh Dear!

Daytime Deer in my Garden. I don’t know who was more scared, him or me.

The next day, I bought a battery-operated sprayer and researched what would work best to preserve my precious garden. Most of the products not only smelled bad enough to ward off the deer, but they also smelled bad enough to keep me out of the garden as well. I found one brand that also contained some mint, which apparently the deer hate, so that’s the one I settled on. So last fall, after every rainy day, I would head out to spray the perimeter of my garden. This year, I’m upping my game since the buck brought his harem and extended family.

In the front garden this deer ate all my hostas in one sitting. I was wondering if he was going to ask for some salad dressing.

I’m having deer fencing installed in the part of the garden where they most frequently gain entrance in the hopes of diverting their attention. This happened to be on the property line with my new neighbor. Using the markings he had in position from his recent surveying, together we agreed on the exact placement of my upcoming fence. I hung screaming yellow Caution tape to define the property line, which sure disturbs the calming woodland aesthetics I’ve been creating for the last 35 years. The next step was the installation of this one section of fencing, knowing full well that it was only the beginning of preserving my garden sanctuary.

This is the view from my neighbors side of the deer fencing which I had installed on our mutual property line. I sure hope the deer notice it.

You can read more articles about my garden on my dedicated Garden Blog: The Garden Artist.

My idea of the garden I wanted to create around my new home when I bought it in 1989, was a place to immerse myself, not a garden to be admired while sitting on the deck. I had no particular plan that I imagined. Instead, I let the woodland speak to me.

This woodland was filled with poison ivy, invasive vines, thorns and many broken branches and limbs when it called to me. Together for over three decades, it and I have worked to create a woodland garden for meditation. This is the journey.

READ MORE…