The Deer and the Elk found me and ate everything, or very nearly everything. One herd of Elk contained 9 animals (one bull). In a garden area that is about 50X100, they did extensive damage. One evening, I looked out my kitchen window to a brave bull 6 point Deer, chomping merrily away in the 20 foot x 50 foot area between the house building and the garage building. Oh my Gosh! What to do? One morning, when I went to the garage building to feed the puppies, this (or another) bulll Deer was apparently sleeping in my garden (nice and comfy and protected, that it is). The soil between the two buildings is very soft, from having a utilities trench dug, and the 4 inch deep hoof prints are almost as big a problem, as the eaten ground cover is.
November 2007 --- Taking Stock --- What Worked?
I haven't been all that interested is seeing my destroyed garden; however --- I had a pile of good Cobblestones to set in the gravel paths, before any spring planting could occur, and I was out today, doing that (I still need to set the flat Cobblestomes) --- so I took a closer look.
The tally is I planted 711 plants, of 30 different kinds --- Only 4 different kinds would I plant again, that were NOT EATEN! Only one of those four is a ground cover, and my 25 foot perimeter design is dependent on ground covers which grow no taller then 4 inches (height restricted to provide fire-wise planting near buildings). So what ground cover plant is the winner? Ice Plant. The Deer and the Elk did NOT EAT the Ice Plant, and for the most part, the Ice Plant thrived in my garden.
Thus, next season, I will finish the ground cover planting, not continueing with the already established pattern of plants, but rather expanding on the area of Ice Plant.
Here's the gotcha, while there are many different varieties of Ice Plant (yellow, or purple flowers) depending on which web site you look on, sometimes the variety is hardy to Zone 4 (my zone) and sometimes the variety is only hardy to Zone 5 (which might be okay, Zone hardiness is stated by Zip Code, and in my Zip Code the elevation can vary by as much as 5,000 feet --- assuming the higher elevations are the colder Zone 4, I might be okay with Zone 5).
What else made the cut? One variety of Yucca is hardy to Zone 4, and Helena's Blush Euphorbia is hardy to Zone 4 --- both are taller then 12 inches (height restricted to provide fire-wise planting near buildings). And the Deer and Elk left the Hen's and Chicks alone for the most part (they did eat flowering plants, and several others were stepped on, and squished way down deep in the soil).
There are 5 other different varieties of plants that were eaten, but I believe they may come back next season, anyway. 3 of those 5 are "Sedum's" and I can propogate them by taking cuttings and directly sticking the cuttings in the soil (as fill in plants).
Some plants were completely uprooted by the browsing big game. The Common Thrift reacted to this in what is to me, an interesting way. Many will live. Several are dead. Some are hanging in there alive --- holiding on by a taproot. I didn't know Common Thrift had a tap root, but I sure know it now, and it is this tap root which has saved several plants.
I had 4 days of planting help with my 711 plants (about 100 a day is all that planting help can do) which means, I must have planted 300 or so plants, myself. I haven't decided whether to hire planting help next season, or not. Nobody can plant a plant, as carefully as I do (because they are my plants). The real answer to that story is the one Blue Sedum I know I planted, compared to the others I know my hired help planted --- how did it fair? Despite this plant being labeled "Deer Resistant" all the plants were eaten to the ground. My one plant I planted looks no different, then the one's the hired help planted. Now I wonder about this species of "sedum" plant? It is said to spread indefinitely, and I believe it spreads by candles breaking off and rooting themselves. I can see the Deer / Elk ate them, but I also see masses of broken off candles. The question will be answered next spring --- how well did the Blue Sedum root itself? And I think it matters not who planted it.
As for "what to do about the Deer and the Elk?" --- fencing is pretty impractical, even electric fencing (big rock outcrop area, and another area has a severe elevation change). Did any of my several Deer deterants work? (at the cost of $200 or so)? I don't know. I don't even know if the Deer / Elk were here to test the deterants. That is what I suspect; that the seasonal patterns the Deer / Elk adhere too, is what kept them away.
What I have done is set out 96 --- 2 inch wooden stakes with a bar of Dial Deoderant Soap hanging from them. The idea being that they are as attractive as flowers but taste icky like soap. I plan on setting out another 60 of these stakes next spring. Maybe I should consider settting out even another 100 of these?
Will this gardener give up? No, not yet. Gardening is a physical, mental, spiritual activity that feeds my soul. I need to garden for good health. Just maybe, I need to garden smarter.
