Once upon a time I had hostas in all of my flower beds. They're the perfect plant for me to cultivate because the work involved goes like this:
ME: Hmmm -- looks like the hostas are thriving all on their own for yet another summer. Well. Time for more coffee!
But for whatever reason, just in the past couple of years the deer have really taken a liking to the delicious, salad-like goodness of the hostas that are planted all over my yard -- along with any other delicious garden treats they can lay their delicate muzzles on. This little lady has just bitten the tops off of all the remaining daylilies in my side bed (a palate cleanser), and now she is preparing to jump the neighbors' fence. Their squash and zucchini blossoms look so tasty! So --
-- this is what my hostas look like now. Not quite the desired effect, is it?
Looks like someone just discovered the (up until now) pristine plant at the base of the mailbox. The blossoms are now history; any bets as to how much longer those leaves will last?
I use Ropel on my hostas and day lilies and it really works. Now the deer and rabbits are all in my neighbors' yards.
ReplyDeleteI do so little work in my garden that I would feel like a real Scrooge if the one task I /did/ commit to was to send the pretty deer away. I get such a happy little thrill when I see them (especially with their fawns) that I don't really mind the sacrifice.
DeleteI love hosta for the exact same reason! I love that they always look good, even when some of my other flowers aren't in the best condition. We don't have deer in our yard, but the rabbits have taken a liking to most anything and everything I plant.
ReplyDeleteWilloughby! Hello, friend!
DeleteYes -- the fabulous neighbor just pointed out today that perhaps the deer that wander through the happy little cul-de-sac have been falsely accused. She caught a fat bunny read-handed (red-pawed? Red-eared?) this morning. Either way -- good-bye, hosta -- we hardly knew ye!