Garden Time!

Since March I've been dying to get out in the garden to welcome little bits of greenery poking through the soil. How thrilled I was to see little spikes of garlic, chives and allium revealing themselves to let me know that below the cold wet soil, believe it or not, things are really happening! With cultivator in hand and a wheelbarrow loaded with compost I began rummaging around to begin tidying up and adding nourishment.

However, I soon discovered that I had to remain patient and not disturb the delicate newcomers still developing below the soil ……. of course I knew that! I may have to get a sign (found on Whipper Snapper Designs) that says:

                  It's Spring! Do You Know Where Your Bloomers Are?

Foxglove

Speedwell

So in the meantime, while I keep my enthusiasm in check, all I can do is tidy up gingerly and plan. And that plan must include, if not completely consist of, deer resistant plants. A couple of years ago I gave all my hostas, seedums  and any other "deer salad" to good homes. I now choose only deer resistant plants and those that cost me very little or that I have lots of and can afford to lose. For example, I plant bachelor buttons from seeds that I collect year after year, so if some get eaten, c'est la vie!

With deer, it is always a crapshoot. So here are a few of my old standbys and a few new ones!

Old Standbys: 

•  Blazing Star / Liatris - blooms late summer
• Cushion Spurge / Euphorbia Polychroma - blooms early spring
• Bleeding Heart - blooms early spring (fern leave blooms longer)
• Speedwell / Veronica - blooms mid summer - nice foliage all season
•  Cranesbill Geranium & Big Root Geranium - blooms early to mid summer
• Peony - blooms early summer
•  Allium - blooms late spring/ early summer
• Lung Wart - Pulmonaria - blooms early spring but has nice foliage all season
• Foxglove - blooms mid summer (biennial - you can collect the seeds and replant)
• Bergenia / Pig Squeak - blooms early spring
• Columbine - blooms mid summer
• Lady's Mantle
• Dianthus - blooms early summer
• Snow in Summer - blooms early spring with nice foliage all season
• Calendula - annual - seeds can be collected for the following season

A Few New Ones:

•  Cleome - annual - seeds can be collected for replanting (lovely pink/white tall flowers that blooms most of the summer and into the fall)
•  Snapdragons - annual - just realized that these are deer resistant!
• Coreopsis - on my "to purchase" list
• Lavender - haven't had a lot of luck with this but will keep trying
• I saw Zinnias on a "deer resistant" list so will try them - great beauties that grow well from seed!

Risk Takers:

• I planted Black Eyed Susans / Rudbeckia - not deer resistant but planted them by my garden shed and they were left unscathed …. fingers crossed for this year!
• I am going to plant Cosmos because they are so pretty - maybe the deer won't notice?

Top-  Blazing Star (the tall ones) & Bergenia,   Middle-   Black Eyed Susans that somehow escaped the deer!, Cleome, Cushion Spurge,   Bottom-   Nasturtiums that also escaped the deer, Allium, Bleeding Heart

               Here's to a great season in spite of the deer!