I planted 32 beautiful lilies about a month ago, mostly double oriental types, and they were thriving until a deer came along and devoured all but two of them. Now it's even munching on my rose bushes! I'm really concerned about my azaleas and blueberry bushes, especially since I've invested a lot into my garden. I'm looking for some effective, chemical-free solutions to keep this deer away. I have two dogs, so I want to avoid using harmful chemicals. I've tried setting up a trip wire and spraying peppermint oil around my plants, but nothing seems to deter this persistent deer. Any advice?
2 Answers
Sorry to hear about your lilies! A double fence might actually be a good solution. I read that deer have trouble with depth perception, so if you put up two fences, they might not take the risk to jump over them. Hang in there, I hope you find a way to protect your garden!
One option that's pretty easy to set up is a motion-activated water sprinkler. It’ll give the deer a little surprise with a quick spray of water, which could scare it off! Just remember to keep the setup away from your dogs, so they don’t get wet too!
I tried a similar sprinkler once, but it only worked for a couple of days. The deer figured out that it was just water and they didn’t mind getting a little wet after that.
Thanks for the encouragement! It's definitely been a frustrating experience. I didn’t think I would get so emotional over my plants, but I put a lot of work into them and it’s heartbreaking to see them destroyed.