Apparently the deer that share our property aren’t satisfied with the abundance of green things to eat elsewhere on the property. Their palates tend toward young green things in my big garden bed. Honestly, they snack a little every year, but this year…they are doing major damage.
Is this the thanks you give me for all I’ve done for you, ungrateful deer?
Why can’t you be like our groundhog, Henry, who dines on green grass and other things that have nothing to do with the garden?
You could learn from him.
I’ve been spraying a home-made concoction on the plants, but every time I spray everything, it rains.
Meanwhile, the prickly poppy seems to be safe from the deer. And soon we will have beautiful orange-red, paper-thin flowers.
Kiss Me Kate was simply glorious. What a treat it was to watch it! I found myself whooping out loud after certain numbers like “Too Darn Hot” and “Tom, Dick, and Harry.” Witty, at times hilarious, touching, beautiful, with dancing and singing that knocks your socks off, it’s a treasure. Darko wasn’t at the matinée on Sunday, so I came home and wrote him a love letter via email. His work, along with the incredible choreography of Peggy Hickey, is superb. I took a few notes, but the actors are very good and they were very coachable, so most everything I had given them had been taken to heart and fully realized.
I’ll miss seeing it. Even now, three days later, the songs and images from the show are still vivid. Snatches of songs are running through my brain. Sigh.
The birdbath has been quite active this spring – much earlier than usual. Perhaps it’s due to the unseasonably warm temperatures we’ve been having. Yesterday, I happened to look out the window as a robin plopped himself down in the center of the birdbath. A catbird (they love taking baths) was just about to head into the water when he saw the robin.
He tried an end run around the robin, coming in from behind the birdbath, but the robin turned and gave him a ‘look’ and the catbird backed off. He tried the bench. The robin wasn’t budging.
He tried the planter. Mr. Robin wasn’t moving.
He tried the chair. And….no movement from the robin. The catbird finally gave up and flew off right after I took this picture.
The photos are a little blurry as I took them through the window and I don’t have a telephoto lens (on my wish list) but gosh, I love taking pictures of the birds and the birdbath. I find them so fascinating! Yesterday, we had the bunny rabbit doing his thing outside the kitchen window, the birds taking baths, and Henry chomping on grass by the shed.
The deer were nowhere to be seen as they like to do their thing before I get up. I love them but they are in deep trouble!
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Happy Wednesday.
We love our birds and their antics too. I find myself just standing in the kitchen watching them many times a day when I really have things to do, but can’t help myself. The hummingbirds are just a riot and we have so many types of birds as they are nesting. Sorry to hear about your deer problems. We have a resident ground hog but he leaves things alone so far. Enjoy the day, Claudia.
Our boy Henry is adorable. I really love him. He keeps to himself, chows down on some grass and is frightened at the least little sound!
Deer are beautiful creatures but they can be so destructive in a garden..that is such a shame Claudia..beautiful blooms that we won’t get to enjoy..I haven had any problems with the deer here eating flowers..surely there are some natural ways to discourage them..I must get my birdbath scrubbed up and ready to fill this weekend..I am going to take advantage of this cooler weather we are having to get lots of work and planting done outside..I also have an ornamental Cherry Tree and Rose of Sharon bush that need planted..my son will help me with those..
I do use a natural deterrent, but they don’t usually do damage this early. I was taken by surprise.
I’ve tried everything to keep the deer out and haven’t found anything that works 100%. I still can’t get a bird to my birdbath, but love seeing yours being used.
It took a while, Dawn! Maybe a full summer before they started to come the next summer.
I have a love/hate relationship with our resident deer. Beautiful but destructive creatures…just keep spraying, they ‘ll probably get tired and find something new to chomp on! Our resident robins…their nest is under our deck…chased away red-winged black birds, and a couple of gracklings the other day. It was quite the show…I was really impressed the way her tail was fanned out…and how vocal she was! Our birdbath still has to go out…did more garden rearranging the last couple of days…luckily the weather is cool here, so it’s easy to work outside! ;)
It’s really cool here today, Donnamae! I have to wear a sweatshirt! Go figure!
I’ve been reading the blog daily but my desk top is acting crazy so I haven’t been able to comment. Using my phone to do it today. It is hot here to & I’ve been raking oak leaves by the thousands. Love our trees but all this raking wears me put. Hope the deer discover other places to eat soon.
Raking the leaves is tiring, Janie!
There definitely is a pecking order :-) with the bird population. I never knew that sparrows are an aggressive bird. As soon as the sweet wrens start to build nests in our several birdhouses, the sparrows start to sit on the perch or the top of the house and won’t let them back. Makes me crazy. Looked it up, and that is their typical behavior. So naughty. I think of the doves as the resident Hippies ~ they just are so laid back and don’t want to cause a fuss…anywhere they happen to land can become a nesting spot for them. Our neighborhood catbird loves the jelly put out for the orioles. Always so much going on!
I love mourning doves – ours just stand on the driveway and get their food. Gentle, beautiful birds.
I love the birds in the birdbath. It is so fun to watch them.
The other day the robins were chasing a blue jay around. I guess he must have gotten too close to their nest. Mama and Papa being protective.
As for the deer, I have no solution. We have put out slat blocks for them, we have put out corn, but they still prefer the garden. Last summer I took a video of a deer resting in the large part of my garden, getting up from his nap, and walking over to where veggies were planted and ate. Then he went and laid back down! Nervy little thing.
Very nervy, Trudy!
Claudia, So sorry those deer ate your plants. Maybe some ground pepper …but then as you said the rain washes the spray away. Glad your play went well. lf singing songs after attending plays. LOL. Poor robin must have been soaking his feet. :):)Those are great pictures. Blessings, xoxo,Susie
Well, I was singing songs because the music is by Cole Porter – and you can’t beat his words and music!
The precious rabbits are eating my Sweet Potato Vine but I so enjoy watching them that i haven’t done anything to prevent it. I have a small wire fence that I may put out around the plants. I got myself a cute little birdbath for Mother’s Day but haven’t put it out yet. We are having a seige of six days of rain. The ground is so saturated. I’ve been thinking that I might ought to start building an ark! LOL
Judy
At first I thought it was the rabbits but the bite marks are too high for a bunny rabbit – so I know it’s the deer! I hope your rain stops soon! We’ve had a few days of it, but we desperately needed it!
Living in a more urban environment, I don’t have deer or groundhogs, though there are the usual urban wild animals…raccoons, skunks and ground squirrels, none of which do any harm in the garden. When my new garden is put in, I hope to have more, different bird species in my backyard, and butterflies.
Here, the bunny rabbits and deer are usually the culprits!
Bummer about the deer – I can relate. Maybe you’re already doing this, but my Dad had a lot of luck by hanging “tin can wind chimes” in the vegetable garden. I can still hear the clacky clatter of those cans in the breeze. He also planted marigolds near the tomatoes and lavender in other spots too. For some reason our deer weren’t interested in any of the flowers on the property, including my Mom’s small row of rose bushes. But that might have been because Dad had made the vegetable garden so massive. Two hundred tomato plants the first year, plus all kinds of other vegetables. Even an asparagus patch that had been there before we moved in. I’m sure the deer just couldn’t resist that. I think they are hands-down one of the most beautiful of all animals, and I love seeing them when I’m out and about in my own travels. We even saw them regularly on my university campus, which had a lot of undeveloped acreage. But I know I’d be frustrated if I had deer were chowing down on my new baby plants too.
Nothing much deters the deer here – the saying goes that it might deter them for a while, but if they’re really hungry, they’ll eat it! I’ll keep spraying the plants and cross my fingers. I love deer, too. I truly do. But we have SO much other tasty greenery around the property that I wish they’d eat that instead!
I am so curious as to what your natural spray is for deer prevention. :-) One that was shared with me was using cayenne pepper in white vinegar with a few drops of Dawn dish soap to help it stick to the plants for a bit. Sounds
Awful….which is the whole idea. But deer are so beautiful….they just have bad manners eating your pretty plants.
It’s a recipe from another blogger. I’ll have to look for the link – but it uses an egg, some dish soap, some clove oil, and a few other things. It’s worked in the past – I’m crossing my fingers that it works again this year!
I love your birdbath like the birds. :-)
Thanks, Regula!
I remember well, from years of living in the country, the damage the deer can do to the flower beds and the garden. They are beautiful … but … LOL!! I’m glad you enjoyed the production. It always makes me feel so happy when something like that stays with me for a few days after. Love seeing that chubby looking Robin in your bird bath :)
The robins look so big compared to the catbirds or the finches.
Hi Claudia….there is a product called “I MUST”…..it is a deer and squirrel repellant…we live in NC and have property that backs up to the woods…since I’ve used this, we haven’t had any problems…good luck!!
Thanks, Suzanne. I’ll look into it!
Have been hearing ads for ‘Kiss Me Kate’ on our local NPR station; I think I may need to get tickets after reading your review.
Yes! Go see it!
Surprisingly we haven’t had deer. Wild boar, raccoon, possum, BOBCAT and SKUNK! Never deer.
I’ve heard that there are lots of natural things to try from human hair ( from your brush) to urine. :/ I also read that shaved soap in the garden works to keep them away. But I bet more than anything it creates BUBBLES. When it rains. :)
Love seeing your bird bath my was broken accidently over the winter .. Early spring maybe. I’ve missed it.
I do watch the birds flit about building their nests in and around the yard– also feeding the baby birds. We’ve also had a handful of hummingbirds too. Hope you and the deer can come to an arrangement.
Wild boar sounds rather frightening, Pat! We have raccoons and possums and skunks.
The deer and I need to have a talk!
Watching the birds is so much fun. I need a bird bath I think. Long day, but Mom got to go home from the hospital~ yay.
hugs,
Linda
So glad she is home, Linda! Good news!
Wow, my urban yard, even with a hillside, is tame compared to what you and your readers contend with…wild boars, skunks, deer, groundhogs; oh my. My current problem is raccoons and I really do NOT like them. I leave water for the feral cats and the raccoons take a bath in the water, so it’s a muddy mess come morning. They’ve dug up a lot of my neighbor’s plants; thankfully, not mine…yet. At another house with a big evergreen tree, I would sorta enjoy them in the deep of night, gliding along on the grass as they do and playing tag in the tree but this current set we’re dealing with are bold and unafraid of us, plus they kill kitties, so I’m wary of them. I love that you’ve named your groundhog!
They can definitely be troublesome. And they are very bold, indeed! They get into our trash sometimes and strew it all over the yard.
We have deer problems too. They love hostas at my house, and one year they ate all the tops off 2 pots of impatiens sitting on my deck! Mowed them right off. We have had good luck with using dog hair as a repellent. Brush Scout and put some clumps of dog fur amongst the plants you want to protect.
Thank you for the tip, Marilyn! I’ll definitely try it. (Scout just had a bath and she needs a brushing.)