Don't feed the deer

The animals eagerly belly up to a bottomless bowl of leafy hosta, daylilies, and azaleas, layered with a smattering of savory yew and arborvitae, topped off with a colorful garnish of tulips and roses. The visitors clean their plates and, without so much as a thank-you, move on to a neighbor's yard. If the meal you provided was satisfactory, deer express their gratitude by becoming repeat customers. As suburban developments continue to expand into formerly rural areas, humans are crossing paths with deer more than ever.

The result is a horticultural battle, pitting residential gardeners against hungry, displaced deer that face ever-shrinking territories and fewer predators to keep their populations in check. Homeowners who feed deer often make the problem worse for themselves and their neighbors by attracting more deer than can be fed and by reducing the animals' fear of humans. Summer droughts lead to scarce natural forage and invariably make late summer and fall particularly trying times for deer-plagued gardeners.

Just as gardeners develop xeriscape gardens to deal with desert conditions and plant shade gardens to accommodate low light, you can create a deer-resistant garden filled with plants that cause deer to turn up their noses.

Odors confuse them

When planning your garden, look for plants with pungent odors and use them particularly around the perimeter, where they create a scent barrier. Deer rely on smell to determine what is safe to eat. A wide variety of strong (not sweet) odors confuses them, and they tend to leave the area in search of more palatable food.

Deer generally refuse many herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and tarragon, as well as boxwoods and wax myrtles, which emit strong odors and perhaps indicate to curious deer that they might be poisonous. Deer are smart enough to avoid poisonous plants such as oleander, daffodils, and bleeding heart, but they tolerate -- and even relish -- other plants that are toxic to humans, such as rhododendrons.

Cacti, yucca, and other spiny plants might also survive browsing, but deer are capable of delicately plucking the fruit from thorny raspberry and blackberry bushes. Deer often munch the buds and flowers of roses but leave the stiff, thorny canes to produce more blooms for another midnight snack a few weeks later.

It's difficult to create a truly deerproof garden because it's tough to account for particularly harsh conditions and the peculiar tastes of individual deer. By following the suggestions listed, however, you can create a garden that sends deer in search of another salad bar.