Garden predators

12 comments

The most voracious are the deer – they ate all the brussels sprouts this year, were able to hop over the fence because an early fall of snow gave them a leg up, and in the spring they love hosta flowers – they wait until they bloom and then much the whole plant down to the ground. But we have lots and don’t mind sharing. The fawns are too cute… We have a couple of black bears down in our woods, but they don’t bother us if we don’t bother them.

22 Jan, 2009
11 likes

Comments

Gilli

Hello Elke. Welcome to GOY.
I know what you mean about the deer. At my house its the tomatoes and roses that are fair game. They don't seem to touch the hostas and the one that killed my brussel sprouts was a black bear rolling on them!!

23 Jan, 2009

Elke

Yeah, the deer love roses here too. In fact we have friends that emptied their whole flower garden into ours because they were overrun by deer, they ate everything. We have lots of good fields up here and they are happy with the grass most of the time.
We discovered this year that the tops of the Brussels sprouts plants are delicious. You can cut them off once they start bushing, and the sprouts will continue to grow. The top leaves are just delicious. This was our first year growing them. We also grew kohlrabi and leeks, but my husband's success story is broad beans.
Loved your bear story.
How long have you been in BC? We moved to Montreal in 1971, and here in 2004.
I am impressed by your success with roses. Well done. We have a lovely floribunda, and lots of rosa rugosa growing wild, but it's a bit exposed up here for the more delicate varieties.

23 Jan, 2009

Gilli

I don't have a problem with deer destroying the lawn Marguerite. They don't seem to hurt anything much except the tomatoes and roses.

23 Jan, 2009

Elke

Hi Marguerite, what a pretty name for a gardener! No, the deer don't do any damage up here, but the ground is pretty hard, more like a field, and only soft after heavy rain. Pretty tough grass... Used to be hay and cabbage fields. The deer are very dainty despite their size. They can get pretty big. They love the windfalls off our many apple trees, and the veggies definitely need fencing. But we enjoy seeing them.

23 Jan, 2009

Blodyn

Hi Elke. We don't have such nice-looking predators here as you have.
I remember my grandmother cursing the sheep that strayed into her garden off the mountainside and ate all her flowers. They even jumped over the fence she put up to stop them.
Welcome to GOY. I hope you enjoy it.

23 Jan, 2009

Amy

Hi Elk wlcome to GOY , we have enough problems with the little beasties here ...
My husband only had one word to say to you " Lions Dung " Apparently he had read somewhere that if placed in an area it will keep Deer away ... Thats two words . LOL ......

23 Jan, 2009