Plan B…

Remember, when I posted an update on the bed in front of the house? I showed my new pot, crammed full of ‘deer resistant’ plants.

Lots of variegated plants, with strong fragrance, or poisonous qualities. Oregano, plectanthus, helichrysum, and that lovely ‘diamond frost euphorbia.

Well….this is what it looked like, after a nighttime raid by a deer. The oregano is GONE…..the plectanthus is chomped off….the euphorbia, with that sticky ‘dangerous’ latex sap, is chomped right down to the nub. The helichrysum was not chomped…just pulled up, and left to die a slow death.

So much for ‘Deer Resistant’.

So, here is Plan B. From experience, I know the deer pretty much leave these alone……Dusty Miller and Periwinkle. I’m not sure why. The Periwinkle does have a strong odor, but so does oregano. The Dusty Miller has fuzzy leaves, but that doesn’t always stop them.

I don’t like it as much, but maybe, just maybe they’ll leave it alone. I put wire down, so maybe that will make them harder to pull up.

This gardening with deer, is the Never Ending Story.

On a happier note…..Our neighbor, Elli, is having some work done in her yard. They cleaned up the bed by her mail box. She called and asked if I’d like some agaves. Free Plants!? Of course!!! I rushed right over.

So, now I have ‘some’ agaves. These are a. lophantha. What you see here, is not all that was removed. The landscaper took some, and another neighbor took some. And, they returned three or four to the bed. And, it does look a lot better.

I’m told, all that came from one small plant…like the one, above, in the remodeled front bed.

Now this one will have company. Some will go in the Rock Bed. Some will go in a side bed. Some will go to our daughter-in-law. And, since these agaves are so prolific….I’ll be cleaning out in a few years.

Don’t you just love it, when a gardening friend cleans out a bed, and wants to share the bounty?

Happy Gardening…

~~Linda…