Let's Divert From Reefs Momentarily Let's See Flowers

[keagan]

I have a question for those of you that have to keep deer away from your flowers.
I am losing the battle with my hanging baskets with petunias. They absolutely love them.
I have a diy shepherds hook in my front yard that I keep the hanging baskets with petunias.
They look awesome until the deer come through and literally strip them of flowers and foliage.
I've tried a variety of deterrents such as chemical, motion activated sprinklers and a product called wireless deer fence. None of the chemical solutions have slowed them down, the wireless deer fence only works if you can get them to touch their nose on them ( electric shock) and they seem to manage to get through the 3 different motion activated sprinklers I have.
I want to hear your solutions.

The best option is to use deer resistant flowers like peony's. However one solution that can work if you stick with it is spraying a product containing putrescent whole egg solids every week. Or buying coyote urine and applying it around the base of the Shepard's hook. The problem with most chemical solutions is they wash away fast putrescent whole egg solids can last up to 4 weeks. Coyote urine will scare them away from your property all together so if you like watching deer I wouldn't suggest that. I can send you a list of deer resistant plants that come in hanging baskets if you'd like to try a different flower.

 

[mfinn]

The best option is to use deer resistant flowers like peony's. However one solution that can work if you stick with it is spraying a product containing putrescent whole egg solids every week. Or buying coyote urine and applying it around the base of the Shepard's hook. The problem with most chemical solutions is they wash away fast putrescent whole egg solids can last up to 4 weeks. Coyote urine will scare them away from your property all together so if you like watching deer I wouldn't suggest that. I can send you a list of deer resistant plants that come in hanging baskets if you'd like to try a different flower.

I would appreciate your list of deer resistant hanging basket flowers very much.
We did switch to coleus for the long flower bed in front of the house. It's 11' long x 18" wide.

The petunias has always been a favorite. One of the reasons is I buy the standard 12" x 7" hanging baskets from the nursery's and transplant them into my 17" wide x 12" deep hanging cedar baskets I make. Gives them a huge amount of growing room, and if I can keep the deer away, the flowers and foliage hangs down about 2'.
I used to like having deer around until we started doing more flowers. Now I'm just turning into a angry old man. lol

 

[keagan]

I would appreciate your list of deer resistant hanging basket flowers very much.
We did switch to coleus for the long flower bed in front of the house. It's 11' long x 18" wide.

The petunias has always been a favorite. One of the reasons is I buy the standard 12" x 7" hanging baskets from the nursery's and transplant them into my 17" wide x 12" deep hanging cedar baskets I make. Gives them a huge amount of growing room, and if I can keep the deer away, the flowers and foliage hangs down about 2'.
I used to like having deer around until we started doing more flowers. Now I'm just turning into a angry old man. lol

What growing zone are you in? I forgot to ask not much point in sending you a list with plants you can't grow . I agree with the deer sentiment I used to like them now I see them as tick magnets that trample stuff they don't eat. Those sound gorgeous I love cedar the color, grain, rot resistence it's all around amazing stuff. I'm jealous I have spruce and birch to choose from locally.

*Forgot to add the stuff I was talking about putrescent whole egg solids sounds gross but humans can't smell it. The small amount of sulphur it contains makes it smell like rotting meat to a deer's sensitive nose.

 

[mfinn]

The best option is to use deer resistant flowers like peony's. However one solution that can work if you stick with it is spraying a product containing putrescent whole egg solids every week. Or buying coyote urine and applying it around the base of the Shepard's hook. The problem with most chemical solutions is they wash away fast putrescent whole egg solids can last up to 4 weeks. Coyote urine will scare them away from your property all together so if you like watching deer I wouldn't suggest that. I can send you a list of deer resistant plants that come in hanging baskets if you'd like to try a different flower.

Ordered some coyote urine.
Maybe my hostas will grow.

 

[mfinn]

What growing zone are you in? I forgot to ask not much point in sending you a list with plants you can't grow . I agree with the deer sentiment I used to like them now I see them as tick magnets that trample stuff they don't eat. Those sound gorgeous I love cedar the color, grain, rot resistence it's all around amazing stuff. I'm jealous I have spruce and birch to choose from locally.

*Forgot to add the stuff I was talking about putrescent whole egg solids sounds gross but humans can't smell it. The small amount of sulphur it contains makes it smell like rotting meat to a deer's sensitive nose.

Pacific Northwest.
And for what it's worth, we are not the rainy climate as much anymore.
Haven't had measurable snow in 4+ years.
90 degree days are much more common than they used to be.

 

[mfinn]

Deer resistant color for the front yard.

 

[keagan]

Pacific Northwest.
And for what it's worth, we are not the rainy climate as much anymore.
Haven't had measurable snow in 4+ years.
90 degree days are much more common than they used to be.

I tailored this list for zone 8a and mainly Spillers that'll fill out the baskets and spill over.

Creeping Stonecrop (Sedum spurium) Dragon's Blood Stonecrop (Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood')
Coral Carpet Stonecrop (Sedum album 'Coral Carpet')
Voodoo Stonecrop (Sedum spurium 'Voodoo')
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Trailing Campanula (Campanula poscharskyana)
Dalmatian Bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana)
Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans)
Hardy Ice Plant cultivars (Delosperma spp.)

Deer resistant isn't deer proof but all the above are very unappealing to deer for various reasons. They'll all look nice in your hanging baskets and do well in zone 8a. My personal favorite is delosperma because it's not an annual and it has really beautiful flowers, deer also hate succulents. That's all perennials that'll likely overwinter in a hanging basket annuals is a longer list. If you don't like the look of succulents there's a couple non succulent options there.

 

[mfinn]

I tailored this list for zone 8a and mainly Spillers that'll fill out the baskets and spill over.

Creeping Stonecrop (Sedum spurium) Dragon's Blood Stonecrop (Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood')
Coral Carpet Stonecrop (Sedum album 'Coral Carpet')
Voodoo Stonecrop (Sedum spurium 'Voodoo')
Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) Woolly Thyme (Thymus pseudolanuginosus)
Creeping Phlox (Phlox subulata)
Trailing Campanula (Campanula poscharskyana)
Dalmatian Bellflower (Campanula portenschlagiana)
Rock Soapwort (Saponaria ocymoides) Creeping Mazus (Mazus reptans)
Hardy Ice Plant cultivars (Delosperma spp.)

Deer resistant isn't deer proof but all the above are very unappealing to deer for various reasons. They'll all look nice in your hanging baskets and do well in zone 8a. My personal favorite is delosperma because it's not an annual and it has really beautiful flowers, deer also hate succulents. That's all perennials that'll likely overwinter in a hanging basket annuals is a longer list. If you don't like the look of succulents there's a couple non succulent options there.

Thank-you so much.
I will start doing research and talk with my local nursery ( for special orders. I have a local nursery that has one of their main growing compounds near by that supplies surrounding area nursery's)

My wife has her succulent corner in front.. I made a corner cabinet and wall hanger for her stuff. Then we over winter her stuff on the back patio in a small makeshift greenhouse.
I use seed warmers in it, which also serves as a cat sauna. She crawls in and can watch the world go by and be toasty warm.

 

[X-37B]

My pumpkin plant just keeps putting out the flowers. The bees love them. Today with the giant black bee.

 

[X-37B]

Anyone know the name of this wildflower. It came in one of those seed packets.
Hummingbirds love this flower.

 

[keagan]

Anyone know the name of this wildflower. It came in one of those seed packets.
Hummingbirds love this flower.

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) it's an absolutely gorgeous flower.

 

[commod0re]

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) it's an absolutely gorgeous flower.

beat me to it! this is the answer

 

[X-37B]

Mexican sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia) it's an absolutely gorgeous flower.

Thanks! I will look for some seeds.
I have 35×36 beds for wildflowers next year.I only got the 2 plants but probably pulled a few when I was thinning it out.

 

[keagan]

Thanks! I will look for some seeds.
I have 35×36 beds for wildflowers next year.I only got the 2 plants but probably pulled a few when I was thinning it out.

When you get a good number of them growing you can harvest the seed heads and never have to buy them again. They produce a fair number of seeds and all you have to do is snip off the spiky seed head when brown and dry and stick it in a paper bag. After a couple months give it a shake and the seeds will drop from the heads.