Here are plants and shrubs that will help. But if they’re hungry enough, deer will eat most anything.

Good morning! Well, we finally have had a taste a summer, and it is lovely. I will even take the humidity if we can keep the heat. It is wonderful to work in the garden and have the soil warm and the flowers popping everywhere. Now that both the forsythia and the lilacs have put on their annual show, don’t forget to prune them. They will put on a much better show next year if you do, and now is the time. All the growth they get between now and fall will set the stage for next year’s blooms.

In Maine, we have the blessing of shrubs like lilacs and forsythia to mark the coming of spring and the beginning of summer.

Spring marks a time of growth for everything, including the wildlife eating to restore their reserves lost over the winter. Unfortunately, they sometimes tend to restore at our garden tables.

A good friend of mine, who lives in a busy and settled Lewiston neighborhood, was asking what she could do because deer ate her tulips.

Now mind you, she has houses on either side of her and behind as well, and the deer just march on in anyway.

So what chance do those of us in the woods have against Mother Nature’s survival instinct?

Just remember – our brain is larger than theirs. But you do have to use it or your garden will continue to be their buffet. In this particular instance, I told her to plant daffodils. Deer, squirrels and moles do not like daffodils.

That is part of the solution – finding out what they don’t like to eat and putting those plants in their way. Deer, and most other grazers as well, tend to not like heavily scented flowers and shrubs, like certain kinds of geraniums or lilacs. They also don’t like plants that contain “drugs,” like the foxglove which contains digitalis.

All this means is that they will eat the hostas that are planted in between the lilacs. Hence, a wall of what they don’t like might help protect what they do.

There are several common shrubs and small trees that are deer-resistant. But remember, if they are hungry enough, they will eat just about anything. However, creating a wall between your garden and the forest with some of these shrubs may add some protection. Also planting perennials they don’t like among the ones that they do couldn’t hurt. Even if they manage to get to the hostas, the yarrow and astilbes will still be blooming. I have included lists of what may help. Keep them for reference since you never know when you will become the smorgasbord.

Until next time, plan something nice for dad next week and keep in mind all those hours at Little League, the tangled fishing lines he set straight, the boogeymen he scared away and the resigned smile he wore after your first fender-bender. He deserves to have a day dedicated to him. Maybe enjoy a picnic in the garden while the kids mow the lawn!

Jody Goodwin has been gardening for more than 20 years. She lives in Turner with her husband, Ike, her two dogs and two cats. Write to her in care of the Sun Journal, 104 Park St., Lewiston, Maine, 04243-4400, or by e-mail at [email protected].