Using Cactus To Keep Deer Out Of Your Garden
Spring is here and the flowers and trees are bursting with new growth. Nature surrounds us, including the hungry neighboring deer who would just love to munch on the garden’s pretty flowers foliage. Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed method to prevent deer from entering the garden and having a snack. However, there are recommended ways to deter deer from entering the area and incorporating some cactus plants into the garden is one of these.
A deer can destroy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of plants and flowers in a single meal. During times of drought, the damage done can be even worse. Deer love to munch on flowers like roses as well as the leaves, shoots, and twigs of landscape plants, trees, and shrubs. Plants that contain prickly foliage, such as the cactus, serve as a great deterrent and these can be easily incorporated into the garden area.
The prickly pear cactus is a yellow flower-bearing perennial that grows about six to fourteen inches tall and spans about two to three inches in diameter. The barbs on the cactus will make deer back off and the prickly pear is drought-resistant, making it a good choice for well-drained locations that experience full sun. This type of cactus is the only variety commonly found in the eastern United States.
The prickly pear may be planted between shrubs and flowers that the deer would otherwise find attractive. The thorns on the prickly pear are just as their name implies, very prickly. They cause pain to any animal or human who touches or steps on them. One puncture is enough to present the area from being approached again.
There are other types of attractive cactus plants that may be used in the garden to deter deer, but the prickly pear cactus is regarded as the most effective. Prickly pears yield pretty yellow flowers, making them a colorful addition to the landscape. The deer will avoid the area containing these barbed plants and the garden will stay pristine and beautiful.
Related Posts-
Landscaping With Deer Resistance In Mind Deer can tear up a piece of property or yard in short order when unchecked. There is a wide range of products available to help keep them from eating vegetables and flowers, but these are normally not the only foliage in the area. There can be an easy solution to...... -
Deer Repellent Plants Can Save A Garden Image via Wikipedia For many people, their garden is their pride and joy. They spend hours upon hours, year after year cultivating, feeding and adding plants to create their own earthbound work of art. To have an intruder, such as deer, come in and ruin this labor of love...... - Autumn Crocus- A Weapon In The Battle Against Deer The autumn crocus (Colchicum sp.) is one of two bulbous varieties of crocus plants that blooms from September to late October. These plants are very easy to grow and provide a nice flower when the rest of the garden is going dormant in preparation for winter. In addition to......
- The Other End Of The Spectrum: Plants Deer LIKE To Eat Gardeners and landscapers alike spend quite a bit of time figuring out what plants deer will not eat or seldom touch. Rather than go that route, let’s look at some of their favorites as a way to plan a yard or garden to keep the damage down and where repellent......
-
Building a Garden with Deer Resistant Plants photo credit: Andrew Stawarz Here is a very nice article around building a garden with deer resistant plants. It is from About.com. The rest of the article is here. Landscapers typically select drought-resistant plants when designing rock gardens. But in regions where deer control is an issue, your rock......
-
Guide to Landscaping Tools No matter what type of home maintenance or repair job you’re doing, it pays to have the right tools, and landscaping is no different. While some elements of a good landscaping job don’t actually require any tools, having some available makes those tasks quite a bit easier. Other parts of...... -
Choosing the Right Plants for Your Garden When you first saw how much space you had in your back yard you were probably really excited by the prospect of all of the plants that you could install there. But you need to consider the kind of soil that you have, the kind of light that you have,...... -
English Style Country Garden Landscape Design pt 2 Green lawns that feature picturesque views of the most stunning aspects of your garden design can be made more functional using garden furniture crafted from wood, especially if this furniture features an antique or aged appearance. Romantic, cottage style benches and outdoor furniture fits in especially well, especially along with...... -
EarthTalk: Backyard (Organic) Vegetable Gardening In Small Spaces. Dear EarthTalk: I want to start an organic vegetable garden in my yard and I would like to know how to combine crops to make better use of time and space. Most commercial farms concentrate on growing a few select crops to supply a wide variety of customers, but gardening...... -
Country Garden Landscaping for Your Personality Country gardens can be gorgeous and many of us have dreamed having one just like we've seen in gardening magazines. Though the gardens featured there are often professional gardens where the owners have devoted hundreds of hours to planning, designing and maintaining, we picture lush patches of flowers in our......
Related Posts
- Working Barberry Into Your Landscaping To Protect Your Garden Against Deer
- Blue Fescue Makes Your Garden Area Look Great And Keeps The Deer Away
- How Resistant Are Deer Resistant Plants?
- Adding Deer Resistant Dwarf Alberta Spruce To Your Landscaping To Deter Deer From Your Garden
- Autumn Crocus- A Weapon In The Battle Against Deer
