Deer & rabbit deterrants!! Any ideas?

*Astrantia*

I have a friend who’s got awful problems with deer and rabbits eating just about everything! It started Last summer during the heatwave has eased off during the winter and as there’s less to eat but now things are starting to grow they’re back!
its a big garden so putting fencing all around would be so expensive it’s not an option. 

Im just wondering if anyone has used anything to deter them? I have read one post on here about putting human hair around the plants and stringing up old cds. But any other advice would be welcome! Individual plants could have wire netting or chicken wire put on them but it will end up as a garden full of chicken wire as they seem to be eating just about everything! Including spurge!!

LG_

I'm afraid I can't help as my problems are squirrels and foxes, not rabbit and deer. But I had the wrong glasses on and read the subject line as 'Deer & rabbit deodorants', which was both confusing and intriguing.

BobTheGardener

Pet wolf? 

Seriously, is there any possibility of your friend getting a dog?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/problem-solving/not-stop-deer-eating-garden/

Obelixx

For deer, you need a high fence over which they cannot leap.   For rabbits, you need the fence buried to a depth below which they will not burrow.

By now, both deer and rabbits have got used to the local restaurant so the only sure thing to do is keep them out and block any existing burrows or they will come back and nibble all the juicy goodies.   The RHS website has lists of plants supposed to be less or unattractive to deer and rabbits but the is probably quite restrictive.

Dovefromabove

I think @chicky will confirm that proper fencing is the only way to keep deer out ... rather than fencing the whole garden I think her solution has been to fence the parts of the garden where the deers’ favourite plants are. 

Obelixx

Failing fencing, the RHS lists these as deer proof
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=185 and offers this info on rabbits - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=219

chicky

Dove’s right - we have fenced off an area of the garden (known as “Mum’s flower cage”) - 8 ft tall fencing/trellis with a gate.  Its ended up being quite a feature of the garden.

Outside the cage there are quite a few things they don’t eat here ..... 

Plants our deer don't eat:

Spring bulbs

Snowdrops

Daffodils

Hellebores

Primroses

Scilla

Chinodoxa

Alliums

Summer Annuals

Petunias

Isotoma

Salvia

Diascia

Lobelia (they sometimes have a nibble, but don't come back for more)

Rudbeckias (the half hardy ones with fuzzy leaves ...they do eat the perennials like Goldstrum)

Zinnias

Perennials

Peonies

Oriental poppies

Lavender

Aquilegias 

Echinops

Euphorbia

Lupins

Centaurea montana

Agapanthus

Nerines

Lithodora

Aubretia

Sempervirums

Sage

Oregano

Rosemary

Cyclamen (the hardy ones, not the fancy ones sold as winter bedding)

Ferns

Heathers

Grasses

Shrubs

Daphne

Most viburnums

Hydrangea macrophyllia ( not the paniculata ones)

Box

Pieris

Buddleja

Rhodedendrons and deciduous azaleas (not evergreen azaleas)

Magnolia stellata

Wisteria

Cotoneaster

Pyracantha

Lizzie27

That's a good list Chicky.

 I too heard about the human hair thing - you could always beg a bagful from your hairdressers and try it first - much cheaper.

Posy

Our rabbits moved out when we adopted two active young moggies. Terriers would have the same effect but they have to have access to the garden when the rabbits are about. I think deer are another order of difficulty and would probably start saving. I'd have a notional few yards of fencing for my birthdays and Christmases and any other gifting opportunity until I'd fenced them out.

*Astrantia*

Thanks for the replies I’ll pass on all the tips!