New Garden - Prone to Muntjac Deer visits who've eaten all my tulips - do they eat alliums too?

Jenny1973

I moved in to my new house in November and the bulbs were planted late. Just wondering if they will also eat all my allium bulbs? does anyone here have any experience of this and a tip on what plants to grow.  I love perennial planting and my last garden was full of flowers. I have the large garden I have always dreamed of and have great plans for this garden but feeling a little disheartened by the fact that I may not be able to grow that much. Oh and we also have occasional visits from the local hooligans, the pea hens. the joys of living in the Countryside. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

gunndabad

Not if it will work for deer but I found chilli powder sprinkled on top of tulip bulbs reliably keeps the squirrels away. 

steephill

Our deer (roe and muntjac) eat the tulips but leave the daffodils and crocus alone. The mice eat the crocus. Never tried alliums in the garden but there is lots of wild garlic locally which survives their predations. Leucojum and galanthus don't seem to suffer, nor does fritillaria.

rachelQrtJHBjb

The alliums are not eaten. This year I'm trialling smaller varieties and, so far, it's only the tulips that have been bitten. Daffodils, crocus and snowdrops all untouched. They don't seem to like the pulmonaria (leaves too hairy?) or hellebores but they've taken the leaves off my Acanthus 'Rue Ledan', which is very annoying.

Lena_vs_Deer

Few years ago we moved from Europe to States due to work and both places had no fence )) I have to admit that in both cases deer just obliterated gardens till we found some working solutions. They have taught me to love certain plants I have looked over before

Definitely agree with you on success on hellebores and daffodils! Those are indispensable.

We had a great run with gladiolus. So far on both continents not a single one been touched even if something around was grazed.

Kniphophia did great too. Tried "Bee's Lemon" and "Alcazar". I think they're too rough and sharp for them to eat without getting sort of papercuts. 

Irises (bearded and Japanese) did amazingly and bring color twice a year

And there's always Euphorbia if you're willing to grow it.

This combination in garden looks pretty elegant and most of these plants are available in big range of colors. Half are evergreen, so garden never looks empty. 


There's also this curious thing -new house we moved in had day lilies. Deer just ate them to the ground in first spring (and every spring after haha), I was really upset at first, but then noticed that they just grow back so fast that even a small herd that visits up regularly can't keep up with that clump of day lily
So maybe something to consider, too )) something so fast growing that you win in the end anyway ! 


I'll be trying to put some of tulips mixed in Mexican feathergrass (Nasella tenuissima), I've seen some people in the area do that and apparently deer find it too ticklish. Blooms would just float in it. No idea how credible this method is, but may be fun! 

Lena_vs_Deer

aforementioned daylilies clump 

Lena_vs_Deer

Bugloss may also be worth a shot. I tucked mine in this year to try among hellebores and irises.
So far so good. Another spot that doesn't go bald completely year around in a garden now.
This is probably my best combination found so far. Daffodils and irises pop in their own season and once gone there's still other foliage to make up for them. Then hellebores kick in and bloom till daffodils are back. Then Irises come again to swap with daffodils and circle continues endlessly. 

The only mild inconvenience is that you have to stay on top of dividing irises every few years or they will get cramped and stop blooming. 

fidgetbones

We only have visits from one, a roe deer. She has nibbled the bottom of the wisteria flowers, and had a few aquilegia flower heads. She doesn't seem to have touched the alliums at all.

chicky

Alliums are definitely ok.  As are paeonies, oriental poppies, echnops, all the sages (including Amistad, which was my most exciting discovery of 2020).