The Deer Issue: Part 1
Just the other night, my husband and I watched 10 or so deer frolic in the front yard, outside our deer fence. The important part of that last sentence was ‘outside our deer fence.’ As gardeners living in eastern Cuyahoga County, aka deer country, we have no choice but to have a fence. Otherwise, we would essentially have no real garden to tend.
Here at Cleveland Botanical Garden, our visitors constantly ask us which plants are most deer resistant. Again, deer resistant is the key word, as deer will eat almost anything if desperate enough. Here is a good list to consult.
To wonder if deer will actually ever make it to the Garden here in University Circle scares me. I know they aren’t far. We frequently see them in Shaker and Cleveland Heights, and I feel sorry for them. Whether or not you think that humans are to blame for the burgeoning deer population, the fact remains that they are here to stay and it is up to us to manage them.
Posted by Cynthia Druckenbrod
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May 6th, 2008 at 7:38 am
Great topic, excellent links! I’ve heard it said that deer are drawn to the same sort of environment as humans - gently rolling terrain, green grass and flowers flanked by flowering shrubs, wooded slopes and running water. No wonder they’re invading suburbia.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Has anyone also noticed any wild turkeys lately? I nearly hit one on my morning commute 2 weeks ago driving down Cochran Rd. in Twinsburg.