Shade Garden

[Labradorks]

What's your favorite shade garden plant? Top three? I'm in zone 8 if that matters.

[POPTOP]

Hostas are my favorite. You can also do ferns I believe in your area. In northern IL the hostas are very hearty. For color during the summer, impatiens; they come in such a wide variety of color and varieties.

[SunDance]

I really like hostas, too....but Celandon Poppies (Wood Poppies) are my absolute fave. They do fairly well in part sun until the hottest part of the year. In Spring, our backyard is a sea of yellow from all of the Wood Poppies and Forsythia.

[CraftHer]

Here's my favorite! Grows in sun or shade



This is one of the new flower beds we dug this weekend (I say "we", but really DH did the work). DH got it all tilled and Mocha just plopped down.

[Jeff]

Hostas, they never get above an inch tall for me. I prefer the term deer salad.

I think sometimes thats all my landscaping is though is deer food. I remember a few years ago, I put in some nice brick edging all around the trees out front. Planted some great flowers, new mulch etc. Worked up a sweat getting everything. I started to see the stuff grow, it was getting tall and looking good and one day I got up to go to work and WTF where did all my plants go. Eaten right down to the mulch.

[Labradorks]

Hostas, they never get above an inch tall for me. I prefer the term deer salad.

I think sometimes thats all my landscaping is though is deer food. I remember a few years ago, I put in some nice brick edging all around the trees out front. Planted some great flowers, new mulch etc. Worked up a sweat getting everything. I started to see the stuff grow, it was getting tall and looking good and one day I got up to go to work and WTF where did all my plants go. Eaten right down to the mulch.

That sucks. Definitely no deer here, but slugs? There are many. However, much easier to control.

Did you try deer-resistant plants?

[SunDance]

That sucks. Definitely no deer here, but slugs? There are many. However, much easier to control.

Did you try deer-resistant plants?

Rubber mulch eliminates slugs....my hosta are finally happy.

And the deer love (LOVE!!!) my deer-resistant clethra.

I did find something that'll deter the deer...actually, two things.

A spray that doesn't smell nearly as bad as Liquid Fence: Amazon.com : Deer Out 1 Gallon Ready to Use Deer Repellent : Home Pest Repellents : Patio, Lawn & Garden

And some solar mosaic "fairy lights" that a friend of mine recommended....the deer seem to hate them. I had to buy 18 just to get 12 that worked, though:

Hampton Bay Mosaic Outdoor Multi-Colored LED Solar Gazing Globe (3-Pack)-49518-100AS - The Home Depot

My clethra, daylilies, hosta, and loosestrife will now be able to bloom.

[Jeff]

That sucks. Definitely no deer here, but slugs? There are many. However, much easier to control.

Did you try deer-resistant plants?

Slugs are actually pretty rare for my yard, probably because deer eat them like dried cherries on hostas salad. Then yes have tried deer resistant plants but only a few. Some I just don't find attractive, those that I do, they eat. I have this evergreen bush on the side I regret planting. I hate it, catches all the leaves, it's not really attractive. I am seriously thinking of ripping it out this year. Being that I hate it, you think the deer would eat it. Nope. I have considered putting olive oil dressing on it for them but no they leave that completely alone. It's probably because it is right outside my bedroom window. So they smell me and Hemi or hear us both snoring at at night. They do leave the plants right outside the bedroom alone. Everything else is fair game. I have even seen the deer get up on the deck to eat plants on the deck.

[Labradorks]

Slugs are actually pretty rare for my yard, probably because deer eat them like dried cherries on hostas salad. Then yes have tried deer resistant plants but only a few. Some I just don't find attractive, those that I do, they eat. I have this evergreen bush on the side I regret planting. I hate it, catches all the leaves, it's not really attractive. I am seriously thinking of ripping it out this year. Being that I hate it, you think the deer would eat it. Nope. I have considered putting olive oil dressing on it for them but no they leave that completely alone. It's probably because it is right outside my bedroom window. So they smell me and Hemi or hear us both snoring at at night. They do leave the plants right outside the bedroom alone. Everything else is fair game. I have even seen the deer get up on the deck to eat plants on the deck.

Bummer! What is your zone?

[smartrock]

We have a fair number of hostas. The ones inside the fence don't get eaten by deer but the ones outside the fence get eaten gradually over the summer. I have lilies of the valley under some trees, they were there before we bought the house. I love the way they smell in the spring and fortunately the dogs do not seem interested in snacking on them. In NC our neighborhood was very shady and one of the neighbors who was the super gardener of our group loved hellebores. I didn't have any but she had a large variety and they seemed unappealing to the large deer population.