I live on one of the southern Gulf Islands where the deer eat everything – except Salal. Could the solution be to grow a perennial creeper in window boxes out of their reach? I would be grateful if someone could recommend a suitable plant – one that would pretty much look after itself in a window box, be in flower in July/August and have a nice scent. Many thanks.
Hi Felix, I lived on the gulf islands and contended with deer too! Your request is a bit compicated cause the set up for growing certain varieties excludes some of the desired attributes. Firstly are the window boxes deep? if they are under 10 inches in soil depth, or less than 18 inches long, realize they will get dry easily. Now that's not a BIG deal if you grow drought tolerant plants. Blooming-in-July-creeping-scented-deer proof-drought tolerant plants are a little less common.Secondly what aspect are the boxes? If it's sunny, then think about Sedums (some more deerproof than others) delosperma and livingstone daisy plants (I always spell that one wrong in Latin) along with cotoneaster or ivy and a couple of calendula and allysum for scent. Be advised that the two ground covers want the whole box to themselves and will claim the entire thing in a year or so! If the set up is in the shade try a vinca instead of the ivy (purple or white spring blooms - and can be variegated too- but the same aggressive growth), and then sub in some impatiens and begonia or even plectranthus for the scent. I'm sure there'll be others suggestions coming! I'll wait for them as well. Anne
Anne, many thanks for this reply. I will look into the plants you have kindly suggested. My thoughts have moved on to perhaps building a pergola and having the plants grow from some large "window" boxes attached to the pergola out of the deer's reach.
