Focus on Flowers

I used to believe that some plants—like peonies, for example—were immune to deer. Not anymore. I have seen deer eat just about every plant, and a neighbor told me they even eat her rhubarb, the leaves of which are supposed to be really toxic. It may be that the fawns don’t know what is good and what isn’t and so try everything once. 
A professional landscaper told me that he had found that deer in different parts of the same town, eat different plants. So, the “what do they leave alone” question is difficult to answer, and yet it is vitally important to gardeners.  
I am now going to list some plants that deer are less likely to eat: 
First the poisonous plants, which are foxglove, oriental poppy, delphinium, and the leaves of rhubarb. 
Others they are less likely to favor are bleeding heart, Dutchman’s breeches, catnip, yellow alyssum, salvia, bearded iris, lamb’s ears, all herbs with strong smells such as lavender, hellebores, bulbs like daffodils, grape hyacinth and hyacinth, (but remember they love tulips), all alliums, fritillaria, and lily of the valley. 
Resistant shrubs are boxwood, juniper, arrow wood viburnum, Pieris japonica, caryopteris, Russian sage, butterfly bush, spirea, and Daphne ‘Carol Mackie’. (I planted 5 “Carol Makies” before one grew for me, but now it is gorgeous!)

A good plant for shade that deer don’t usually like is black bugbane. The name is not attractive, but the plant is. 
It has dark foliage that contrasts well with its spikes of fluffy white flowers that are shaped like bottle brushes. It prefers woodland-type locations in shade or part shade, with some moisture in the soil. It grows in zones 3-9 and naturally repels insects. Plant it en masse and enjoy its fragrance in mid to late summer when it blooms. 
This plant grows slowly, though will eventually get to between 24-48 inches wide, so it makes a statement since it can attain a height of 48-70 inches as well. The flowers can be used in bouquets. 
This is also a plant that is useful if you have a rain garden or an area that stays wet a lot of the time. Plant it so the top of its root is 1 inch below the soil surface. 
Some parts of this plant are poisonous if eaten, which is why it is deer resistant, so wash your hands after handling it or be sure to wear gloves. 
If you have a problematic bed in deep shade this plant will still thrive. Its botanical name is Actea simplex or cimicifugia, but most people just call it bugbane. Not a pretty name for such an attractive plant.

A plant that attracts butterflies to our garden is the pincushion flower. The botanical name is Scabiosa, and these plants usually have blue, white, or pink flowers. As their common name suggests, the shape of the flower resembles a pincushion as the central florets form a rounded shape.
There are approximately 80 species in the genus, and some are annuals as well as biennials and perennials. These plants hate wet feet in the winter and thrive in full sun and well-drained, neutral-to-alkaline soil. Deadhead frequently to keep them blooming and divide them in the spring. If you do remember to consistently deadhead these plants in the summer, you will encourage them to bloom well into the fall since they do not mind some frost in the air.  
The blue Scabiosa caucasica, hardy in zones 4-10, is 18-24 inches high and as broad. The cultivar ‘Miss Wilmott’ has white flowers which are lovely in mixed bouquets, and the cultivar ‘Clive Greaves’ has especially lovely lilac-blue blooms.
There is a large-sized pincushion-type plant, sometimes called Scabiosa gigantea, that can grow up to 6 feet tall with yellow flowers on long stems. It is actually Cephalaria gigantea, which grows easily from seed. Both the average-size and the large-size pincushion plants are lovely and rewarding to grow, and especially enhance cottage-type gardens.

The genus Veronia has over 1000 species and is a member of the aster family. The name honors an English botanist, William Vernon. Many species of veronia are native to North and South America, and others come from Africa and Southeast Asia. 
Veronia is the Botanical name for the native ironweed that pops up and self-seeds in my Midwest garden. It is a tall plant and has clusters of dark purple flowers. Its full name is Veronia altissima. 
The dark green leaves are long and narrow and oval in shape. The plant is deer resistant and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. It is a good cut flower to add to bouquets of blue mist flower, golden rod, zinnias, and marigolds that all bloom at the same time in my yard. 
It is native to the Eastern United States, north to New York state and Canada. It grows 3-7 feet tall and sometimes even higher, so it is a plant to look up to (literally), especially when one is cutting the flowers. 
It likes moist soil best but is not really fussy and blooms July through September/October depending on the weather.
One often sees Veronia on roadsides and in fields and ditches. The wind disperses the seeds, which explains why it is a surprise when it appears in our gardens like an uninvited guest.
At first, I used to cut it down thinking it was just a weed, which in a way it is. But the dark purple flowers now make me happy that it arrived uninvited.

Most perennials we should cut back in the fall. They don’t look good once it gets cold, so it is best to cut them to the ground and they will come back well next spring. 
Bearded iris should be cut to about 6 inches and remember to cut their flower stalks right to the ground as well. Also, bee balm (Monarda), especially if it has powdery mildew and seed heads that will fall and provide a multitude of new plants. Blackberry lilies also self- seed far too much unless they are cut back. 
Gaillardias also benefit from cutting back, and of course, fennel needs to be chopped right down. 
I cut my catmints back after their first bloom of the year so they will bloom another time, and then at the end of the season, I whack them down again. Columbine should be pruned right after the first frost and be sure to get rid of all leaves showing any leaf miner damage. 
Cut back coryadalis hard, and crocrosmia and daylilies too, to prevent diseases.
A really good fall clean-up is essential to prevent the overwintering of pests and diseases. It also sets the stage for the garden’s spring display when the daffodils and other bulbs perform so well. So, cut down perennials that are past their peak in the cool days of fall, and in the spring next year you will be so glad that you did.