Published in the Contra Costa Times on November 22, 2003

Q. I planted Calendulas for winter color, but the deer have eaten off every blossom. Are there any winter blooming flowers that deer don't eat?

A. Deer are  browsers, and once they have decided that your garden is a  good spot to stop and dine, they can be very persistent.  Deer can cause extensive damage in a garden, browsing on grasses, fruits, nuts,shrubs vines , stripping the bark off fruit trees, eating roses buds, and the flowers off of bedding plants like your Calendulas. Deer are selective feeders, and prefer some plants over others. Deer are also creatures of habit,  eating  plants in one area that they will not touch in another.  There are many deer resistant plant lists available, but the deer refuse to read them. You will need to experiment, but there are a few ground rules that may help. The only plants that deer avoid consistently are plants that are highly toxic. Think carefully about planting these, as children and pets may be at risk. Plants are often most vulnerable when they have come directly from a nursery where they have been watered and fertilized regularly,  with new  soft and succulent foliage. In general, deer avoid plants that are strongly aromatic such as sages and Artemisia's. They are also less likely to eat plants that taste bitter or are prickly. Planting very aromatic plants such as Tulbaghia violaceae ( Society Garlic) around your flowering plants may help discourage the deer from grazing. For winter color, consider the following options: Papaver orientale  --Oriental Poppy;  Digitalis purpurea -- Foxglove ( toxic); Aquilegia spp. -- Columbine; Helleborus spp.--Lenten Rose ( toxic); Leucojum spp.  Snowflake ( Toxic) , Narcissus spp. ( toxic) ; Dicentra spp.-- Bleeding Hearts; Cyclamen spp. -- Cyclamen; Oxalis oregana-- Oxalis.These plants are less likely to be eaten. The only way to guarantee that your plants will be left alone is to have the garden fenced with deer-proof fencing  that deer cannot leap over. The repellants that are sold may be useful for a short time, but deer rapidly acclimatize to  them.