New Deer-Resistant Shrubs to Tempt you (But Not the Deer)

Deer-challenged gardeners have a somewhat reduced plant palette to choose from since the aim is to select plants that the deer will leave alone. Sadly, that means avoiding roses, hydrangeas, mock orange and camellia to name but a few. The good news is that there are still plenty of outstanding shrubs that are not only…

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10 NEW Deer-Resistant Perennials for 2025

With seed catalogs arriving daily, gardeners are in full planning and dreaming mode. As much as I enjoy growing a few things from seed it's also really exciting to be able to purchase fully grown plants and of course I want to see what is both new and deer-resistant. Proven Winners always comes up with…

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Vacation-Resistant Plants

I held my breath as we pulled into our driveway fearing the worst. During our month long absence the local temperatures had been in the high 90's for extended periods with 80's the norm and no rain. I had designed our garden for both drought tolerance and deer-resistance but this would truly be a test…

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Spring Celebration in the Woodland

My woodland garden has three seasons of color with spring and fall being the most vibrant and summer being a cooler oasis of green. Since I rarely venture out into that part of the garden during winter I haven't included things specifically for winter interest although there are plenty of evergreen conifers, shrubs and perennials.…

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Zinnias: how to grow and use them

It's not too late to grow zinnias from seed! Which is just as well because I goofed. Let me explain. Zinnias hate cold, wet weather almost as much as I do. In the Seattle area we need to wait until night temperatures are stable at 55'f or above before planting out – which is typically…

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