1. landscapes of distinction
Early Spring 2011 Volume 3, Issue 1
HARBINGERS OF SPRING
OTHER
It may not feel much like Spring – the grass was silver with frost
SPRING BEAUTIES
early this morning – but your plants know it’s on the way. In my
yard, yellow threads of witch hazel blos- Winter aconite
soms have braved
freezing rain, frost, Glory of the Snow
a nd extreme Winter Hazel
winds, remaining
cheery and beauti- Cornelian Cherry
ful. Vibrant clumps
Pansies & Violas
of snow crocus
have popped up, Primroses
Witch Hazel
seemingly over-
night, and are brandishing gorgeous
purple flowers. Snow Crocus
ARE YOU READY?
Those aristocrats of the garden – the hellebores – are unfurling
fresh green new leaves and elegant flowers of rose, purple, and
white. Earliest and most stalwart
of all, the sweet snowdrops glisten
with the melted frost. If you want
to brighten up your early spring
garden, include one of these easy
to grow favorites, or see the side-
bar for other possibilities.
Hellebore If winter has left your yard look-
ing a little depressing, don’t
worry—just call Jardin to elimi-
LANDSCAPE BAD BOYS—BAMBI & FRIENDS nate the mess with a thorough
spring clean-up. We can get rid
If deer damage to your yard has
of the broken branches, leftover
turned you from a Bambi lover to a
leaves, and other dismal debris
bloodthirsty maniac, don’t despair.
in your yard and get you ready
There ARE ways to limit the destruc-
for spring! Re-edging plant beds
tion.
and putting down new mulch will
First, when you plant, be sure to use work wonders. And as an extra
plant materials that are deer touch, we can add a burst of
“resistant”. Although the sad bottom instant color with pansies.
line is that a hungry deer will eat anything, there are a number of
plants that are generally not interesting to them. They may nibble at
them to check them out, but will probably learn to leave them alone.
Some of the best deer resisters are boxwood, pieris (Japanese andro-
meda), daffodils and narcissis, hellebore, and pachysandra. Any
good nursery can direct you to plants that are less susceptible to
deer, or schedule a Jardin consultation for .
But what about your favorite plant,
beautiful but irresistible to the local
herd? There’s still hope! The lore of
deer deterrence is full of disclaimers,
since nobody really understands the
mind of the deer, but hundreds of evil
potions have been developed for home-
owner use, and some of them seem to
be pretty effective. Jardin favs: Liquid Fence, Bobbex, and
Treeguard.
The first two rely on a mind-bending stink to disgust the deer (and
you!). Your first whiff will be daunting, but you’ll get used to it—and
once the spray has dried the effect on the human nose disappears,
although it’s still bad for the deer. Treeguard
doesn’t smell, but has an incredibly bitter
taste which deer hate (try not to spray it when
it’s windy or you’ll be tasting it for hours af-
terwards.) Resistant to rain once dry, Liquid
Fence and Bobbex last one to two months, and
Treeguard about four—perfect for over-winter
protection.
The secret is to spray all new plants right after they go in. Like all
wild animals, deer are very observant. When they notice something
new, they are curious to try it out—so spray on the repellant and be
sure that first contact is unpleasant!
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Questions or comments? E-mail us at design@jardinllc.com or call 301-651-4349