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As far as deer are concerned, my first reaction would be that there are also no really deer-proof plants, and that you need a substantial fence, or your clients with be forever stressing about their plants being nibbled. However, I've just lifted these words of wisdom from the RHS website :
Deer tend to be inquisitive feeders and are often attracted to new plantings, so some protective netting is advisable until the plants are established.
Deer "resistant" plants ;
* Agapanthus
* Aquilegia
* Bamboos
* Berberis (not purple-leaved types)
* Buddleja davidii (butterfly bush)
* Buxus (box)
* Chaenomeles (Japanese quince)
* Choisya ternata
* Cistus
* Clematis
* Cornus sanguinea (dogwood)
* Cortaderia selloana (pampas grass)
* Cotinus coggygria (not purple-leaved forms)
* Daphne
* Delphinium
* Digitalis (foxglove)
* Echinops (globe thistles)
* Euphorbia (spurges)
* Forsythia
* Gaultheria shallon
* Gooseberry
* Helleborus (hellebores)
* Hippophae rhamnoides
* Hydrangea
* Jasminum (jasmine - winter & summer types)
* Kerria japonica
* Kniphofia (red hot pokers)
* Laurus nobilis (sweet bay)
* Lavandula (lavender)
* Leucanthemum x superbum
* Lonicera spp. (honeysuckles)
* Lonicera nitida
* Lupinus (lupins)
* Magnolia
* Mahonia
* Monarda didyma (bergamot)
* Narcissus (daffodils)
* Nepeta x faassenii (catmint)
* Nerine
* Philadelphus (mock orange)
* Phormium tenax (New Zealand flax)
* Potentilla fruticosa
* Rhododendron (deciduous azaleas)
* Rhubarb
* Ribes (currants)
* Robinia pseudoacacia (false acacia)
* Romneya coulteri (Californian poppy)
* Rosa rugosa, R. spinosissima
* Spiraea japonica
* Viburnum (deciduous types)
* Vinca major, V. minor
* Weigela
* Yucca
whatever you do Kerrie, don't give the client any assurance about anything you plant being rabbit or deer proof !!
You could try these books:
Deer-Resistant Landscaping: Proven Advice and Strategies for Outwitting Deer and 20 Other Pesky Mammals by Neil Soderstrom
Gardens and Deer: A Guide to Damage Limitation by Charles Coles.
I've read the second but not the first which is just out.
Hope this helps?
the girls have 2 domestic rabbits in a run (gay males) they do it anything they keep the lawn cut and neat ut if they are too hungry they start digging.
So maybe a bag of carrots to feed them daily.
I have few lists in some books -if you wish- I can e-mail
Good Luck
Can I add that cats are indeed good for eradicating rabbits but they also eradicate anything else that moves. I had a nursery in the Charnwood Forect in leics a few years ago and the area was full of rabbits but the 4 cats I reluctantly kept did a fantastic job of keeping them away. They do need to be kept slightly feral though. No use having them culed up by the fire while your prize perennials are being eaten!
I'm no fan of cats so I offer this with some reluctance.
On the deer front a big fence is probably the only thing that will keep them out and they will graze virtually everything. The trouble is they've usually taken a bough or a shoot or two off before they realise that they don't like what they're trying to eat so the damage is done anyway!
Finally, as Nick says, NEVER give your clients any assurance that you or anybody you recommend can make their rabbit and deer problems go away because it will almost certainly come back and haunt you forever!
Good luck!
Dave
www.the-gardenmakers.co.uk
All ideas and tips have been gratefully received. The clients only live in this house at weekends and during school holidays so cats are out, even feral ones. Don't think they will want fences or netting because of aesthetics, but will try that route anyway.
I have been given the head gardeners e mail address to take his 'advice' on the behest of my clients and will let you know what he has to offer from the Napa Valley!
Be assured, I will make quite sure that I am in no way responsible for the Essex wildlife's menu, actions and probably, total destruction!
Wish me luck.
Have you considered ultrasound sensors?
For what it's worth, I planted a hedge of Oleander and Pittosporum about three years ago and my ubiquitous bunnies haven't touched it yet. Oleander is very toxic (I don't know about Pittosporum). They haven't touched my lavender either. They have however had a good chew at the lower fronds of a small date palm.
If it's at all possible, you need to keep your planting well away from any natural cover. Another solution is to surround the area with low cost, inconspicuous wire netting about 2 ft high and if possible buried a few inches at the bottom. My problems have decreased considerably as clearing the plot of weeds has progressed.
No deer around here so no input on that I'm afraid.
Well you have recieved quite a compendium of different ideas, Well i used to have a pet rabbit, a British giant to be precise, about the size of a West highland Terrier. And yes it had free reign of my garden!!!!
Well it sorted out my hebes nicely and one or two other connoiseur selections i purchased at Heligan. In the end i resorted to a garden of Dwarf conifers, particuarly the pinus mugo and radiata hybrids with the odd dotted Erica rather than the Callunas. If you want a more informed idea for the future, try looking at Alan blooms garden, at FoggyBottom (Seriously thats the gardens name). And some of his books. good luck. nick
For what it's worth, I think the only logical thing to do is to fence for deer, but with a 'return' on the bottom of the fence outside boundary to stop rabbits digging under, bit difficult to explain without a diagram, but I hope that makes sense.
The fencing perimeter could be an odd shape in plan, and could be shielded from view from the inside of the garden and house by a belt of differing sized quick growing native trees. My goodness I'm off on a design frenzy.
I have an extensive list of rabbit proof plants - I just wish I had time to post the lot on here! You could always ring me and I will give it over the 'phone.
My own few acres are devoid of bunnies due to our three cats, who live outside all the time. They need to be 'farm cats' which have been brought things to eat by their mother - the cats protection people can source these mousers for you. One way to get over the food issue is to rig up a hopper system using a drain pipe held over a tray, you pour cat biscuits in the top and with a bit of jiggery pokery the cats self serve - I should've patented my design. This keeps ours going for at least a week, don't forget the water tho.
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