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I love your column in The Day. Deer and rabbits are eating my hydrangeas and hostas. Are there any solutions? Barbara

Answer

Hi Barbara,

There are several things you can do to keep the hydrangeas and hostas:

#1 Spray them periodically with a deer and rabbit deterrent. The spray is applied from May to October and has to be reapplied after each rainfall. There are many sprays available; both commercial and homemade, check online for different choices. You will have to experiment to see which one works best for you.

#2 Another option for rabbits is to plant clover in your lawn or in a bed away from your main beds for them to munch on. I have lots of rabbits in my yard this year and my yard is full of all kinds of plants. The rabbits actually prefer to eat the white clover and the plantain in the lawn and leave my gardens alone. I'm happy and the rabbits are happy!

#3 Remove all deer food from your yard. Hosta and hydrangea are on the top ten list for attracting deer to your yard. There are many deer resistant plants available that could take the place of the hosta and hydrangea. If you would like me to stop by and give you some recommendations, give me a call.

Good Luck.

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About Linda Lillie

Linda K. Lillie is the President of Sprigs & Twigs, Inc, the premier landscape design and maintenance, tree care, lawn care, stonework, and carpentry service provider in southeastern Connecticut since 1997. She is a graduate of Connecticut College in Botany, a Connecticut Master Gardener and a national award winning landscape designer for her landscape design and landscape installation work.

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