Secret To The Biggest And Brightest Flowers In New Jersey

Your manicured, green, weed-free lawn is the base for truly impressive landscaping but once you have that licked, you need to accessorize.  Imagine you're in a stunning evening gown and you forgot to put on the necklace.  That would be an epic fail.  Forgetting to plant the right big blossoms is the same thing.  The problem is, that deer happen to think those buds are their personal buffet.

Deer stay away from my roses (they hate thorns) but the fleshy flower is fair game to the careful chewer. I pour the pickle juice when we polish off a jar right on the soil and not only does that help them grow amazingly, it seems to keep all the critters away. Sometimes I add coffee grinds and egg shells all mashed up. Here are two pics of my roses from a few days ago.

I'm also a HUGE advocate for vincas!  They have huge color, pop from the street for that curb appeal and the deer hate them.  I like to pair them with black mulch or even just dark soil for contrast. I put them all over but here is a smaller section.

I wanted to share the do's and don'ts for picking the right flowers for you and the least favorite for New Jersey deer.  Here ya go!

DEER-RESISTANT SHRUBS & PERENNIALS

Bleeding hearts

Yarrow

Silver mound

Jack-in-the-pulpit

Aster

Astilbe

Barberry

Coneflowers

Spurge

Bee balm

Fern

Tansy

Yucca

Columbine

Shasta daisy

Lupine

Coreopsis

Black-eyed Susan

Boxwood

Anemone

Deadnettle

Edgeworthia

Mandivilla

Peonies

Weigela

Bearded iris

Russian sage

Foxglove

Daffodils

Poppies

Lambs ear

Prickly pear cactus

DEER RESISTANT ANNUALS

Snapdragon

Dusty miller

Sweet alyssum

Zinnia

Strawflower

Bachelor buttons

Larkspur

Verbena

Marigold

Vinca

Spider flower

Ageratum

Flowering Tobacco

Forget-me-not

Heliotrope

Sunflower

DEER RESISTANT VEGETABLES

Garlic

Onions

Scallions

Leeks

Squash

Zucchini

Pumpkins

Cucumbers

Artichoke

Rhubarb

Tomatoes

Peppers

Eggplants

Carrots

Beets

Radishes

Potatoes

Asparagus

Okra

Parsnips

DEER RESISTANT HERBS

Fennel

Chives

Garlic chives

Mint

Dill

Rosemary

Chamomile

Basil

Oregano

Parsley

Thyme

Sage

Lemon balm

Lavender

Cilantro

Marjoram

Lemongrass

Here's to a fabulous garden and lawn this summer!