I think I am defeated by this creature

When we lived in Colorado, Each year I’d plant a vegetable garden and each year, I’d try a new device or method for keeping the deer off. I came to the conclusion that only a 12 foot electrified razor wire fence, with motion sensing poison darts would keep them at bay. 

Since I never had such a home security system, I contented myself with a 5 foot fence, (read “edging” for a deer) and a big barky dog. That worked for everything inside the fence, but merely turned their grazing habits to my rare and wonderful delphinium. Strong-smelling soap (like Dial or Zest) keeps them off pretty well. But it dissolves and tends to detract fromt he point of a flower garden, (It’s hard to please the eye when every plant has a soap necklace dissolving all over its leaves.) But the soap does work fairly well, if aesthetics are not important.  They apparently use their noses to determine which plants should be devoured. 

Here in Oklahoma, I’ve learned that they particularly favor tropical plants and flowers. They’ll walk through a sea of marigolds and zinnias to get to the hibiscus my friend gave me earlier this year. They don’t bother iris or hostas, or any other lilies, but they adore my shade garden Every time it starts to bud, the deer come in and nip off the infant blooms like lollypops on Halloween. 

If you’re suggesting a rifle, you’re not the first. But we have laws in Oklahoma and I suspect it’s illegal to shoot a rifle within a few hundred feet of another residence. 

But it seems to me that the deer are resorting to the highly effective method most of the world has adopted on facebook. Those does (read doughs not duz) trot out their spotted newborns and in full view of the Planter of Fruit Trees, show their sweet little bambinos where to graze and introduce the delights of apple leaves. 

But lest you soft-hearted women go into cardiac arrest, I reached for my camera instead of my gun. I have to admit that she’s too cute for words. She already likes apples.