Gardening and Deer

Among the arguments used to justify culling deer you sometimes hear that deer have been damaging people's gardens. One of these came to light recently. A resident was considering putting up a new fence having seen deer in her shrubbery and borders. How often these incursions happen is not clear, nor what other measures may have been taken. But there seemed an element of fear in the complaint. Even if the intruders were stags this fear is unfounded. They are of course much more frightened of us and do their best to get away, unlike, say, cows which cause a number of deaths and serious injuries each year.

As for damage caused by deer this might cause a change of plans, just as I found I couldn't grow cabbages in one place because of club root. Sometimes the best response is to adapt.

My son recently moved into a house just south of London on the edge of a small patch of woodland. He and his wife were delighted to see deer in their garden. One up on me, he thought: I have to go to the woods and on the moors to see wildlife like that. Talking to neighbours he found that all had agreed to have no fences at all because they liked to see deer wandering across unhindered. It's also useful when the children's ball goes astray. Their gardens look beautiful but they've probably discovered which shrubs work best in those conditions and adapted.

As for wildlife causing damage, there's no doubt which animal in the world causes most devastation. I try to remember this when I see the wood pigeons among my redcurrants. It's easier to welcome the blackbirds who eat the berries on the Pernettya. After all, its for them I originally planted it. Without encouragement how else would I get to enjoy their singing?

That's one choice. Plant what the deer don't like, or plant what they do.