How to Keep Deer Out of Your Garden, According to a Wildlife Expert Try these smart approaches to thwart deer and other wildlife from devouring your plants. Close Credit: DebraMillet / Getty Images Whether you plan your perfect garden all year or simply keep potted herbs on your patio, keeping hungry or curious deer from ravaging your flora and fauna is often a top priority. "Without a doubt, deer, other herbivorous mammals, insects, and birds are often a cause of concern for gardeners, whose focus is, of course, on making sure their plants grow, produce, and are harvestable!" says John Griffin, senior director of urban wildlife for the Humane Society of the United States. But nature—even the nature you grow intentionally—isn't just aesthetic. "Another concern that people have about plants in their yard is connected to the idea that these landscape plantings should stay attractive and perfectly un-browsed," says Griffin. "But it's critical to remember that plants are part of an ecosystem that nourish wildlife, no matter where we live, and are meant to be consumed." Still, there are ways to work within your landscape's ecosystem to discourage these creatures from munching. Ahead, see our expert tips for keeping deer out of your garden. John Griffin, senior director of urban wildlife for the Humane World for Animals 11 Deer-Resistant Shrubs That Will Protect Your Garden From Grazing 01 of 08 Know What You Are Dealing With Credit: SIMON WATSON Before you decide how to dissuade wildlife from snacking on your herbs and flowers, it's critical that you know exactly what type—or types—of animals are visiting. "Twigs browsed by rabbits may be identified by their neat, clipped appearance, and plants browsed by deer appear ragged and torn," says Griffin. "The nearly spherical, pea-size droppings scattered around the area or sometimes left in small piles are from rabbits, while deer scat, although similarly shaped, is substantially larger." Remote cameras on your property can also catch nighttime visitors who use your yard as a buffet and help you plan your approach. "It seems basic, but identifying the mammals, birds, and insects sharing your backyard is crucial in informing your strategies to help reduce unwanted damage to landscape plantings and gardens," says Griffin, "as well as providing perspective regarding how important these habitats are to the many creatures we share our neighborhood with." 02 of 08 Place Your Plants Strategically Every region has native plants that stand up to nibbling animals, says Griffin; check plant and garden stores, cooperative extension services, and native plant databases for ideas specific to your area. Then, carefully consider how and where to place your plants. "The keys to increasing your success are found in plant selection and placement—planting strategically and with abundance," says Griffin. "Fundamentally, anything out in the open, by itself, will always be vulnerable, so arranging a variety of plantings in higher densities will improve any impact from browsing wildlife. Plants allowed to grow and weave together naturally have more success in resisting browse pressure of deer, rabbits, and other animals." 03 of 08 Build a Barrier Credit: YinYang / Getty Images If you need a more aggressive strategy, keep deer out of your garden with a physical barrier. "Where deer browsing and burrowing from other animals is a serious problem, especially in terms of protecting fruit and vegetables, the only completely effective way to protect your plants is with fencing," says Griffin. "Because deer that are really interested in entering the garden can jump fences up to eight feet high, woven wire fencing at this height stands out as the most effective deer barrier, often lasting more than 20 years." Smaller fences—like electric fence garden kits—netting, and tree tubes can also help. "The best type of fencing depends on how large an area you need to protect and for how long—and also from what animals—so check with your local garden store or local cooperative extension agents before buying anything," says Griffin. "The use of physical barriers such as netting of certain plants and tubing of young trees can reduce damage to specific plants in your landscape." If you opt for garden netting, ensure that it is wildlife safe. Birds and other animals risk entanglement (and injury or death), so it's important to monitor netting closely. 04 of 08 Address Their Senses Credit: fenced-vegetable-garden-getty-0821 Griffin also recommends multi-sensory repellents, which make your plants less attractive to deer in several ways: by making them taste bad; incorporating hot pepper or peppermint that makes eyes and mucous membranes sting; giving off the smell of sulphur, which deer are believed to connect with predators; or causing gastrointestinal distress that reminds the animals not to munch on that particular plant again. See more on these below. How to Keep Squirrels and Other Animals Out of Your Bird Feeders 05 of 08 Plant Aromatic Herbs Credit: Gabriela Herman As much as we love lavender's lush, heady aroma, deer don't seem to share the sentiment. 8 Deer-Resistant Ground Covers for a Lush Garden That Will Last All Season 06 of 08 Integrate Spiky Varities Credit: Getty Images Cleomes and asparagus ferns are awkward to chew—a bonus effect of the visual interest they'll give your garden. 16 Deer-Resistant Plants to Grow in Your Garden 07 of 08 Try Fuzzy Plants Credit: Anastasiia Burlakova / GETTY IMAGES Deer don't love things that tickle their throats. Try verbena or ageratum, which has petals that grow in wispy clusters—or ballota, which has velvety silver leaves that make a nice edging accent. 08 of 08 Plant Zinnias in the Summer Credit: Getty / Chuanchai Pundej / EyeEm Deer avoid zinnias for the flower's heartburn-like aftereffects; opt for flame-colored blooms for a pop of color or a different shade altogether. Often, however, the best results come from combining all of the solutions above—and keeping in mind that blocking all wildlife from your garden isn't entirely beneficial in the long run. "Utilizing multiple approaches can provide an adaptable and tailored approach to any scale garden or landscape conflict," says Griffin. "Whether out in the countryside or in an urban space, a humane backyard can support local wildlife and successful gardening strategies simultaneously, improving quality of life for all." Why You Should Never (Ever) Throw an Apple Core Out the Car Window Explore more: Garden Landscaping