Page 26 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • May 1, 2013 Creating a beautiful and bountiful garden is a popular pastime for people all across the country. It is important to keep in mind that aesthetically appealing plants may be also appetizing to area wildlife, including deer. Those who do not want their gardens to turn into all-you-can-eat buffets for deer, rabbits, and other wild animals can take a more proactive approach to gardening. Easy ways to help repel wildlife from the garden Deer are opportunists who will no doubt see your garden as a salad bar filled with all of their favorite foods. As housing developments continue to encroach on the natural habitats of deer and other animals, these animals are becoming more visible. Deer may not be able to forage for food effectively in their smaller, natural surroundings, or they may become accustomed to the “easy pickings” they find in neighborhood yards. Either way, you may encounter a deer in or around your area. Keeping deer at bay involves some work and maintenance on the part of a homeowner. There are safe and humane methods to repel deer, or at least block access to the plants worth protecting. Here are the main ways to deer-proof a garden. Fences are one way to deter deer from entering a yard and dining on the garden. Keep in mind that deer can jump fences that are quite tall, but they have to be especially motivated to jump an eight-foot high fence. Still, they tend to be wary about scaling a fence when they cannot see what is on the other side. Therefore, if you are fencing out deer, choose a fence that camouflages the garden well and completely encloses the area to be protected. If you do not want the fence to be solid, consider putting stakes or thorny plants within the garden so the deer will hesitate to jump into the garden. Deer are naturally skittish around people, but over time they can become quite complacent around human beings. Once a deer decides that something will not present a threat, the deer can adapt to its presence. Motion-activated devices and the presence of pets may not work. However, predator urine is typically an effective way to keep deer at bay. Bottled coyote urine can be quite effective. Reapplying the product Toro Summit Club Award presented to local company National Lawn Equipment of Mahwah has earned the prestigious Summit Club Award for 2012 from the Toro Company. This annual award is presented to qualifying Toro dealers in recognition of outstanding sales of landscaping contractor equipment. “This year’s Summit Club Award winners represent our best dealers in Toro’s sales and service network across the United States,” explained Scott Wozniak, director of sales for Toro’s residential and landscape contractor business. “Their performance is a reflection of their overall commitment to delivering the best pos- sible customer experience.” As an award-winning Toro dealer, National Lawn Equipment offers a complete line of Toro products with the latest advancements, selection advice, handson demonstrations, special promotions, and financing for qualified customers. National Lawn Equipment also provides genuine Toro parts and accessories, and service from technicians trained on Toro equipment. For more information, visit National Lawn Equipment at 305 Island Road, Mahwah, or visit toro.com. weekly around the plants is a good idea. There are many organic products on the market that deer may find offensive to the taste or smell. Hot pepper, sulfur, eggs, and even the use of soapy water have been successful in certain instances. The use of blood meal or even human hair around the garden may repel the deer and keep them on a different foraging path. However, remember that any deer that is very hungry may ignore unpleasant tastes or smells for a quick bite. If other food sources are available, there are some species of plants and trees that deer will avoid. Filling your garden with these plants can help you maintain a beautiful, albeit non-tasty, environment for deer. When planting annuals, try alyssum, begonias, calendula, celosia, dianthus, foxglove, geraniums, parsley, poppies, or snapdragons. In terms of perennials, plant these items once, and deer could stay away: anemone, astibe, bearded iris, catmint, honeysuckle, lantana, monkshood, rock rose, rosemary, soapwort, or wisteria. Plant these herbs alongside flowers for even more protection: chives, eucalyptus, garlic, mint, thyme, and wintergreen. Gardeners who use a combination of methods to keep deer out of their yards and gardens may have a higher success rate at deterring these animals.