The deer are nibbling at my plants

I am having a problem with deer. It is a first for me. In all the years that we lived at the farm, the deer kept their distance. I could plant whatever I wanted, ...where I wanted. Apparently those days are over.

The deer are fearless. They are coming up close to the house, to nibble at the Phlox.

The Mock orange that I acquired earlier this spring....

Now looks like this...

 

 I use the word nibble, because they are selecting to eat the flowers, the flower buds, and newest leaf growth. So far it has only been a set back. I haven't completely lost any plants or trees. However, last year this time only a few trees, and a shrub on the outer edges of the lawn were nibbled at. Anticipating a problem with deer away from the house,  Daryl placed protection around the trees he planted outside of the lawn. But, I didn't think the deer would be brave enough to come close to the house. Wrong! On the east side of the house, they are coming up to the patio. Also, I am discovering that the 'deer resistant' label is not 'deer proof '.
                                         ...Oh well, just another problem to deal with.

Resilient peony

Months before Daryl decided to sell the farm, my cousin Jackie gave me a small one stem peony start. The start was from a peony that had been in my family for generations. The story goes that my Grandmother, after her marriage, moved the peony from her home place to her new home,...my father's home place. Years later, my Aunt  Helen moved the peony to her home.  Before she passed away, Aunt Helen instructed my cousin to dig it up and take it to her home.  Doing so, Jackie also gave each of us cousins a start from the peony. It was an unsettled time in my life. As a result, the poor peony endured life in a pot, three locations, two moves, and me as a less than attentive caretaker. For over three years it lived in a pot, not thriving,... just enduring...trying to survive.  I wasn't able to plant it until 2010. At that time it was a small four stemmed plant. The next spring it emerged looking good but still so small. The question was...'how many years would it take before I saw any blooms'?  However, mid summer the leaves  turned brown, and it died back prematurely. I didn't dig in the dirt to investigate, but I felt sure that I had lost it. All the other peonies, that I had planted in the surrounding area, were doing OK,... so... I decided it just couldn't over come the harsh conditions that life had thrown at it.

Surprise! It emerged again this spring! ...three short stems. Even more surprising, was to see a tiny bud on it.

 A bud that I didn't think would mature, but it did.

  
One solitary flower on a small stem...

Unfortunately, the day after it opened up, we had a thunder storm. The wind blew and the rain came tumbling down,...whipped about, weighed down...it's life was shortened. But hopefully, my family peony will continue to be resilient, and establish itself  in time.

Arboretum visit

Last Thursday a friend, (Sharon), and I visited the local JMU Edith J. Carrier Arboretum. Spring came early to the area this year. Some things you would normally see in flower at this time were already past, but there were so many other flowering trees, shrubs and plants to view. With years of development and maturity, there is year around interest at the Arboretum. I particularly like the spring display of color. I also enjoy viewing the wildflowers that one doesn't normally see growing in the backyard landscape.

 

At this time, the azaleas and rhododendrons were putting on a colorful display...

 

From beginning to open up ...

to fully opened...

 Red, orange, pink, lavender, purple, white...

All kinds of beauties...  at foot level, ... underneath trees...

Fern Valley....

A large pond...with a path around it,...
... and a few well placed benches to sit, relax and enjoy.

Or..see how close I can get to this turtle.

While we were there, trees, shrubs, and perennials were being put out for a sale that was taking place at the Arboretum on Friday and Saturday. Part of our outing was a review of what was being offered. With shrubs like Boomerang lilac, and a fragrant Snow belle Mockorange, we couldn't resist going back on Friday morning.

I like to plant! LOL! I would much rather browse garden centers than shop for clothes. Moving has meant change, giving up, struggling, starting over,...but...in spite of dealing with weeds and poor soil, I have outdoor space to satisfy my like for planting.

A Snow belle Mockorange for the east side of the house not far from the patio area. It's only approximately 12 inches in height, but already blooming.

It was a wonderful spring day outing. I'm glad we were able to go when we did. Over the weekend we had a much needed rain, but the weather turned cold. There was even a light  snow on the mountains to the west of us this morning.

Bearded Iris in March

Wow! Bearded Irises in March! The first day of spring doesn't officially arrive until tomorrow, but....
 on Saturday March 17th, I discovered that the Bearded Irises, (which I had planted against the house on the south-east side), were starting to bloom!

By today..Monday...even more were coming into flower!

Last year they started to come into flower around mid April, and continued to put on a show through the middle of May.  Click here to view the post from last year on the Bearded Irises.

It's March and looking like April around here. According to a recent news report, this area is approximately 3 to 4 weeks ahead of schedule for spring flowering.