oh deer

This weekend I took a stroll around the yard and found several blooms on the roses around the deck. Those roses are gorgeous from spring until frost - I love that they are just out the back door. Every time I walk into the living room, I see them. And this week they have burst into full bloom.

Some plants are spilling onto the deck.

Here's a look from the middle of the deck looking towards the end of the house.

Beautiful isn't it? So much so that today I thought I would walk out into the yard and have a look back at the house (the back of the house is my favorite view of it).

And this is what I saw...

Not nearly as pretty, is it? That's the same bush that is spilling onto the deck on the other side.

And this is looking towards the end of the house. Doesn't even look like the same plants, does it?

Can you guess what the problem is?

Deer! They are eating the buds off!

If I'm not quick, they will eat the entire plant. Lovey just ask me if I thought they might come on the deck and start eating the other side soon. And honestly, I scared that they will.

Here's the other end of the deck. Looking towards the same end of the house.

And here? I didn't take a step, just turned towards the other end of the house. There's still a few bare spots but lots of blooms here. Wonder what the difference is? Our room is on this end. The garage is on this end. There is more light on this end. The dogs hear whats happening on this end and bark more. The cats sleep in the garage.

I can think of many possible explanations, but honestly I don't know. And the deer have never done this in the spring before, just in the fall. But I have a plan to stop them. Several years ago Lovey and I did an experiment in the pea patch. We had tried several deer deterrents, but still had deer coming into the pea patch at night. We mixed a raw egg with a gallon of water and sprayed the pea patch. Every row except one. The next morning the rows that we sprayed were fine. The one we skipped was demolished - eaten to the ground.

Spraying roses is on my Friday list.