Sabal minor

Well, my oakleaf hydrangeas were overlooked for the much tastier hostas. So, maybe you could plant some decoy hostas in there.

Another shrub choice, if it's on the shady and well drained side is Daphne. Daphne is a little picky, but the fragrance in late winter is hard to beat.

Try milorganite. I have a friend who I have been helping with landscaping and deer have been a huge problem. The stuff has worked great so far.

I spritz "Deer Off" on them once or twice a season (including the winter buds, very tasty). Also, don't plant them so far away from the house ... deer don't like to come too close.

Rhododendron have large leaves.

I want to second the vote for using Milorganite as a deterrent. I had great success with it for several years (when I lived in Roswell). The oakleaf will most likely put on new growth and hopefully you can save it. Milorganite is non-burning, very beneficial - just toss a few handfuls around anytime you see nibbling. Hope this helps and you'll let us know the results.

Rosie in Sugar Hill

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll give the milorganite a try. The plants are, in fact, putting out new leaves, so I have hopes of saving them. As for placement, they are right beside our front door, but then again, we were out of town for a week, so the deer just took advantage. Plus the drought conditions may cause them to be bolder to get what they want, so I've heard. It sure doesn't help that our neighbors used to feed them with corn and recently stopped!

I use milorganite on my pansies and it has been wonderfully effective. I always wondered if it would help with shrubs (that is, with the milorganite on the ground but the leaves several feet above that). I'm glad to know that others have had success with it.