I can't ever image spearmint choking out raspberries. Raspberries will tower feet above the spearmint. I don't imagine the spearmint deterring the deer much, however. Are your raspberries thornless? I've never seen the deer bother the raspberries I have (wild black) or wild blackberries ever. Both of them have killer thorns.

FataMorgana

FataMorgana- Thank you for the response! The deer have been eating my purple raspberries, so I thought it might be a good idea to protect the red raspberries, too. I'm going to get some starts from my mom...and they have thorns, but then, so do the roses that the deer like to eat.

What's worked for the roses (so far) is to plant Hidcote lavender in front of them, so I thought the spearmint might work, for the raspberries. If you don't think the spearmint will take over, I might try it :)

I've not had mints "take over" any place I've planted them. I think the heavy clay combined with the planting locations and our Northern weather have made the mints less thuggish. Of course I am not a "prim and proper" gardener where everything needs its well defined and regulated spaces. I think of myself as a "wild" gardener - I work with the plant's natural tendencies to create a more natural and full look in the gardens. There is zero mulch in my gardens! Since I don't impose a stern will where the plant must follow my whims and designs, I have no problems at all with a bit of spread and wild nature. Aggressive bullies do meet my pruners however! Other than the lemon balm (a mint too), I've never had to "go medieval" on a mint.

Wow. The deer have never bothered my roses either. Young trees, however, are another story entirely. I use bamboo stakes (lots of them!) in and around things I don't want deer browse on. My antlered beavers seem not to appreciate bamboo at all.

FataMorgana

The deer around here are the two does and babies that visit. They're so cute, I can't get too upset with them.

I'm so glad to see that you don't mulch, because I don't either...except with alyssum. I use that a lot in the vegetable beds. I don't know if I'm a 'wild' gardener, but I do let the plants do what they want, for the most part. In the shady areas of the fairy garden, the sweet woodruff, columbine and bee balm seem very happy, fighting it out. The spearmint can be a bit invasive, but in some areas, I like that. In a few others...I just keep digging them up and putting them in a space, where they can have more room to roam. They're one of the only plants that can choke out the grass, which is great, in some spaces!

I do have a lemon balm and a pineapple mint, in the fairy garden. So far, they're staying in a mound, but they do seem to be growing! The shrub roses can take care of themselves and I'm a big believer in choosing plants that do well in our zone. I move them around a lot, when they're small and if there's no place where they seem happy, they go up to my mom's house. She's a mile and a half away (and one zone warmer) and that usually makes the difference. The Zephirine Drouhin roses love it at her house and now they're big and beautiful...with a wonderful fragrance :)