Ok for those of you that caught that, I know it's Phoenicia not Phoenica... it's late! :)

Just about everything will be consumed by animals. Deer won't eat artemisia, peonies, ferns, astilbe, digitalis. Everything else will be browsed to the ground. Save yourself some frustration by planning on a deer fence.
Check out Adams in Kingston as a source - it's not just a grocery store with plants but is one of the 100 largest garden centers in the country based on sales (combined with the Adams stores in Poughkeepsie and Newburgh).
(Im not connected with Adams except by my credit card which takes its biggest hit over the long haul from the Adams stores)

Welcome! I live in West Hurley by the reservoir.

The garden tool of necessity up here is the pickax. This is rock country. Don't come with illusions of drifts of daffodils like I did. LOL. We use trucked in soil and raised beds.

Don't buy bluestone, just pull your car up to it and lift.

To add to oldroser's list of deerproof plants (however, deer LOVE astilbe in my yard)...snapdragons, stachys, euphorbia, anything with fuzzy gray leaves. You'll get into perennials up here.

Grow what you love inside a tall fence...avoid heartbreak.

Check out the annual garden by the road on Route 214 (white picket fence) on the left a few miles north of Phoenicia. It has to be one of the most gorgeous I've seen in a long time.

Thank you to both of you! I'll be off of 214 in Lanesville, so we'll be neighbors!
Thank you for the list of perennials that are deerproof! I guess my dream of roses is out of the question?? Are there any bulbs that I can plant that the deer steer away from? I'm thrilled with the idea of perennials, and there are some bleeding hearts, irises and a couple of apple trees there now.

Nothing eats daffodils. You're safe with the allium family. Tunneling animals that eat bulbs (chipmunks, voles can wipe out your garden over winter) can be deterred by various methods. Nothing eats my chionodoxas or snowdrops either. I plant 100's of crocuses every year and take a chance because I love them in the spring.

I grow nice roses inside my fenced in garden along with all the other delicacies. If you have a raised porch or deck with many steps, you're pretty safe from deer with containers, but skunks and rodents will come dig occasionally.

The way I deal with apple trees is to go out and pick in the afternoon (I get what falls during the day because the tree is too tall for me). The deer come at night and clean up what I leave. I find bear droppings in the morning too. I hear they'll climb a tree.

Never feed bears or deer or you'll be sorry. Don't leave pet food or bird seed outdoors (I feed birds in winter when bears are asleep.) You'll get the hang of it.

A very nice garden writer lives in Lanesville. I forgot his name (it'll come to me in ten minutes LOL), but I saw his garden during a tour...lots of unusual, very tall annuals.

Route 214 is one of my favorite roads...nothing beats its beauty in the autumn. Only this year, some kind of caterpillar has done some major defoliation in the area. Anyone know what it is? Complete mountains are stripped.

Hello and welcome, I don't know the area where you are, but I know it is going to be a nicer place now that you are here. I am trying to think of some deer resistant plants that I have..they've never touched my clematis, or yucca, or lambs ear, or as far as bulbs go, cammasia and frittilaria melagris come to mind. I'm sure now that you are here, we'll all be here to guide you to all the local treasures! Welcome..JoAnn

I'm glad to hear about the snowdrops! I've been wanting to plant them for years, but have had no yard! Do deer like gazanias? They do so well in my containers in the city! Thank you for the tips on the wildlife, I know not to feed them, but the apple tree pointers were new to me! Do apple trees require any special care? The ones on the property look pretty old. Thanks again everyone for the warm welcome and all the great tips!

Hi - We are city people looking at a weekend place near Phoenicia and are wondering how you like it. Thanks!

Thought I'd answer your question. I live near Phoenicia. It's gorgeous up here, so come and enjoy your life. It's an artsy place full of ex-city people (and others) and Route 214 is one of the most beautiful roads in the county in all seasons, although it's a major thorofare.

The town even has its own bear that runs up and down the Esopus Creek for all to see. It hibernated under the back porch of one of the stores.

Sweet Sue's restaurant is the main attraction for the weekend crowds.

Welcome! It is really beautiful in the Hudson River Valley--I hope you will love it here as much as we do!

The defoliation mentioned above is caused by an unusually bad infestation of eastern tent caterpillar.

About the deer, in terms of things that die back in winter, I think you can grow anything you want, as long as you commit to a regular program of heavy spraying with whatever deer deterrent works well for your neighbors. I use Liquid Fence, and if I spray every week or two they will not eat my plants, even 'deer candy' such as daylilies. Yes, an occasional bud gets chomped, but if I drench them with the nasty-smelling stuff (unpleasant for a day) the deer will keep away. Rabbits don't like it either.

Shrubs and small trees, on the other hand, must be sprayed in summer and covered in protective netting or fenced in over the winter months, as when browse is scarce the deer will eat almost anything to the ground, and rabbits will gnaw on young trees' bark.

If you can afford a fence, do it!

I also highly recommend finding your close neighbors who garden and asking them what they do, and what plants work best for them. Good luck and have fun!