a hungry deer.. will eat just about anything ...

ken

Sorry to hear that. My deer have never eaten my marigolds (yet) They usually leave the zinnias, ageratum, alyssum, dianthus, larkspur and snapdragons alone too. Note I said usually. Once in a while they will nibble a zinnia. Usually they go straight for my hosta (deer lettuce) and daylily buds (deer candy). Those I have to spray without fail. But nothing decimates a garden like a woodchuck, they will eat almost anything, even delphiniums which I always believed were poisonous.

Two principles about deer and plants: (1) deer preferences are local and somewhat dependent on conditions like drought and alternative forage, so ignore others who say "well they don't eat my marigolds". (2) young deer will try anything once.

They sure will. I've seen them eat bittersweet vine in Maine when I was there. They were quite hungry at the time, so YMMV, of course.

I repel rabbits and deer from my garden (and marigold, which they will certainly eat when young and luscious) with a spray I make cheaply at home:

1 gal water

1 tsp to 1 Tbsp Tabasco sauce

1 small squirt dish soap (helps the stuff stick, but optional)

A few drops white glue, like Elmer's (optional, but also helps it stick, and tastes awful)

It's non-toxic to you, birds, the rabbit, and the deer, but very distasteful. I tend toward the lower end of Tabasco, but others tell me that persistent animals may require the upper level to be fully repelled. I've never seen that personally but now include it just in case.

Spray very lightly over the plants and repeat after rainfall or top watering. It won't stop a starving animal, but will send one with other options elsewhere. One gallon should, in a sprayer that atomizes pretty well, cover 2,000 square feet of garden twice or so, but heavier application won't harm the plants at all.