Avoid discounted sad plants that have been deteriorating at retailers for months - you can actually bring home disease problems with these, apart from the fact that badly starved specimens may never bounce back even after getting back into Mother Earth. These may look pretty green but still actually be severely nutrient deficient. Production facilities can and often do have diligent fertilization programs that may or less end completely upon arrival at garden centers.

Deer need to be successfully fenced out or you are constantly at the mercy of their whims, even when bothering to choose only plants they seem not to like elsewhere*. And why spend the money on a garden and then let some wild animals dictate what you have in it, when for a little additional extra expense you could then plant whatever you want?

*Kinds not on the menu most of the time can nevertheless end up cropped on occasion, due apparently to sampling behavior. And bucks may spoil specimens of woody plants that would never be eaten by using them to rub off velvet. There is also the problem of other kinds of native plant eaters such as rabbits and mountain beavers raiding gardens, that a well chosen and maintained fencing system would prevent.

Dinters, Brentwood Bay Nursery which is closing but everything is 50% off. Gardenworks in victoria, ArtKnapp and Outback Nursery in Courtenay. Actually this time of year you can get some good deals on plants.

Thank you, roserobin. We need to go on some field trips soon.

Embothrium, front fences can only be 4' tall so useless at keeping out deer. There are some beautiful front gardens here so it can be done.

My neighbor uses an electric fence in addition to a ranch wire fence. It works....most of the time.

My rhododendrons seem immune from deer. So are most conifers. I don't even try roses or apple trees.

Mike

Welcome to Nanaimo Dawn, my picks for the very best nurseries are Dinter's and I was going to say Brentwood Bay but I read above they are closing :(. Others I like when down island are the Little Elf Garden Center Cannors and Elk Lake. Locally the plants at Long Lake, Green Thumb and Art Knapp's are pretty good, in other words the plants are not likely to die the day after you plant them. Of course my very favorite is on the mainland Phoenix Perennials, one you probably know very well.

Have you thought of joining the local Horticultural Society http://nanaimohort.org/   it sounds hotty totty but it's just another friendly garden club, the members are always ready to offer advice if needed. I haven't been to the meetings lately, health problems :(. but if you haven't already joined I think you'd enjoy it. The bus tours are fun, sometimes to Salt Spring Island and Fraser Thimble Farm for the unusual.

Annette

Mike, I did hear that roses are deer candy. Rhodies survive here too, haven't seen any azaleas around though.

Thanks for the welcome, Annette!!

We stopped in at Dinter's a few weekends ago and I was very impressed. Came home with a truckload and will go back at the end of the month for hedging. Still have sticker shock at prices here on the island, though. My favourite nursery was Art's Nursery in Surrey, near Langley. So much selection and I could bring home decent sized plants at a good price. Hard to find large shrubs I can afford here. Oh well, island life makes up for the very few things I miss.

Will check out the garden club later. We just had hardscaping done which made our backyard useable and now have blank slates in the front and back to plant. Neighbours are waiting anxiously to see what we do!! :D