When I worked at the beach, I had clients who would place bird netting over their roses (laying it on top of the bushes) each evening and remove it in the morning. I doubt your HOA is going to permit you to place any kind of cages around your plants. You are probably going to be better off with a repellent. There are a number of different types. This is a stake with the scent inside so it won't wash off nor need to be reapplied after rain. There aregranular fences to repel animals. There are motion activated sprinklers which work quite well, but remember it's activated or YOU will get wet, too. I had a client who used one to ward off raccoons which visited her back yard regularly and we both got wet several times. There are a number of different manufacturers so you can shop for price. The trick to them is to set your hose to a small trickle so it builds pressure until released. That way, should the hose rupture, you won't lose tremendous amounts of water until the issue is found and rectified. There are even systemic repellents which are absorbed into the plants to make them taste and smell bad to the deer. I've known people who have used them and swore by them. They will require you spray something on the plants while they absorb and build up the appropriate levels of the chemicals in them. The deer will nibble but quickly learn those plants taste bad and begin leaving them alone.

Wow! I'd never heard of the systemic spray! I'll have to look into that. I made my own out of hot sauce, garlic powder and egg beaters! It did work, but it rains too much here and I have too many roses so I turned to the water scarecrow. That also work except with baby deer, but I had mine set to high. Now I have fencing which they regularly plow down. I've almost got them this time though so don't give up. I still keep my lower beds enclosed in heavy mesh held up with bamboo stakes.

vapovac...the deer plow down your deer fencing?! What kind do you have?

Some people swear by stren lo vis green fishing line.

It might pass muster ( or is it mustard?) with your HOA.

There are articles floating around describing its use - at ARS or a local/regional rose society website.

Metal cattle fencing attached to wooden posts. With thinner posts they break the posts, with heavier ones they bash it down and end up detaching the fencing. I have VERY determined deer as they used my lower level for years to foal their young, so it's a learned habit that they don't want to give up! I have double fencing in most places and they've now only broken in where I didn't think it was necessary. WRONG!!! ;-D The fishing line definitely didn't work here. They even managed to jump some quite tall fence. I'm going to try angled fencing if my neighbor is OK with that. It's technically my property, but I like to give him a heads up.

https://www.rose.org/single-post/2018/03/20/An-Almost-Invisible-Deer-Fence

I do see that this did not work on Vaporvac’s deer.

I’m surprised that no one has yet developed an affordable drone kit to detect deer and automatically buzz them.

Muster. " Where does the phrase pass muster come from?

This was originally a military expression, meaning 'come through a review or inspection without censure'. It is found earlier (late 16th century to late 17th century) in the now obsolete form pass (the ) musters and has been in figurative use since the late 16th century."

I am using fishing line at my country garden in PA. I started using it after one of tenants saw a deer in the rose garden. Later on from a security camera I saw a deer walked towards the garden and then turned away, the fishing line really worked! Here is a pic of the garden, can You see the fishing line there between the sticks?

I think part of the problem is, not all deer read what they are supposed to do or not do. Some eat all the plants they aren't supposed to eat. Some are repelled by things they are supposed to be repelled by, while others aren't.

I may have thought of “pass the mustard” because of an old Grey Poupon commercial.

Have the same problem, I just purchased Bobbex Deer Repellent. Supposedly it works well but very stinky. We will see this season.

rifis...hahaha...Grey Poupon

vaporvac....woah! You have some determined deer, but I see why if that's where they are used to having their young. The deer, who had avoided my garden for 15 years, had begun to regularly visit when I planted roses. Putting up not only deer fencing around the rose garden, but along 3 sides of my property has really helped change their roaming patterns.

We've had many funny moments with deer, including one trying desperately to get in WHILE we were putting the deer fence up! He spent all day trying to get in!

Now they just come in to the part of my garden that's not fenced and eat all my heucheras to the ground:)

I have tried PlantSkydd and it seems to work, the problem is then your plants look blood-splattered, which is not really a good look :) hahahaha

rosylady, that's so funny, but I'd still be annoyed to lose the heuchera. That's what we get for having such delicious gardens. : ))

I hope I don't discourage anyone from trying the fishing line. I think mine failed because some areas were too small and in others, the deer were used to just walking over the rotted split rail fence so when I repaired it, they'd already developed the habit and scent trails. Plus, they knew it was a quiet private Eden for their young.They are less of a pest now that I've cleared much of the lowest level of rampant volunteer bush honeysuckle and weed trees. It used to be open and once completely cleared this year, they might feel more exposed and less likely to want to spend time with me. I should have been more forceful when they first moved in, but the little ones bleating for their mom and having the chance to observe their usually private moments was too compelling. They are very good moms.

I would advise getting something, anything up early so they don't know what they're missing!!! : ))

That’s ok Vap. I can’t put up deer fence in PA location since rose gardens are on the sides of the main house and carriage house. It won’t look good if I put up any type of fence. Will have to wait and see if they go after the blooms this coming season. I didn’t see any deer damage last season, I used string solar lights and shinny Bird Repellent Scare Tape by the rose garden. they worked for a while.

How are your roses RRfromR? Any deer damage on the new roses?

Glad to hear you are doing great! :-) Thanks for the update.

We live on the edge of a woods with many deer. Fishing line didn't work for me either. For the first week or two most changes will concern deer enough to go elsewhere. After that, and especially when there's a drought and short food supply, deer simply don't stop until they "...find a way or make one." Things that spray on the plant don't stick after the plant gets wet and the deer seem to know when that is sooner than I do. Plants that deer are supposed to leave alone are destroyed in the process of the deer figuring that out. Many times deer don't mind eating them as much as reported. I've had desperate deer pull out stakes and tear off wire cages, destroying the protected plant in the process. I now have just over 70 roses, a vegetable garden, apple trees and many other shrubs and perennials. Double fencing seems to be my best protection but it isn't always practical. I doubt that there is a one size fits all solution. The systemic repellent seems like a good (albeit expensive) solution as long as it really works.

Misery loves company! While I'm sad to hear about your travails, I hope others can learn from your experience. They are wiley determined creatures with huge strength. Double-fencing has been my salvation, although I'm still goin to try the slanted fencing when I redo one area.

Vap, do you have a pic of your double fencing? I might have to use this trick at the new place where has a huge deer problem.

Goodness gracious NO!!!! LOL! ;-D I've posted some pretty awful pictures, but the double-fencing is just the old 100 yr old metal fence held up with bamboo! It's so bad, it would give you tetanus just seeing a pic. However, it was something i could do myself with what I had on hand. The short split rail used to keep them out until I started cleaning up the shrubbery, so if you have a dense cover and the deer can't see beyond that may work, but takes time. That's what I have around my perimeter. I'll see if I can find a link with double fencing. If it's double it doesn't have to be as tall. If i can manage a decent looking pic tomorrow between the downpours, I'll try though as I really sympathize with anyone about deer and it would be best to keep them out from the get-go. I can't wait to see your new place.

Vaporvac - hilarious...give you tetanus just seeing a pic. LOL

Unfortunately, NOTHING works 100% except fencing,

We tried everything for 25 years - garlic, red pepper, human hair, smelly soap, lures that deer wanted to lick and then they got electric shock, "guaranteed" gizmos from mail order ads, etc etc.

Finally had an 8 foot fence installed (minimum height needed, unless you double fence like the guy above). Not one deer has gotten over it (although once we accidentally left the gate open !!)

andre, I would love to see your fence. I saw two across the road and know they'll be coming for my roses if I don't work fast! :-((