Deer? Oh, deer! (Updated for 2022)
They catch you unaware, darting out suddenly in front of your car, making you stop and refocus your attention. There is usually more than one; maybe the doe with her fawns, crossing over to new territory. Like any protective mother, guiding them safely. It is not until we have an unfortunate encounter, on a dark and windy road, that we realize how vulnerable deer’s can be, as well as the front end of our vehicles.
Jennifer Kolot with her rooster
I know they are not everyone’s favourite creature and for gardeners, boy, oh boy, can they create unwanted attention. One of the questions garden centres are asked is: “Can you tell me which plants the deer won’t eat?” I am starting to pay more attention to plants that have proven to be deer resistant, as my new front yard has several deer visiting regularly and being bold enough to come onto the front porch to see just what might be waiting for them to munch on. Even though there is a list of “deer resistant” trees, shrubs, bedding plants, and perennials, it is not foolproof.
This month’s guest speaker was scheduled to present back in April 2020, but due to the onset of Covid the club had to cancel. So, we are happy to have Jennifer Kolot back for the Sooke Garden Club meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 pm. Jennifer will share some of her strategies and options to deal with deer in urban areas. Jennifer is originally from Alberta and has called Victoria home for the past 18 years, where she grows all her veggies. She has a Master Gardener training and is an active member of the Victoria Master Gardeners.
Some interesting facts: deer have a great sense of hearing, with higher frequencies than humans. Their eyes, on the sides of their head, give them a 310-degree view, making it hard to focus on a single point; they also have great night vision. They run up to 40 miles per hour, jump 10-feet high, are fast swimmers, and adapt well to just about any habitat. They have an excellent sense of smell and lick their nose to keep it moist, which helps odour particles to stick. Deer usually stay in the same area {home range}; related females who form matriarchies that exclude adult males, share these areas. There are about 100 types of deer, with a life expectancy of 20 years. These facts were from www.veganpeace.com.
For information on our scheduled events, such as the annual plant sale, please check out our Events page. You can also join our Facebook group for news and updates.
Annual membership for the Sooke Garden Club is $15 and new members are always welcome. Join today!