Dear deer, Please leave my garden alone. Wish one could write a letter of request to the pests, but that's not possible. So how can one make sure that the garden of ones dreams is not chewed away? Fences are always a good idea but not everybody wants fences. Scaring deer usually involves loud sounds that are not the best way to wake up at night. Deer repellants always come in handy; there are two types of repellants area and contact repellants. Area repellants use foul and unpleasant odors, while contact repellants use bad tastes that are applied to the plants. Various commercial repellants are available at the local garden centers. It would be a process of trial and error to find out which ones work the best. Also keep in mind that what works on one part of the yard may not work on the other. Deer also have palates and have tastes and likings for certain plants. Some homemade repellants involve using hot pepper sauces diluted to half strength in water. The application should last at least a couple dry weeks. These methods will not work if there are rains or the leaves are washed during watering the plants. A hungry deer will eat or damage any plant, thus there is no confirmed deer proof plant. However there are few deer resistant plants. These are plants that the deer would rather not eat. Our recommendations are Ageratum, Snapdragon, Calendula, Vinca, Dusty miller, Cleome, Lobelia, Marigold, Petunia, Salvia, Stock, Nicotiana, Poppy, and Rosemary. For a complete list of plants, click here to visit the Rutgers Cooperative Extension service.