Caryopteris cut-back // Smelly deer

>> OTOH, I've never had one come back, and I'm at the other end of
Zone 7, 30 miles south of Raleigh.

>Wonder if you're cutting them back too hard in spring?  

Um, that would require that they come back in the spring...  I buy them,
they flower, they don't come back.  I leave the sticks there just in case,
but there's no growth.  Pricy annuals.  I suspect "those funny zone 7
gardens," myself.  Warm cold warm cold not always cold enough to really stop
growth, and then a cold snap kills what started up again during a warm spell
in January.  Quit buying caryopteris and make do with the bluer buddleias
which aren't at all the same thing, but are at least reliable.

***************************

>I recently heard that deer do not like to walk through 'smelly' plants.
So, we are considering planting a wide border around one of the gardens
where we grow daylilies.  We are thinking of using garlic chives, lemon
balm, or maybe anise.

The effectiveness of ANY deer deterrent is a factor of:  deer hunger,
tastiness of the target plant, other food sources, presence of dogs, phase
of the moon, price of tea in China.  Rather like locking your house or car
to prevent theft--any really good thief can break any lock, but you may send
most casual burglars to the unlocked house next door if you're diligent.  If
someone nearby has unprotected daylilies, you may be successful.  However,
if it's a big herd, or a dry year, or you have the only garden in the area
and you have a fat lazy dog, goodbye daylilies.

The biggest problem is, deer don't read the articles about deterring deer.

10' electric fence, baited with peanut butter until your herd learns to stay
away will most likely do the trick.  Anything less is random luck if it
works.

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