Matt Huff, General Manager, Hawthorn Gardens, Hawthorn Woods.

George Brenn, President, Four Seasons Landscaping Nursery, Valparaiso, Indiana.

“Start with an understanding of which animals are prevalent in your area and select plant material that they browse less frequently. Our number one problem is deer, followed by chipmunks, which dig in pots to bury their food. For container protection I use Repels All,
a granular repellent that irritates the nasal cavities of mammals. For in-ground beds you can use hardware cloth, barriers and fencing.”

“The basic concept has to be thoughtful plant selection. If you live where deer are present, it doesn’t make sense to plant a shade garden of hostas. Deer tend to ignore astilbe, brunnera, lungwort (Pulmonaria), Lamiastrum ‘Herman’s Pride and boxwoods. In our nursery (bounded by a state nature preserve on two sides), the deer will not even walk through a block of boxwoods but prefer to walk around them.”

Linda Haas, Landscape Designer, Spring Bluff Nursery, Sugar Grove.

“Our most popular request is how to keep rabbits from eating plants. Rabbit proofing is best done with fencing and resistant plants. I protect the few plants that rabbits eat with small plant protectors made of green or black poultry netting. They will be camouflaged in the garden and easily removed when the plant matures and is less desirable. We will offer a workshop to make whimsical plant protectors again this spring.”