As if late spring frosts, scorching heat, four summer vacation absences and dought weren’t enough.  This morning I can add another garden challenge to my list:  deer.

Oh, I know you’re thinking – “she’s always had deer, this is nothing new.”  And you’d be right.  BUT, the plants that were on the buffet last night are plants that have been in the ground since May or June.  And the deer have been through – drinking from the fountain and leaving footprints often.

But last night they decided to expand their palate.  

 This was a lovely hibiscus.  Now it’s a stem sculpture!

They didn’t belong to the clean plate club when they chowed down on this rock rose.  See — they left just one so you could tell what it used to be.

These sun-tolerant coleus have been here for months.  They’ve done great and they are at the deer entrance to my garden.  I know they’ve passed by here many times on their way to the bird bath fountain and the bird feeders that they share with the birds.

Another chomped coleus, and to the right of it, they even nibbled on the dwarf variegated pittosporum.  They’ve left this coleus alone all summer long.

And then they found the abutilon, which is only feet from the front door.  They don’t normally sashay all the way up to the front door, but I guess they felt sociable last night.

Oh well.  Not much to be done about it.  Maybe I’ll do a little rain dance this afternoon so they have food in their own habitat.

What are the critters doing in your garden?