{"id":16696,"date":"2020-01-23T17:05:16","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T20:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/?p=16696"},"modified":"2025-04-04T12:58:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-04T15:58:24","slug":"deer-resistant-landscaping-richmond","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lawnstarter.com\/blog\/virginia\/richmond-va\/deer-resistant-landscaping-richmond\/","title":{"rendered":"Deer-Resistant Landscaping in Richmond"},"content":{"rendered":"

When we put together verdant, complex and beautiful landscapes in our backyards, we\u2019re trying to imitate our own little slice of the natural world.<\/p>

But for wild animals like deer, there\u2019s little difference. To them, that tree-lined lawn is a little meadow where they can grab a quick bite.  And however nice it is to see the animals gracefully amble into your lawn as you get ready for work in the morning, they\u2019re slowly eating away all that hard work.<\/p>

Each year in the Commonwealth, white-tailed deer account for millions of dollars in damage to crops, trees and gardens, says<\/a> the Izaak Walton League of America. With a little landscape planning and clever application of deterrents, though, you can keep your investment from becoming part of that statistic.<\/p>

Deer Problem ‘Huge’ in Richmond<\/h2>

The state\u2019s largest wild herbivore has to eat a lot of plant material to keep on its feet. And as urban sprawl encroaches on their habitats, the already overpopulated deer herds are finding tasty tidbits in Richmond landscaping<\/a> instead of woodland meadows.<\/p>

So how big is the deer problem for Richmond homeowners?<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d says Beth Burrell, horticulturalist for Cedarfield, a retirement community on 90 wooded acres in Richmond. Burrell says the deers\u2019 natural habitat is diminishing, while much of the overpopulation of herds occurs around built-up areas. That pushes deer into residential or commercial communities where they find new and exotic plants to snack on.<\/p>

\u201cIt\u2019s a domino effect,\u201d Burrell says. Less-natural food pushes them out of the woods and new plants in urban landscapes draw them into backyards instead.<\/p>

Homeowners don\u2019t have a lot of options on controlling deer populations from their back porch. But that doesn\u2019t mean they just have to watch the deer rip up their favorite maple tree or rose bush.<\/p>

Gentle Deterrence<\/h2>
\"Beth
Beth Burrell<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Burrell knows a thing or two about deer and gardens.  Not only did the topic factor into her master\u2019s degree, she worked at a vast plantation alongside a managed deer herd more than 300 animals strong while keeping up 40 landscaped acres of garden.<\/p>

It was there she was able to try out different methods of carefully deterring those deer, even spreading human hair around. She even teaches the occasional \u201cGardening with Deer\u201d class at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden<\/a> in Lakeside.<\/p>

She recommends starting out with some organic deterrents. Richmond-based company Your Wildlife Professionals breaks down<\/a> the common types:<\/p>