Submitted photo Follow the tips below for ways to protect your gardens from deer.

Spring is when we receive the most questions about deer damage in home landscapes and gardens. Deer nutritional needs increase during the spring and summer months, and food sources can be limited in early spring depending on local habitat conditions and deer populations.

As our friend Hugh Earnhart used to say, “We are at war with the deer!” I would agree that many homeowners have the same sentiment.

So, drastic measures need to be taken to preserve your most treasured plants, shrubs and flowers during the growing season. Well, not drastic — but at least focused on solutions that work for you and your plants.

Deer will browse on almost anything in the landscape. Sometimes, they even take a bite and spit it out, leaving only minimal damage. So, no plant is really “deer-proof” but there are many plants they will skip over if there are tastier items on the menu. Some of a deer’s favorite plants include tulips, hostas, fruit trees, tomatoes, green beans, arborvitae, taxus (yew), azaleas and rhododendrons. The list of least favorite plants is longer and includes hellebores, ostrich fern, paper birch, poppy, yucca, many herbs, holly, agastache, bleeding heart, bottlebrush buckeye and many more!

Besides plant selection, here are some tips to save your investment and plant some of the plants you love without losing your mind over the deer:

Repellent: Deer will adapt to a smell and what worked last month is not working now. Change which ones you use from time to time. There are many to select from at the supplier. Deer will adapt and you must keep them guessing. Mix-up, rotate the spray — confuse them. Follow the label!

Fence: When all else fails to work, erect a deer fence. A deer net is inexpensive and works for a season or two. The plastic deer fence is better and will last longer and is more deterrent. A metal chain-link fence is the best but is too expensive for most situations. There are many other options depending on your location in an urban setting or a rural setting.

Site: Yes, fences are not easy to build, and they can be expensive. Consider a fence for a small area next to the house to protect the plants deer love. Think about some more natural fences of plants or small trees with thorns to try to deter them. Some aromatic plants in these areas can be deer deterrents. So, think of it as a more natural fence.

To learn more about controlling the damage (and other wildlife damage) in your garden, go to: http://go.osu.edu/managewildlife. Our wildlife specialist created a fantastic, simple slideshow to help you make your plan for this growing season.

For a list of plants based on deer resistance, go to http://go.osu.edu/deerrating.

For ideas for aromatic plants, go to http://go.osu.edu/aromatic.

Eric Barrett is OSU Extension educator for agriculture and natural resources in Mahoning County.