Deer ate my rhododendrons [View all]

[cyclonefence]

I was just outside aborting chive babies and took a stroll in my back yard. Everything was pretty much as I expected (I was sick all winter and this is really the first day I've been able to go outside for any length of time); the wisteria has gone nuts! I got the first bloom I've had from the japonica I planted a couple of years ago, and the northern magnolia tree is doing nicely. The deer left both of those plants alone--the japonica and the magnolia are planted with the rhodos. I have never, ever had deer eat the rhodos, but they have damn near killed a couple of them. What gives? It's not like there isn't plenty of other stuff to eat, stuff with nice tender leaves, and my yard backs up to a county-preserved orchard, so you know there's a lot of food available to these guys. I desperately don't want to put a deer fence there. Has anybody had luck with anything else? I'm thinking maybe some whirly-gigs? A motion-activated light?

Signed,
Desperate in the Suburbs