This is our third installment in our summer series Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest. Not a hidden gem for long, the new (old) Olalla Bay Market was a big hit with locals the minute it opened it’s doors this past April. Let me tell you a little bit about this Hidden Gem of the Pacific Northwest – Olalla Bay Market.
Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Olalla Bay Market
Olalla
The Olalla Bay Market has a long history in the tiny hamlet of Olalla. The building has served as a general store over the past century, most recently as Al’s Market. Olalla itself, once a thriving agriculture area, became a sleepy hollow after the Tacoma Narrows Bridge opened, and ferry service to Olalla disappeared. For the past eighty years though the community has kept it’s identity with the “general store” and old post office playing a big role as a place to gather.
Old is New Again
Old is New Again
In 2021 Al’s Market closed and a new owner came in. Olalla resident and New York Times Best Selling author Gregg Olsen (Starvation Heights) committed to bringing the space back as a community gathering spot under the new name of Olalla Bay Market.
But only a few months into the restoration a devastating fire could have put an end to the dream. But no – the community rallied, Olsen set his intentions and work continued. The new (old) Olalla Bay Market opened three months ago.
Olalla Bay at low tide
Open and Thriving
Serving a wonderful selection of locally crafted beer, cider and more on tap, as well as a small menu of breakfast and lunch items and house made pizza after 4pm, the community came out in droves to support the new business. With both indoor and outdoor seating, a small grocery store and gifts area as well as a rental space for small groups, the only thing the business might need to work on is more parking.
Caprese Salad
Olives
Pizza by the slice
It really is a gem…a hidden gem…and one you should check out in beautiful Olalla Washington.
Outdoor deck
Beer, wine, cider and more
Check out the journal, history and current events on the Olalla Bay Market website. Thank you for reading my post Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Olalla Bay Market and be sure to come back next Friday to learn about another hidden gem of the Pacific Northwest.
It’s our second installment of our Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest series, where we are discovering hidden gems near to where I live in the summer. I love living in Western Washington in the summer, with beautiful weather and outdoor activities to enjoy. So when we are here, we always enjoy being tourists in our own backyard. So, this blog post series idea was born. I hope you enjoy it. Our second installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest –Rodeo Drive-In in Kitsap County.
Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In
A Walk Down Memory Lane
When I was in high school in the 1970s, going to the drive-in on a date or with girlfriends was very common. In the county I grew up in there were three choices of drive-in theaters and we frequented them all. But mostly we went to either the Kitsap Lake Drive-In or to the Rodeo Drive-In. My future husband and I (he was 16 and I was 15) saw several movies there as young teens, including The Way We Were in 1975. I also remembering seeing The Omen with a girlfriend in 1976 and having nightmares after.
There were many more fun times at the drive-in as a child of the 1960s and 1970s. But it had been decades since I had gone to a drive-in movie.
Screen Two
Me
Concessions were delicious and inexpensive
History of The Rodeo Drive-In
The original Rodeo Motor Movies was opened in 1949, with the capacity of 600 cars. It was the first in the county with two others coming along shortly after, Kitsap Lake and Big Bear.
The Rodeo was sold in 1977 and Kitsap Lake was closed. In 1978, second and third screens were added to The Rodeo as well as a new concessions building and ticket entrance. In 1986, the Rodeo Drive-In was sold to Jack and Cindy Ondracek. The Big Bear Drive-In closed in 1994, and the Rodeo became the only outdoor theater in the Kitsap County area.
Yep that’s us in 1975
Not The Rodeo but a look back at the olden days (Canva)
Today’s Rodeo Drive-In
Back in the day, the Rodeo Drive-In was way out in the boonies (as we used to say), but today with all the growth in the region, my home is only a ten minute drive away. Over the last few summers we have talked about checking it out, but it never happened until now.
The Rodeo Drive-In is open year ’round except on July 4th. It offers first run movies at all three screens for a budget price of $12 adults, $7 for seniors (55 and older!) and kids under 12; children under 5 are free. The theater does a great job giving a nostalgic vibe and we really enjoyed seeing The Little Mermaid.
The Rodeo Drive-In website says;
“Today, with 3 screens and a total car capacity of about 1,000, the Rodeo is the largest outdoor theater complex north of California, and by far the largest and oldest family-owned drive-in in the Northwest. Other drive-ins in our state include the Blue Fox Drive-In (Oak Harbor/Whidbey island), the Wheel-In Motor Movie (Port Townsend), the Skyline Drive-In (Shelton) and the Auto-Vue Drive-In (Colville)… all family-owned with unique personalities.
Nationally, about 400 drive-ins remain in the US, accounting for about 900 outdoor screens.
Drive-in theaters are special places, with a nostalgic atmosphere that few events offer. Every one is unique, reflecting the personalities of the owners and staffs, and the communities they serve.”
Delicious treat
Cozy and comfy
The Little Mermaid
Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In
We had a wonderful Sunday evening at the Rodeo. It was a fun way to see a current film, while reminiscing about our youth. I highly recommend Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rodeo Drive-In. Check it out soon.
We love it when you comment, pin and share our blog posts. Thank you. Visit us next Friday for another installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest.
Today we begin a series of short posts over the next couple of months, where we will discover hidden gems near to where I live in the summer months. I love living in Western Washington in the summer, with beautiful weather and outdoor activities to enjoy. So when we are here in the summer, we always relish being tourists in our own backyard. So, this blog post series idea was born. I hope you enjoy it. Our first installment of Hidden Gems of the Pacific Northwest – Rhododendron Species Garden.
A Long Wait
For decades I have said I would visit the Rhododendron Botanical Species Garden in Federal Way Washington. I would think this every time I drove by the directional sign on Interstate Five. But, as is often true in our own hometowns, it just never happened. So, finally, we made a point to visit. And what a great treat it was! A true Hidden Gem of the Pacific Northwest – Rhododendron Species Garden.
So Much More Than Rhododendrons
The gardens were much bigger than I was expecting, 22 acres of not just a fascinating collection of Rhododendrons, but a wide variety of beautiful plants of all kinds. Native plants from the Pacific Northwest as well as wonderful flowers, shrubs, trees from around the world. There is also an indoor conservancy with warm weather plants that are fascinating. Around the gardens you can enjoy an Alpine Rock Garden, a Stumpery, The Pond and Poppy Meadow and a Woodland Garden. All easy to enjoy on meandering trails and beautiful in all seasons, but especially in spring and summer.
Pacific Bonsai Museum
This wonderful space is also home to the fascinating Pacific Bonsai Museum. This was unexpected for us, and we really enjoyed the wide display of bonsai, some more than 100 years old. Fascinating. We had a chance to talk with one of the curators and she said they have fifty on display at any given time (year-round) and another hundred in storage. They switch them out seasonally. How cool is that? So I definitely need to go back and check it out in the fall.
Visit
The Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Closed on major holidays. Entrance is $8 and entrance to the Pacific Bonsai Museum is by donation. Check both websites for special events, speakers and plant sales.
Only a few decades ago, sleepy Ballard was the butt of all Scandinavian jokes. A neighborhood of working class families descended from working class immigrants, Ballard was solid, if a bit rough around the edges. Times have changed and It’s Time to Rediscover Ballard Washington.
Sleepy No More
I sure wish I had bought a house in Ballard back then. I’d be a millionaire today. Today, Ballard is hip. A cool place to be for young singles and families….without losing that solid working class vibe. Still home to much of the Seattle area fishing fleet, the history of fishing and shipbuilding runs deep in this community.
View from Sunset Park
What a difference a few decades make. Ballard is blooming and is now not only home to the magnificent Nordic Heritage Museum (opened in 2018), it is also a culinary Mecca – home to dozens of highly rated restaurants, some difficult to get a reservation for. Ballard, sleepy no more. I love a lot of my home state, and Ballard is one of my favorite places among those.
It’s Time to Rediscover Ballard, Washington
A day in Ballard is a pleasant idea….but even better why not a weekend or several days? There is so much to do here, without ever actually going into downtown Seattle. Beautiful Ballard. We want you to give it the time it deserves, so we share with you a wide variety of our favorite Ballard finds…everything from beer to parks, coffee to fish, and hiking to vintage. Yah sure yabetcha – it’s time to rediscover Ballard, Washington.
One of the friendly locals
Our Recommendations to Get You Started
It’s a long, long list but we hope these recommendations will give you a variety of reasons to visit Ballard and it’s surrounding neighborhoods. If you can make your visit more than a day, we recommend the beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of Ballard, The Hotel Ballard. It’s exceptional and will make your visit to Ballard exceptional. And here are more recommendations for you;
Let’s Eat!
Stoneburner is my fav
It’s impossible to list all the delicious and innovative dining options in Ballard…so I am offering up here my favs. These are all restaurants I have eaten at and would not hesitate to go back to.
Oysters at The Walrus and the Carpenter
Stoneburner – amazing food. Probably my favorite restaurant in Ballard
Shiku Japanese – excellent sushi and Japanese specialties
Salmon Burger from Lil Woody’s
Get Outside
For such a compact neighborhood of Seattle, Ballard is blessed with an abundance of parks, and a visit to beautiful Ballard wouldn’t be complete without a visit to at least one of Ballard’s parks. This is a list of our favorites.
Discovery Park
Discovery Park – the granddaddy of them all, this 534 acre park is a hidden natural gem.
Golden Gardens – where the sunbathers, stand up paddle boarders, wind surfers, sailors and beachcombers will be found high tide, low tide and everything
Burke Gilman Trail – ride or walk on this trail that will take you for miles and miles
Sunset Hill – this little pocket park is the definitive place for a Seattle Sunset
Shilshole Marina – enjoy a boardwalk stroll through this beautiful waterfront area and try to count the masts. Be sure and stop at the Leif Erickson statue for a taste of Scandinavian heritage.
Leif Erickson
So Many Things To Do
Don’t miss any of these awesome things to do in Beautiful Ballard
Nordic Heritage Museum
Going through the locks on my son’s sailboat
The National Nordic Museum – allow yourself a few hours to explore this amazing museum that chronicles the history of the Nordic people both locally and throughout the world. The cafe and gift shop are great too.
Ballard Locks – officially the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks but known locally as the Ballard Locks is a fun and educational working locks that provides boat traffic to navigate between Lake Union and the Puget Sound. Don’t miss the information on the salmon ladder.
Fisherman’s Terminal – a working fishing terminal for local fishing vessels, you can walk amongst the vessels in port and also purchase fresh seafood.
Ballard Farmer’s Market – every Sunday from 9am to 2pm visit the Ballard Farmers Market for a colorful selection of fresh and locally made
The Cycle Saloon Tours – Fun and crazy way to drink beer, get your exercise and see the sites
Ballard Kayak Rentals – get out on Shilshole Bay and see the beautiful sites from the waterside
The Ballard Farmer’s Market on Sundays
Do You Brew?
Beer? Coffee? Even a distillery is waiting for you in Ballard. Ya Sure YaBetcha, there is something for everyone. This is a tiny sample:
To be honest, I’m not much of a shopper, preferring to spend my time outdoors, eating, learning history…all that stuff. BUT, you might like a few funky or vintage places and don’t miss a Scandinavian shop
Scandinavian Specialties – one of the few shops left that focuses on delicious Scandinavian delicacies as well as, art, sweaters, ceramic and more.
Gold Dog – for someone who doesn’t really shop….I spent some fun time in here. Cowboy boots and so much more.
As Long As You Are Here…
Ya sure yabetcha, as long as you are here definitely spend as much time as possible at any or all of these wonderful attractions near Ballard.
Woodland Park Zoo
Woodland Park Zoo – not the zoo of yesteryear, today’s award winning Woodland Park Zoo is focused on conservation, preservation and immersion exhibits that provide animals a healthy and authentic living environment. Woodland Park Zoo also offers a variety of events and activities through out the year on it’s 92 acre urban site.
Fremont – Ballard’s neighbor Fremont is Seattle’s answer to funky and fun claiming to be “the center of the universe”. Be sure to visit the Fremont Troll, JP Patches and Gertrude statue, Waiting for the Bus Sculpture and many other fun and quirky Fremont finds.
Green Lake, just over the hill from Ballard is Seattle’s beloved Green Lake. A perfect place for a stroll or bike ride anytime of the year. Seattle gathers here.
Gas Works Park – The idea to turn this huge former and simply ugly former gas works on Lake Union into a park was brilliant. Today the rusted “gas works” create an urban sculpture unique and beautiful in a strange and Seattle kind of way.
Funky Fremont
Are You Convinced?
Have I convinced you that it’s time to rediscover Ballard Washington? I have spent a lot of time there over the last five years, because my adult sons call it home. If they had never moved there, I would never have rediscovered Ballard myself…and I’m so glad I did. I still have a lot to see in Beautiful Ballard…so I’ll see you there.
Time to rest. Time for family. Time to take a breath. I’m happily home for the summer. We absolutely love our travel life, but we also love our summer’s back in Washington State in our tiny Villa de Verano.
We have just completed our seventh year of nearly full-time travel – a life we began as we retired. When we started we didn’t know if we would be traveling for six months or six years. Well apparently we have made it work and other than a year at home during Covid, we have been on the move.
Three years into our travels we purchased a small villa back in our home state of Washington. A place to call home when we needed or wanted to be there. We were grateful for it during Covid, and continue to be grateful for it each summer.
We arrived Washington April 30th and plan to launch year eight on September 10th. Those plans are still in the works. But meanwhile it’s just about home. A word that feels so satisfying to say. Home. I’ll still be blogging but also will be taking a bit of a break, so don’t worry if I am absent. Thanks for all your wonderful love for this blog. I am grateful to you all.
I began golfing a little more than a year ago, when we settled into our new summer place on a golf course. I had dabbled in a golf a long time ago, but hadn’t picked up a club in twenty years. And so it has been like starting over. Our summers in Washington have given me a great opportunity to learn while golfing around the sound. And during the year we were stuck in the USA it was a great time to take up the sport.
My home course of McCormick Woods
Learning to Golf
I’ve played A LOT since I decided to learn the game and I have also taken lessons and had a coach. Getting some coaching pointers and playing consistently (about once a week) has helped me learn and improve my game. I still have a long ways to go but I enjoy the game a great deal and especially enjoy having another activity to spend time with my husband.
View from the 12th hole at McCormick Woods
It might be surprising to some, but I feel one of the best ways to improve is to play at as many different courses as possible. I know many golfers like to play their “home” course only, but I find by moving around to new courses I don’t fall into a comfortable pattern and am therefore always challenged and learning new things.
Gold Mountain
Golfing Around the Sound
Given that strategy we set out this summer to explore as many courses in the Pacific Northwest as we could. For Christmas my husband gave me a Golfing Around the Sound golf package, 11 courses included for $220. We created three golf “weekends” (we did them mid-week) and covered courses in Skagit and Snohomish County; Mason, Kitsap; Clallam and Jefferson County too.
Glen Eagle Course
Some courses are certainly better than others, but all the courses we played offered wonderful opportunities to learn and enjoy this crazy game. If you want to give this a try for yourself, here is our suggestions for three golf getaways in the Pacific Northwest. I imagine next summer we will try this again and expand to more courses including to the south and east.
SKAGIT & SNOHOMISH
La Conner Channel Lodge
Using the lovely little town of La Conner (Skagit Valley) as our home base, we booked a fabulous room on the water at the La Conner Channel Lodge for two nights. This unique boutique style hotel sits right on the La Conner Channel and offers spectacular sunsets. While in La Conner we visited the Swinomish Indian Reservation, did a little boutique shopping and visited the local fresh markets where we purchased blueberries, raspberries and peaches to take home.
Berries from La Conner
Dinner at Nell Thorn
Dinner at La Conner Brewery
We played three courses in the Skagit/ Snohomish region. Each course was easy to get a tee time for our dates of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday;
Burlington
GLENEAGLE GOLF COURSE – This course in Burlington was nice, but some of the fairways are pretty tight and there are many houses, so it’s a bit stressful for an erratic golfer like me. Also, as first timers we wished for better signage between tees. Gleneagle has a restaurant on site.
Gleneagle
AVALON LINKS – I liked this course in Burlington; it was pretty while still being relatively easy for a beginner. Strangely this course has 27 holes…not sure why that is, but we played 18 and had a very enjoyable game. A small cafe is available on site.
Avalon
Snohomish
THE GOLF CLUB AT ECHO FALLS – This is a beautiful course in Snohomish, and of the three the most challenging. We had a really fun game here. I had a cart but my husband was walking and he did wish the tees were not so far apart….sometimes a bit difficult to find. The clubhouse and restaurant and the entire grounds here are very beautiful.
Echo Falls
We recommend dining in La Conner at Nell Thorn for a delicious dinner made fresh with local ingredients. And for something a little less formal, try La Conner Brewing for excellent beer, burgers, tacos and salads.
MASON & KITSAP
Since we live in Kitsap County and near the border with Mason, we did not stay in a hotel while exploring these five courses listed below (three in our Around the Sound package and two not). But we can recommend from experience choosing to stay at the beautiful Alderbrook Resort & Spa on Hood Canal or the Silverdale Beach Hotel on the waterfront in Silverdale.
ALDERBROOK GOLF CLUB – Our friend John invited us to enjoy nine holes with him at his home course of Alderbrook Golf Club in Union. This course is not part of the Around the Sound package. It was our first time playing here and I enjoyed it very much. This course has both homes and a lot of trees along the fairways, but it was just the right amount of challenge for me (and I only lost a couple of balls!).
Alderbrook
Bremerton
GOLD MOUNTAIN GOLF COURSE – One of three courses within fifteen minutes of my house, Gold Mountain is an outstanding municipal course in Bremerton. I really love playing here, although I have only played the Cascade course. The Olympic course is more challenging…maybe next year. Anyway this is a beautiful rolling course with no houses…for me I need a cart as it has a lot of hills.
Gold Mountain
Port Orchard
TROPHY LAKE GOLF & CASTING – Not on the Around the Sound package, Trophy Lake in Port Orchard is one of my favorite courses. It’s just right for my skill level and I enjoy the grounds and the fact there aren’t any houses. It’s very close to where I live so that’s a bonus too.
Trophy Lake
MCCORMICK WOODS GOLF CLUB – Well, you can’t get much closer for me, as I live on the 6th hole at McCormick Woods. I never imagined living on a golf course but we have quickly fallen in love with this beautiful community that surrounds this beautiful course. This public course in Port Orchard also has memberships as well as an excellent restaurant. It’s challenging though, with lots of houses and lots of underbrush and water too. It’s here I have taken my lessons and had my coaching with course Pro Kyle Larson.
McCormick Woods
Kingston
WHITE HORSE GOLF CLUB – One of the more challenging courses I’ve played this summer, White Horse is in Kingston and is tough but a great learning course. I was in the sand A LOT. It’s a beautiful course with only a few houses. A very nice club house and restaurant too. Very close to the Kingston Ferry.
White Horse
JEFFERSON & CLALLAM
The Resort at Port Ludlow
We ventured across the Hood Canal Bridge for three days in Jefferson and Clallam Counties, one of our favorite areas in Washington, and a perfect golfing around the sound getaway. We spent two lovely nights at the The Resort at Port Ludlow. During our visit we had dinner at Port Ludlow (amazing), as well as breakfast at Stymies at the Cedars at Dungeness. We spent some time in Port Townsend checking out the shops and visiting Fort Worden State Park. We dined in Port Townsend at La Cocina Mexican.
Breakfast at Stymies in Sequim
Dinner at the Fireside at Port Ludlow
Lunch at La Cocina in Port Townsend
Our getaway included playing at these three fun courses (all included in our Around the Sound package).
Sequim
THE CEDARS AT DUNGENESS – I enjoyed this course a lot, even though my score didn’t reflect that! It’s a well maintained course with some beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains right in the heart of beautiful Sequim. We met friends for breakfast before we teed off and the restaurant Stymies was a great choice.
Beautiful views at The Cedars at Dungenes
SUNLAND GOLF COURSE – I had fun at this course, even though my cart was an antique. The course itself was well-maintained and fun. The fairways are really tight though, with houses and trees, but I managed to stay out of people’s yards (for the most part). It’s a great option in Sequim.
Sunland Golf Course
Port Ludlow
PORT LUDLOW GOLF CLUB I struggled at this VERY hilly course…and lost a lot of balls too. When we arrived I asked the guy in the Pro Shop if the course was hilly, as I was trying to decide if I would walk or get a cart. He said there were a “couple of hills”. So I decided to walk. By the end of 18 I was ready to drop. There are way more than “couple of hills”. I recommend a cart. This course has a lot of water and also houses to avoid. We enjoyed our visit despite it all and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day we had on the greens.
Port Ludlow Golf Resort
GOLFING AROUND THE SOUND
These are a few of our finds this summer as we spent time golfing around the sound. There are many more wonderful options to golf in the Puget Sound region…we hope to find those when we return from our winter travels next spring.
Port Ludlow
Meanwhile, it’s time to clean the clubs and get them ready for two months in Maui, where we love to golf. Stay tuned for our Maui adventures starting in September (we hope…unless the PanDamit shuts everything down again).
Enjoy this blog post again or for the very first time…gardening with the locals, the deer in our neighborhood.
I’m living in a new neighborhood and have inherited a garden quit different from anything I’ve had before. The neighborhood is beautiful and the landscape is focused primarily on native woodland plants. In addition to our wonderful landscape we inherited something else…dozens of deer. Our new neighborhood is brimming with deer and other wildlife. So I have been studying all about deer resistant plants for both container gardening and landscaping.
My yard in the morning
The deer in our neighborhood are so used to humans they will come right up to the front porch and eat the flowers there. Oh the nerve. What’s a girl to do? Well the deer were here first…so I need to adapt to them.
My friend Kim, who is a local Master Gardener, came over and brought me some lists of some of the tried and true plants and remedies to turn deer away from my yard. There are a lot of plants deer won’t eat, although even some of those they might take a nibble.
Social Distance gardening with my friend Kim
After my help from Kim and lots of research on Pinterest I headed off to my local nursery and stocked up on lots of plants that are supposedly deer resistant and I bought a couple of other things to try as a gamble.
I planted eight pots of flowers, planted four pots of tomatoes, and added several things in the ground. After three weeks here are my success stories and the fails from A – Z;
Astilbe
Astilbe
I planted 12 astilbe in the ground. The deer took a few nibbles in the beginning, mostly just nipping off the new flower shoots, but have essentially ignored the astilbe ever since. However, the astilbe is planted around a small Japanese Maple, and the deer keep walking on the astilbe to nibble on the Japanese Maple.
Peonies
Peony
Last fall I put eight peonies in the ground near the front of my house. The deer do not have any interest in them and the plants are flourishing beautifully. I think I will add some more.
Mugwort
Mugwort
I planted a couple of mugwort in a pot last year but they got so big I moved them to the ground this year. Mugwort has a strong odor of curry and the deer stay away. It’s not my favorite either but I’ll learn to live with it. I’ve grouped it with some lavender.
Lavender
Lavender
Another great plant the deer find offensive is lavender. Deer usually will stay away from most herbs, and although we love the smell and texture of lavender, deer do not. I now have six lavender in the ground, all healthy.
Rhododendrons
We inherited many mature Rhodies and were gifted some more from a neighbor and the deer have no interest in these beautiful and easy shrubs.
Hosta
Hosta
I got a little carried away at the plant store and, without checking my list, picked up three hosta to go under my maple tree where we removed some unsightly heather. Only later did I read hosta is deer candy. So, the hosta are there, and so far the deer haven’t eaten them but I am prepared for that to happen. Then I will try something else – maybe Bleeding Heart.
Bleeding Heart
Bleeding Heart
I put two Bleeding Heart (one of my favorite shade plants) in the tiny garden near our front door and they are doing great. For as delicate as Bleeding Heart is I am surprised the deer don’t like it, but apparently they hate it. More Bleeding Heart coming up.
Shasta Daisy
Shasta Daisy
I have a healthy Shasta Daisy in a pot from last year and the deer ignore it completely. I’ve added some Dahlias around this daisy for color and contrast.
Dahlias
Dahlias
It’s been years since I grew dahlias and this year I bought several from a local dahlia farm (Papa Paul’s Dahlia Farm). I put them all in pots. As of this writing they are emerging strong and healthy and so far the deer walk right by. I’ll need to wait until later in the summer to see if they ignore the blooms.
Canna
Canna
Canna is one of my favorite plants and I have four in two different pots. The deer are staying away so far. The other great thing about canna is it overwinters well in the Pacific Northwest.
Day Lily
Day Lilly
I actually am not a huge fan of day lily, but they make the list of deer resistant plants so I have added two yellow ones to one of my pots. So far, no deer.
Liatris
This purple flower falls into the deer resistant category of “usually”. So I put a nice healthy one in the same pot as the day Lily. The deer immediately nibbled off the tips of each oncoming bloom. Since then I have not seen any more damage. Fingers crossed.
Delphinium
Delphinium
One of my all time favorite flowers of summer, delphinium also falls into the “usually” deer resistant category. Last summer the deer ate all my delphinium, so this year I planted three in a pot closer to the house. So far they have taken a nibble on the petals of one of the plants but nothing more.
Cone Flower
I planted several cone flower in with the canna and a Black Eyed Susan from last year. These have been great performers in my pots and the deer have been pretty ambivalent.
Herbs
Oregano
In addition to the lavender I have some sage, lemon thyme and oregano scattered around my yard and pots. I think I’ll intersperse a few more herbs like mint and parsley, as herbs certainly seem to work to offend the deer and keep them away.
Vegetables
Tomato
My four pots of tomatoes and one pot of lettuce are just outside my kitchen and I have never seen a deer come up close to this door. All these plants are doing great.
Zinnia
Zinnia
I’ve never tried zinnia from seed before, but the odor and texture are a big turn off for deer (I’m sure you see a pattern here) so I sprinkled zinnia seeds in the ground and in one of my pots. I haven’t seen them even sprout yet, but I’m hoping for good color from these by midsummer.
That’s My Garden
Since we travel most of the year (well hopefully that will continue when the pandemic is over) I need a yard that doesn’t need a lot of care, but offers the summer color I crave when we are home. I will continue to experiment with deer resistant plants, and occasionally give a deer or two a good talking to when they visit.
Me in my garden
There is a ton of information available online for deer resistant plants and how to approach gardening with wildlife. You can also try some old tactics. Irish Spring apparently works and I have some hanging near some plants, as does having your husband pee around plants you want the deer to stay away from. We haven’t tried that yet LOL. You can also purchase chemicals designed to keep the deer out. As much as possible I’d like to stay away from the chemicals, and instead learn how I can live peaceably with these rather annoying, outrageously hungry, but also beautiful creatures.
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