A friend forwarded some info to me on a perennial I had not heard of, but which is supposed to be deer-resistant. And it grows in the shade!
Hellebores have been around for awhile, but I can't remember seeing any of these multi-colored beauties at local nurseries. No matter. You can order them online, and it still may be worth a visit to some of your closer large nurseries to see if they are growing them for sale.
The flowers are colorful and interesting and look substantial. And they are hardy. According to Barry Glick of Sunshine Farms and Gardens, Renick, WVA, as quoted in Pittsburgh Magazine by Doug Oster: He has "never seen the plants eaten by deer, although some gardeners in our area have noticed some deer damage". He laughed when I asked him why he grows hellebores. “Why not? They’re not bothered by insects or disease, and grow in the densest shade or even light sun. They bloom in February, March, April and May when nothing else is blooming. They make a huge clump of evergreen foliage, and they will live over 100 years. They are almost a perfect plant.”
As soon as I can figure out how to pronounce the word hellebores I will go out and search for some to plant in my backyard where the deer have staked a claim to anything that blooms.
