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Continuous Color

If you need something (deer-resistant) in bloom all through the growing seasons in your garden, check that you have the following plants.

For early spring, winter aconites, hellebores, snowdrops, crocuses. Since crocuses get eaten by deer, put them under some bushes where the deer can't reach them. Also try some early-blooming dwarf iris reticulata.

To ensure color throughout early, mid, and late spring, also plant as many daffodils as you can, as well as a white star magnolia tree, some forsythia, and a doublefile viburnum shrub.

For late spring, be sure to have lots of peonies and German bearded iris, both are deer resistant.

For early summer bloom, try bleeding heart, Siberian iris, and Virginia blue bells, followed by coreopsis and shasta daisies and feverfew.

For mid-summer, plant both perennial and annual salvias and the annuals angelonia, geraniums, and million bells.

Late-summer bloom include obedient plant (Phystostegia), black-eyed Susans, Joe Pye weed, helianthus, chrysanthemums, and hardy begonia (B. grandis ssp. evansiana).

And for a great finale, plant as many asters as you can find. Remember they are American natives and create a lovely display.

Shrubs such as Itea and crepe myrtle and vitex are also good investments.

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Originally from Queensland, Australia, the late Moya Andrews served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculties at Indiana University until 2004. In the same year, Moya began hosting Focus on Flowers for WFIU. Moya was a member of the Bloomington Garden Club and authored the book <i>Perennials Short and Tall</i>, published by Indiana University Press.