What kind of flowers can I grow up in the mountains?

Dorothy
by Dorothy
The growing season is short. The winters are long And when I do plant things the deer, squirrels, and chipmunks get to them. I just can’t seem to win. Please help. I am located in Duck Creek Village in Utah. Southwest corner of the state.

  12 answers
  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Feb 17, 2018

    Look for alpines - maybe.........

    • Dorothy Dorothy on Feb 17, 2018

      The alpines sound great. I hope I can get them around here. Thanks so much.

    • Dorothy Dorothy on Feb 17, 2018

      Janet, I see you are from Smithtown, NY. I moved from Aquebogue, NY just east of Riverhead to Utah 7 years ago. I have gone on all these web sites about plants to plant in Utah without much success. Those creatures find them and destroy them. I try something different ever year. Thanks for your help.

  • Lois Martin Lois Martin on Feb 17, 2018

    I feel your pain. As I look out my window at the 2+ feet of snow that's on the ground right now and realizing the rabbits, voles and deer have been using my landscape plants as a buffet, I do get discouraged. Visit your local extension service and they can give you ideas for "deer resistant" plantings. Keep in mind that nothing is truly safe, except for daffodils. I have 2 fenced areas where I can grow my favorites in raised beds and vegetables. The rest of my two acres is open for consumption with evergreens, mature apple trees (the newer ones are fenced off), junipers, old fashioned yellow roses, etc. They get pruned regularly by deer and with a little clean up look fine during our short summers. My concern this winter because it's been such a long one, is that the rabbits will have eaten all the bark off the ground level trunks and branches underneath the snow. In that case, I will have to plant new ones...sigh.

    • See 1 previous
    • Lois Martin Lois Martin on Feb 17, 2018

      Russian sage, May Night salvia, daylilies are a few that nothing bothers. If I think of more that are hiding under the snow, I'll let you know. I redid a huge flower bed with deer resistant plants last fall and had to put mesh over them because the deer were pulling them out of the ground before they had a chance to get rooted. They weren't really eating them though. Just being jerks!


  • Elaine Marchant Elaine Marchant on Feb 17, 2018

    I have the same problems you do. Deer love daylilies but I have a daylily border along my 50' walkway. I just bought 1/2 inch mesh deer fence and drape it over. The deer fence is invisible from a few feet away and the deer can't get at the lilies. On a hillside which is all but impossible to weed I planted Hardy Geraniums along the top and let them reseed themselves down the hill. The critters don't like them and they make an excellent ground cover even dandelions don't grow through. The deer occasionally will eat the buds off if they're really hungry but mostly leave them alone. I've used the deer fence to cover other garden plants as well but I have no crocus due to the chipmunks so you just have to be selective in your choices. I have made raised beds from old fridges and bathtubs and put 5' X 3/8" rebar in them with painted water bottles on top and covered with deer fence. The water bottles keep the rebar from tearing the deer fence. You can use row cover too but you can't see through it. You should be able to grow any zone 3 or maybe even zone 4 plants if you get enough snow cover in the winter. Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.

    • Dorothy Dorothy on Feb 17, 2018

      Thank you Elaine. I will try the fencing this Spring. Sounds like a good idea.

  • Granny Laura Granny Laura on Feb 17, 2018

    Go to www.iciclepansy.com. I found them some years ago but never bought them. (Wish I had) They are a biennial that comes from Canada and actually will keep blooming into the winter. There are plenty of colors to choose from and on the website there are pictures and stories of how they are still blooming at Christmas - in the snow yet! For real! Make sure you read the FAQ section. It provides good info and will probably answer most, if not all of your questions. I think it even has info on how to protect them from deer and rodents. Hope you find something you like.

  • Dottie Hunt Dottie Hunt on Feb 17, 2018

    You might try hellebores. Mine have bloomed all winter and in a planter on an open deck. Three years now. Deer don't bother my gold dustplant. No blooms but stays green with gold and white specs year round. Good luck 😊

  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Feb 17, 2018

    you other option is to invest in a electric fence

  • PattyV PattyV on Feb 17, 2018

    I live in washington about 500 feet above sea level. I grow daffodils, Camilla’s, magnolias, orientalist poppies, and rhodies. I have not found these items to be on the food chain for any animals

  • Lisa Lisa on Feb 17, 2018

    I was going to suggest hellebores also. I live in the SW section of Michigan (30 miles from Lake Michigan) and they grow wonderfully here!

  • UTAHGAL UTAHGAL on Feb 17, 2018

    i live in the middle of utah and find that wild flowers will flourish best and for deer i hang nylon bags of human hair from the trees and they do not like that they think humans are close by as for rabbit i do not know if they will eat marigolds or not might give it a try also an extension office may be of some real help wild onions and wild roses will grow great i had yellow and pink ones along a horse shoe driveway and they smelled great when in bloom they just didn't last too long but stayed green till snow came,the roses are a great cover as they grow wild and flourish!! good luck

  • Carbley Carbley on Feb 18, 2018

    Datura, common angel trumpet with white upright blooms grows fast, reseeds profusely and deer don't touch it! It's not picky about good soil, either.