August already - unbelievable. Thanks for the thread!
Suggestions needed: mama deer (accompanied by fawn) has eaten all the leaves off the rose bushes planted around the patio wall. The rose bushes are old & not that pretty, even when blooming. I would like to replace them with something else that would look decent at least 3 seasons of the year. Something that blooms would be nice, but not necessary.
The planting area is not full sun & in the afternoon, most is in a light shade. We had such good luck with the boxwoods I planted at the other house, I am tempted to plant them around the patio & for color, have very large pots on wheels that can be moved around. The pots can be planted with flowers that bloom in the spring & probably replanted with something that would bloom most of the summer & then again with fall flowers.
Any other ideas? Shrubs other than boxwoods that would stay green?
We put hollies in an area that sounds similar to yours, with a couple of evergreen azaleas for Spring color, and a Beautyberry for fall color. It’s working so far.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurus_nobilis
Laurel - it’s an evergreen - can be a shrub or small tree - there are ornamental varieties - poisonous to goats and likely deer
You won’t poison the deer because they know not to eat plants that are poisonous. Laurel is where bay leaves come from but probably not the ornamental types.
There seems to be a variety for every different climate. Kind of an edge of the forest or understory shrub/tree in nature.