This versatile and easy-to-grow hardy geranium is a great choice for an evergreen perennial that is deer resistant, drought tolerant in part shade, and even gets fall color.

When looking for deer resistant plants it's always imortant to seek out scented plants, especially leaves with a strong smell. 'Biokovo' Geranium is one of the rare perennials to have a strong, spicy scent that is not Meditteranean or needing lots of sun. It performs best in a cool location with morning sun or at least protection from the hottest part of the day. The broad, lobed leaves provide striking contrast to finer leafed perennials and grasses.

'Biokovo' spreads by rhizomes to make a nice spreading mound about 6-10" tall and 2-3' wide and can be a bit aggressive so make sure it's neighbors can hold its own. Dainty, pale pink to white flowers with pink stamens emerge in late spring through summer, but this perennial remains interesting all year. The variety 'Cambridge Blue' is similar except with a lavender-blue flower.  We usually have several varieties of hardy Geranium in stock; they're great, tough, long-blooming perennials!

Cool fall weather brings out vibrant red and gold tones in some of the leaves but the leaves don't go completely dormant so you won't have an empty spot there in the winter. This tough geranium can be drought tolerant once established but will look freshest with regular water and a shearing after winter. A great groundcover for use with bulbs as it will mask fading bulb leaves and add flower interest after the bulb flowers are done. This is our go-to plant for a deer infested shade garden!

Creeping Thyme may seem too simple or common of a plant to feature but it is so useful and tough that we find ourselves using it all the time!   What other plant has evergreen leaves, spreads rapidly but not aggressively, has lovely bee-attracting flowers, and suppresses weeds without needing much water or care?  The creeping Thymes are not used for edible purposes but they still have a strong smell so the deer will leave them alone.  They will tolerate part shade but prefer full sun and a deep soak only when the soil is dry.  We use them to drape over a wall, or pot; as groundcover between pavers or at the edge of paths, anywhere you need a soft edge.  They are also great as filler- keeping weeds out while other shrubs are growing in and then they can either be lifted and divided or just let them remain under the existing shrubs.  The thyme pictured is Thymus pseudolanuginosus or Wooly Thyme- it is a bit slower to get established but that could be good in certain areas.  Thymus serphyllum 'Coccineus' or Red Creeping Thyme, and Thymus ser. 'Minus' or 'Elfin' grow more quickly and make great mass groundcovers that spread about 18".  Thymus 'Lemon Frost' is  a very handsome white flowering variety with lemon scented leaves that is well behaved, not spreading as fast to 12" or so.

We're always looking for a Sedum that looks good all year and this one gives a rainbow of colors throughout the seasons.  It's easy to use in a container or as an evergreen groundcover that is drought tolerant, cold hardy to Zone 3, and deer resistant (should be).  We have it dotted throughout a rock garden as a yellow and orange highlight against creeping thymes and hens and chicks.  A small piece of the plant casually planted (or dropped!) will easily root so you can spread it where you like.   Quickly gets to 15-18" wide and about 4" inches tall with yellow flowers in late summer.  The needle-like leaves will be more yellow in full sun and get red and orange highlights in colder weather and green up in more shade.  In spring it had green, yellow, orange, and red all on the same plant, just like a rainbow.