All my own fault

It is. All My Own Fault. I knew the two pots of tulips were still within deers' reach... and I had learned that while deer dislike daffodils, they enjoy tulips. Very much.

And I had sprayed the front garden hostas with all-natural (so natural that you can drink it) deer repellant, which to me smelled just wonderful, a mix of cinnamon and coffee and other yummy ingredients... so the deer hadn't nibbled the hostas or new roses for a few days.

I guess I forgot the tulips. Or this was deer's way of saying, We Rule!

Anyway, this is all that is left of the tulips. Just one pretty head with about an inch of stalk. All the others, gone. Just the flowers gone. The stalks and leaves are still there, reminding me of my guilt...

... last night I planted astilbe in the woods. "Planted" is probably not the right word, "scraped a hollow and covered roots with more leaf mould and other stuff found on woodland floor" is probably more accurate, as there is such a mash of roots and vines and long-dead branches and twigs that you can't dig holes. Four astilbe, two red and two pink, under the big-entwined-trees. We shall see if they root. There will be a lot of we-shall-see-ing in the woods. We-shall-see if the smilax stays under control. We-shall-see if the deer ignore the stuff the books say they don't like to eat. We-shall-see what it's like in there once the mosquitos return...