So far, nothing is going gardeners' way this growing season. Spring arrived late, with freezes continuing into mid-May, which delayed planting.

Then it was endlessly cool and rainy, giving new gardens plenty of moisture but not enough sun and heat to really flourish.

Now the deer have invaded. They've eaten every bud off my roses except for a handful on the climbers that are above their reach. The new growth on my coralbells and coneflowers has been nibbled to the nub, to the point that I'm not sure those plants are even going to survive.

I live in an area with a lot of wooded spots -- and deer. They've always been a bit of a garden menace, but it was spotty, a few plants here and there.

Not this year. Every morning, there's fresh evidence of their visits, with new buds sheared off and fewer tender leaves.

I'm guessing that the lateness of everything green has reduced the amount of new growth in the wild, forcing deer to forage more heavily in gardens.

I haven't done anything to deter them -- yet -- but I may get serious about deer deterrence if this continues. The National Gardening Association offers advice on its website (http://www.garden.org/howtos/?q=show&id=1295).

A couple preventive tips: If you're still filling in your garden, try planting things that deer don't especially like. They tend to turn up their noses at ferns, ornamental grasses, plants with fuzzy foliage, plants that taste of lemon, mint or sage, and anything with bitter or spicy foliage, according to the site.

And if you're fond of fertilizing, you might want to lay off for a while. Excess nitrogen in plant tissue makes foliage especially appetizing to deer.

What's going on in your plot? Are you seeing more deer damage than usual? What's worked for you as far as deer deterrence?