Last year we had real problems with vandalous youths in our garden….youths with horns….hairy youths….hungry youths! No the local weans were not pillaging the veg patch but the small local herd of deer were feasting on every flower we had with a particular preference for rose bushes, violas and dianthus.

One night before going to bed the newly installed security light popped on to catch a deer in mid munch of the apple tree. It froze on the spot, favouring the “if I don’t move you can’t see me” defence. I ran to the kitchen door to rattle the handle and scare it off while switching the light back on so I could witness the exit strategy – I’d heard they can jump and our neighbours assured us that the fence extension wouldn’t keep them out. I was amazed at what I saw, no jumping for this deer, it went through a tiny hole at the bottom of the evergreen hedge and into our neighbour’s garden which has a rather more open aspect that ours.

After this epiphany we were out with the trusty green twine and the odd large rock to, at least temporarily, discourage our midnight feasters. We thought we had been successful…..until this morning.