“A Weekend in June in My Montana Life — What It Actually Looks Like”

Most weekends, I spend camping in our camper a few hours away or less, but this weekend my garden needs to be finished. It’s almost July, and we’ve been experiencing some light freezing at night with the occasional white stuff. Unusual but still within the scope of possibility. 

Despite living in the mountains, I have been trying to hold on to my love of gardening. By planning for the environment, I’m trying to set myself up for success, even with the immense deer pressure, potential drought conditions, and limited time. I decided to plant deer-resistant perennials, strategically position the most favorable deer food near the house on a terraced area, and plant heavy deer-resistant vegetation near the entrances to these terraced areas to deter them. 

During this trial and error, I’ve so far noticed that 95 percent of plants are left alone; the other 5 percent are chomped casualties. I shouldn’t feel too bad, given that we have at least two resident deer herds that use our property for meals. Other varmints that are constant include chipmunks, birds, and an occasional marmot. However, little effort is spent dealing with them. The garden is giving me a great creative outlet.

The day ends with watching the sunset and watching the deer grazing and romping around.