It's hard to believe 2011 is almost over. We designed and built some beautiful projects this year, and we're excited about the upcoming season. Remember, when you're going to put in a swimming pool, the best time to start the process is winter time in order to insure it will be ready for graduation parties in June!

Reindeer-Proof Plants
And Other Holiday Garden Fun
The arrival of Donner and Blitzen is just around the corner. Once they've landed (with such a clatter), you can bet they're going to be hungry! And Santa is just too busy delivering presents to keep them out of your garden. With that in mind, the little garden elves at The Green Scene offer this list of "deer-proof" plants. Of course, anyone who lives where deer are garden pests (if you can bring yourself to call a lovely deer a pest) you understand that "proof" is a relative term. They have huge appetites and eat just about anything they can reach. The following plants appear to be their least favorite on the menu. For foliage, try Acacia, Boxwood, Cypress, Cedar, Pine, Spruce, Palms and Heavenly Bamboo. Showy, yet unappetizing, flowering shrubs and perennials include Lantana, Lion's Tail, Blue Hibiscus, Butterfly Bush, Bottle Brush, Wild Lilac, Princess Flower, Yarrow, Lily-of-the-Nile, Snow-in-Summer, Coneflower, Daylily, Candytuft, Lily Turf and Monkey Flower. Annuals are usually a delicacy for Rudolph and his Reindeer Friends. Deer-resistant varieties include Calendula, Impatiens, Pincushion Flower, Canterbury Bell, and California Poppy. There are several deer-resistant varieties that can also add Christmas color to the garden. Holly, Pyracantha and Viburnum will give a colorful display of red berries. Classic Poinsettia can be grown outdoors in frost-free areas. White Ageratum planted in masses will look like snowdrifts under the Christmas lights. In the Christmas spirit of giving, (if deer are not a worry) add plants with edible winter fruits and berries for our feathered friends. Good choices are Strawberry Tree, Natal Plum, Lowquat, Crabapple, and Gooseberry. Most important, don't forget to leave milk and cookies for Santa!