Canoga Park, CA. (Nov. 2003) - 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, an outdoor design and construction firm, offer this list of reindeer-proof plants. Of course, anyone who lives where reindeer (or any other deer) are garden visitors understands that "proof is a relative term-deer have huge appetites and eat just about anything they can reach.

 The following plants seem to be their least favorites on the garden menu. For foliage, try Acacia, Boxwood, Cypress, Cedar, Pine, Spruce, Palm and Heavenly Bamboo trees. 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 importantly, don't forget to leave milk and cookies for Santa Claus!