As my garden is completely organic, slug pellets are prohibited. The organic status makes sure we have plenty of birds and lots of happy bees, but we also have a healthy population of snails and slugs. We also heard from the Hampshire Wildlife Trust that hedgehogs are dying by the thousands, killed by second-hand poisoning, after eating poisoned slugs and snails. The consequences are dire: apart from the tragic all time low in hedgehog numbers, this in turn causes a proliferation of gastropods.
Because we don’t like to kill things, even ugly squishy slimy slugs, death traps are not an option either in the Flora’s Patch garden.
As for snails, I actually quite like them, especially the small stripy ones.
The only way left is to plant things they find disgusting or too hairy or spiky for them to climb on. Over the years, the strategy seems to have paid off. The population has naturally been reduced by the lack of delectable food supplies. However, in this year of 2016, slugs seem to be doing particularly well, with a democratic surge that seems to defy the laws of nature.
Fortunately, there are plenty of plants that the snails and slugs will not eat, enough to make a beautiful, nature friendly garden.
Here is a list of plants I have successfully grown so far (I will update each time I find something new):
Agapanthus
Allium
Aquilegia
Begonia
Bergenia
Bluebells
Buttercups
Daisies
Erigeron
Eryngium
Erysimum
Euphorbia
Ferns
Forget-me-not
Fuchsia
Geranium
Grasses (the ones I tried anyway…)
Honeysuckle
Hydrangea
Japanese Anemones
Hellebores
Jasmine
Lavender
Lilac
Mallow
Muscari
Paeonies
Passion flowers
Pelargonium
Penstemon
Poppies
Roses (Thank goodness, a walled garden without roses is like a kiss without a moustache- that’s a French saying, I’m not sure how well it translates…)
Scabious
Verbena bonariensis
Veronica
Wild primrose
Wild strawberries
Wild violets
If you are a Hosta collector, it might be a problem…
Please feel free to use the comments if you know plants that can be added to this list.
Back to hedgehogs: we have a walled garden, so no hedgehog can find his way in. We are looking to kidnap one from somewhere but no opportunity has so far arisen.
HEDGEHOG APPEAL: if you know a hedgehog in need of a home, please let us know. The garden is walled all around and completely safe and there is plenty to eat. They might have to fend off the odd attempt at stroking or cuddling or being fussed at, but they are spikily well equipped against this kind of things. Thank you…
In the meanwhile, if you haven’t already seen this, it’s worth having a look. His name is Brillo the hedgehog and he loves carrots! If I do get a hedgehog, I will definitely try to feed him carrots:
YouTube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn0flJnBXD0
Sandrine Maugy 
Sadly my Annabelle hydrangea was munched overnight by the slimes squad ;(
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Oh no! Was it a very young Hydrangea? Or do you have a particular giant species of voracious slimies? The Hydrangeas around here are left completely untouched…
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Astrantia are gorgeous and slug proof.
My garden is 95% full of plants slugs & snails apparently dislike – so they just go for some of those rather than emigrate next door! Every night I summer, you can find me outside at 1am with a torch, a dish, and the occasional profanity, as I evict slimy adversaries. I even feed the little gits, lol, it’s bribery.
Much as I shout at and evict slugs & snails, I will never kill them, they’re only doing what they need to.
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Hi Sandy, I never kill them either 🙂 I tried feeding them so they would leave the plants alone (they LOVE cereals!) but the population rocketed! Now I just plant things they don’t like and they have mainly moved away.
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