I live in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains in a community that has a large herd of Rocky Mountain Elk in residence. According to the Upper Snoqualmie Valley Elk Management, who do an annual census, there are an estimated 450 elk in the greater Snoqualmie Valley area. In my area and around my house we see small herds up to about 30.

These beasts are like spirit animals; they are huge and yet they can walk under my open window early in morning and I hear nothing. Sometimes I will walk outside and they are all laying down under the trees taking an afternoon siesta and just as quickly as they appear they can vanish into the forest without a sound. They are beautiful, so large and majestic. No matter how often I see them, I am always in awe and can never get enough photographs. I just love them and love having them around. Although they are quiet they do not come and go without leaving an indication of their presence. Most evident is the leftovers and scraps from veracious appetite. They will strip the leaves off small trees, devour roses and ornamental bushes, and flowers. It is difficult to maintain traditional landscaping so I sought advise from the local nursery and purchased a variety of plants that they recommended. Plants that elk are not fond of, mostly herb-like plants or plants with strong bitter tastes.

So generally everything in my greater open yard is free for the taking. I have a lot of things they don’t like — stinky daisies, wild foxglove and bee balm, rhododendrons, and azaleas. Other things that they may like are planted at my own risk. A few years ago I planted a golden chain tree that was about 7′ tall and I thought they might eat the lower leaves, but no, they grabbed it by the top and broke it right in half then left it. They will try most things and if they don’t like it they just leave it on the ground and move on. Very frustrating.

So that’s it, there are no tender plants, no annual or perennial flowers in my yard; for those I have my patio. There I have hanging baskets, geraniums, shamrocks, coleus, Japanese maple, a dogwood and lots of flowering annuals. My patio was somewhat “guarded” by a collection of decorative, yet not sturdy, fence sections. Those sections were really no defense against a 600 pound elk determined to snack. Occasionally they would break-in and ravage my patio pulling the plants up by the roots and the ones they didn’t like they just dropped. Last summer after one such attack they broke four flower pots because as they pulled the plants, the pots lifted as well, when the plants pulled free the pots dropped and shattered.

Enter, my friend Rogelio, (see my post 11/14/20) this spring he constructed a sturdier permanent fence. I am thrilled with my new well-fortified fence. My lilies in the large pots that faithfully come back every year, (even though the elk would bite the heads off most of them before they bloom) are flourishing. My planters are full of colorful flowers… it is a patio paradise.

Then, this morning, I see a small group of elk wandering around the back of the house and I rush downstairs to make sure they have not entered my patio garden by way of the sidewalk next to the house. I open the back door and I want to scream! Two pots by the back door, one with zinnias and the other with several beautiful coleuses, are both knocked over and those big beasts have eaten the coleus down to a nub. I am furious.

This is the other other side of our relationship. I don’t want to say “hate” because that is a strong word I don’t use to describe my feelings towards anything… except maybe yogurt, but I am not liking these beautiful beasts much at that moment.

I shout at them, clap my hands, “It is time to move along guys – go away!” Several beasts, a few feet away, just move a few steps and look at me like I am no threat and true enough, I am not! So there you go. On my way back inside the house I notice they also decapitated the only lily growing in the bed out side of the patio.

Le sigh, I give up.