survivor:the gardening edition

Last night we got rain. A lot of rain. A lot of much needed rain. It was nice. When I got up this morning the grass was already turning green again and my garden plants looked happy. Well, most of them did. While we ate our breakfast we saw a deer in the yard across the street. A happy, fat deer. I jokingly said that she's probably the neighborhood tomato thief. Then I saw them. My tomatoes. The young ones that I planted late were just starting to get baby tomatoes and lots of blooms. Perfect for a nice morning snack, fresh rain droplets still covering them and making them look extra juicy and delicious. Let me remind you that I live in the city, a mere two blocks from a major road, and I have a fenced in back yard with a gate that was closed!

Victim #1-chewed down and yanked off with only a string of evidence remaining

Victim #2 - chewed down to the stump with only a few leaves of hope left behind

Victim #3 - chewed all the way down to about 4 inches from the dirt then yanked completely out of the ground and left in the grass to mock me. (Ha Ha city girl! I will eat your tomatoes so that you have to buy tomatoes that were picked green and left to ripen in a crate on a truck on the way to the grocery store...said the deer)

Then I saw them...the survivors. A few stems were missed by the hungry deer and these little gems were hidden amongst the leaves. Or, she probably ate so much of my other tomato plants that she just couldn't take another bite. Either way I've still got tomatoes...now if I can just outwit and outlast the deer this summer I'll be good to go!

Any tips on how to keep deer away from my tomatoes? Do tell. I don't want to spray them with chemicals or anything and I don't have a problem with insects...just deer and maybe a raccoon or two. Any tips or tried and true concoctions are welcome.
Happy Friday xoANG