answer:Some reliable perennials are bee balm, black-eyed Susan, obedience plant (physostegia), phlox, lobelia siphilitica, the various flowering sages, rugosa roses, clematis, mallow, perennial poppies, globe thistle, fall anemones, bleeding hearts, monkshood, foxglove, catmint (nepeta), Russian sage, the loosestrifes, astilbe, yarrow, iris, and daffodils. A lot of these are aromatic. There are nice ground covers also; myrtle, sweet woodruff, creeping Jenny, lilies-of-the-valley, brunnera, annual forget-me-nots (will reseed easily) the lamiums and Bishop’s weed. Deer devour tulip bulbs, all the lilies, rhododendron, azaleas, yews, sunflowers, and peony foliage after they bloom. No guarantees however. Deer are unpredictable so it’s trial and error, which I have been doing for 28 years, also in the NE on 20 acres, many wooded where the deer lurk and plot and learn new devious tricks. Talk also to your local garden center. What doesn’t work; hot pepper, moth balls, smelly soap on strings, and both male and female urine.