It is pretty hard to come up with plants specifically for those 20 years. Since the settlers came here from Europe and Asia, they all brought various plants from their homeland with them.
Here are a list of perennials from colonial gardens:
Blanket Flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora)
Caterbury Bells (Campanula medium)
Biennial Creeping Jennie (Lysimachia nummularia)
Feverfew
Globeflower (Trollius europaeus)
Hen-and-Chickens (Sempervivum tectorum)
Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
Honesty or Money Plant (Lunaria annua)
Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium caeruleum)
Johnny-Jump-Up (Viola tricolor)
Daylily (Hemerocallis flava)
Common Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Monkshood (Aconitum henryi)
Peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
Pinks (Dianthus plumarius Semperflorens)
Rose, Eglantine—Sweet Brier (Rosa eglanteria)
Rudbeckia or Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida)
Southernwood Artemisia (Artemisia abrotanum)
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Various ferns
Bulbs used were tulips, lily, and grape hyacinth.
Herbs were very popular including:
• Annuals: anise, sweet basil, borage, chervil, coriander, dill, peppergrass, Rocket Roquette arugula
• Perennials: angelica (biennial), burnet, caraway, catnip, chives, hyssop, marjoram, mints, rue, sage, and thyme
Deer-resistant plants (but understand that all plants are at risk if a deer is hungry enough) include:
Hen-and-Chickens (Sempervivum spp.) (spiny varieties)
Carpet Bugle (Ajuga reptans) — annual
Myrtle (Vinca major)
Santolina (Santolina spp.)
Spearmint (Menta spicata)
Thyme (Thymus spp.)
Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.) (flowers eaten)
Cosmos bipinnatus — annual
Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria) — annual
Foxglove (Digitalis spp.)
Holly Fern (Cyrtomium falicatum)
Purple Salvia (Salvia farinacea) — annual
Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes)
Periwinkle (Vinca rosea)
Purple Cone Flower (Echinacea angustifolia)
Savory (Satureia)
Sword Fern (Nephrolepis spp.)
Wood Fern (Dryopteris spp.)
Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina)
There are very few plants a rabbit will pass up. Fencing is the best solution to keep out rabbits.
Online Resources:
Deer Resistant Plant List
