Except for forsythia and narcissus, later-blooming plants are good choices. In fall, the need to stockpile calories to survive the winter drives deer to seek high-calorie foods full of oils and starches. On large properties, dogwood, if planted away from vulnerable plantings, is also an excellent choice because the oily berries support many species of wildlife, including deer. In small gardens or yards, deer will eat such plants before others. Because silver and gray leaves are often furry and pungent, these plants are good deer-repellent choices for many gardens.
Pungent herbs are good garden choices.
Herbals and other literature on toxic plants list many other plants that are beautiful enough to include in the garden, but unappetizing to deer. Give transplants tough love. Many young plants are lost to deer because fertilizer or ample watering made them temptingly tender. Fertilizer makes for numerous green leaves, but at the expense of weak cell walls. Feed the soil, not the plants, to make flowers and shrubs less appealing to hungry deer.