Russian sage
If you do not want to have your whole yard full of lavender but you enjoy the brush of color through your landscape, then Russian sage is a very safe choice to make. Not only will these clusters of purple blossoms give your yard a colorful yet muted and relaxing aura, but they will also make deer turn away from your yard.
The scent will keep the deer from entering your yard but attract hummingbirds and bees, which will do wonders for pollinating your yard.
Just keep in mind that Russian sage loves a drier environment, which makes it a great addition to a xeriscape (which is a landscape especially designed to conserve water). They will end up growing up to 4 feet and can be quite spikey, so be careful with them. Likewise, plan them 2 or 3 feet apart so they have enough space to grow, and do not bother adding mulch to their roots; go directly for gravel.
