Uninvited Dinner Guests

Remember I mentioned that this year I was going to try my hand at gardening?  Well, I've mainly been watching my boyfriend do the gardening, BUT I'm asking lots of questions and learning from him.  I promise I'll plant something myself before the season is out!  Well, he recently planted a little magnolia tree for me, but we've noticed the pretty purple flowers and green leaves have disappeared.  Where did they go?  Into a groundhog's belly!  We caught a chubby woodchuck "in the act."  Not once, but twice.  There he was, balancing on his hind legs, reaching up to the branches, and eating everything green and flowery.    You know all those groundhogs who frolic along the side of the Parkway?  For years I would always admire them and comment how cute they are.   After witnessing the freeloader in my backyard, now I declare "groundhogs are the enemy!"   Okay, maybe I'm being a little over dramatic.  They're still adorable and I'm not going to declare war.   But I would like to know how you deal with uninvited guests in your yard.   Any suggestions on keeping groundhogs, rabbits, and deer from dining on your plantings?   Please share any tips in the Comments section below.  Thanks!