Bambi (deer), Thumper (rabbit), and his friends are always fascinated by the garden. As such, we found we had to put up a fence. Now having planted many gardens, but really not harvesting meaningful amounts, I was determined that this time would be different.
I had tried smell deterrents for deer, but it always seemed to rain somehow after application. I then talked to people who had found ways to keep the deer out of their gardens. Some had light sensors that flashed on them, water that sprayed, while others used electric fences. The first two relied on sensors which can be finicky. I then looked into home version garden electric fences for quite a while but determined that for it to really work, it could not be grounded by the grass so there would have to be a clearance between the fence bottom and the top of the grass. As such, even though it would deter deer, smaller animals could walk right under it. I could have made a double fence, but it seemed to become too much time and energy investment for this particular project. .
In the end, I made a single fence using metal posts which were hammered into the ground.
You can get these in varying heights, but plant to get ones at least a foot taller than your desired height so you can really sink them into the ground for stability.
We then wrapped fencing wire around the posts. I selected a 5′ tall height. It was visually more appealing than the taller ones while more functional than the 4′ tall ones.
After wrapping the fencing around the posts, I secured each section with black zip ties at 3 to 4 sites on each post to keep the fencing taught.
I found a nice little garden gate that worked on a hinge for easy access in and out of the garden. I later added an arch to give the opening even more of a presence.
Our gate has 2 swinging doors. If I had to do it again, I would get a wider single door like the one below as ours does not line up evenly.
I considered framing the edge of the fence line with decorative metal, but instead opted to grow grape vines along the top of the fence.
For visual appeal, I painted the entire fence and posts black.
While the fence deters rabbits who cannot hop over it and deer who cannot safely land inside it, it does not protect your garden from squirrels or chipmunks. No matter how many times my youngest has tried, she cannot grow sunflowers! Seeds never germinate in the yard. Seeds she starts indoors are devoured within a day of being set out. These rustic wire garden cloches have allowed us to grow what we could not in the past.
They are a bit pricy but have already paid for themselves twice over. I love plants but find I can save money if I buy bare root. Unfortunately, the deer love the tender sprouts, especially of my peonies. I have lost countless plants this way. Since I have gotten these cloches, this is no longer a problems. I cannot say enough about them. I bought six last year and just got a dozen more.
If you are interested in any of the items above, you may click on the image for sourcing.
Feature image courtesy of http://theconversation.com/how-bambi-paved-the-way-for-both-fallout-4-and-angry-birds-81885
