Friday, July 06, 2018

Making the Veggie Garden Fence... Because We Had To

That is if we wanted to have a garden that was not devoured by DEER.. Those nasty, hungry, sweet-eyed, 4 legged, pretty little monsters... don't be fooled by their  gentle faces.. they are tricksters of the highest degree. as soon as you are confident and your back is turned..  your Hosta  will be gone.. your beans, your broccoli, chard, carrots and on and on.  We have deer come through our property several times a day.... and at night when they are the bravest and greediest

So we are building a Garden fence. and I am so excited.

 John is cutting it all from 2 x 6 lumber...  he laid it out on the back deck ( he built last year) so he had a nice flat surface to work on. most of the trellis panels are 8' x 12' . and we need 10 panels and a door.

so here we go.

 in the background is the woodshed John built last fall just in time to stack our winter firewood





 we watched the location in the backyard that received sun the earliest in the morning. and plotted out where the big 6" x 6" posts would go and placed some concrete deck blocks in those spots.

 ...every panel going up was so exciting.

 the thought that my veggies would be protected from the deer. yes of course raccoons and squirrels can climb over it but one thing at a time 

 We prepped the garden area last year with many loads of organic seafood compost and covered it with a thick layer of straw/mulch for the entire winter in hopes of making a productive growing medium


 every time I looked at it I was so happy.

 John did such a great job and he never stopped till he had it all finished.. I just absolutely love it!!!

 all up ... yippeee...  
Then I took a 3 foot piece of plastic deer netting and fastened it to the bottom couple feet of the fence all the way around.. to discourage rabbits and other short walking around critters

last but most important.. a lovely door. 
so until deer can figure how to unlatch a door.. I am feeling pretty secure the deer will only be able to peer through with no tasting.
we did this in May ready for the growing season here.

10 comments:

^.^ said...

Am surprised at seeing your effort in order to keep the deer out like that … I have the same problem here with moose and deer and rabbits and chip monks and gophers here in Alberta … but gave up fighting them a couple of years ago … so we came up with the following solution: We give you our garden and you give us one of you … hence, hunting season in November … Ya … anyway … Love, cat.

Guillaume said...

Lots of work. I think I'd keep some of it accessible to the deers so I can see them.

WILDSIDE said...

Yup, agreed, as no deer fence here as yet, and unknown to the local online neighborhood gossip brigade, this year mama & twin fawns come here to sleep (much less than entire deer tribes who bedded down below our house before), --BUT-- truth be known, as you already do, here in the exurbs, what if you want anything left for yourself?!? You must continue to have a more than a generous nature, which at times, hard to find! But yes, like a comment left above, in a land so overcome with so many housing developments, overrun with people, asphalt & traffic, I am very happy to yet still see at least some nature & wildlife in my yard and somewhat happy too that we can help out the wildlife a little where we can as they are so much under threat. Full of "yes, but; but, yes" today! Nevermind that. Enjoy your land & what it can provide, the best you can!

WILDSIDE said...

P.S. Most people grow in garden cages like yours too out where I live... Including an overhead part too. Nearly the only way to go to be able enjoy more of the energy & resource input that goes into a garden of any sort. Good job on yours, I don't have one yet, right now I am 90% effort, 10% gain or possibly less, but I tell myself I love the wildlife more than I love the idea of a garden and actually have little land space to spare for either, so there you go.

Please let us know your garden's results compared to before?

Gwen Buchanan said...

Cat, as soon as John is done all his building and repairing he is hoping to go hunting one day..

Guillaume.. the deer still come to hide under the old apple tree and lie in the meadow and sleep in the spruce grove.. we only fenced off 24 ft x 34 ft.. there is the rest of the 2 acres for them to frolic on.. they come every day.. now they don't bother me so much... but they did come beside our house the other day and ate almost an entire Hosta... one of their favourites.. but those plants are pretty hardy and it is growing back..Good thing.

Wildside , now I discovered that a roving raccoon drained my newly filled hummingbird feeder.. gone in one night.. had to take it down.. they even took out the little yellow centers of the feeder, threw them on the ground and drank the juice.. Now I have to devise a safer spot for it. nature's little rascals are ever busy.
I have been tasting the chard and beet greens, my second planting as the slugs got the first planting before I knew what was going on.. I thought my seeds were no good but no, it was the slugs.. they then devoured 12 broccoli till I put out a treat of water, sugar yeast combo in a little pie pan.. they all went in thinking they were going to a Beer fest... but I am having the real beer they are now bird food.
I do love wildlife and they can wander as they please now that I have at least one spot that is mostly saved for us. I don't mind the deer much now as long as they do not learn to unlatch the garden gate.
yes I will post some of my garden growth soon.

Steven Cain said...

Wow! That's incredible!

Gwen Buchanan said...

Thanks Steven,
Am really loving this protected spot..

WILDSIDE said...

just checking in...
how is it going today, gwen?
beautiful solution.

BumbleVee said...

hahaha... those deer .... makes it look like you have a garden in prison...but, it works....

Gwen Buchanan said...

Nice and warm in there too BumbleVee... ha