Pam Baxter’s post “From the Ground Up: Fencing for the garden, not the gardener” caught our attention! Most gardeners believe that the first steps to consider in gardening is having rich soil, plenty of sunlight, and choosing the correct types of seeds and plants, however, this is not the case.

While these factors are important, the first component to think about is protecting the garden!                                  Pesky herbivores like rabbits, rodents, and deer are bound to make their way to the upcoming garden buffet. Fencing is an efficient approach in keeping these critters out.

But where to start? What kind of fencing do I need? There are many options out there, so determining what you need will solely depend on the challenges you are looking to overcome

If it is just deer you are worried about, a poly option would be a great solution. Keep in mind, if you have a smaller area under 75 linear feet, a 6’ fence would do just fine. Deer do not want to jump into an enclosure where they cannot have a running start to jump back out. If it is a large area, consider fencing that is 7’ or higher.

Bunnies and groundhogs may be cute, but they will chew through just about anything! Poly fencing will not stand a chance. This is where the steel hex and welded wire come into play. Smaller critters will not be able to chew their way through this metal. It is important to note that you can add shorter heights of metal fencing to the bottom of poly fencing.