| The primary use of fences is to keep animals out | | | | notorious climbers include squirrels, raccoons, and |
| of gardens. The worst garden raiders include deer, | | | | opossums. |
| rabbits, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, | | | | You can easily discourage dogs and cats by using |
| dogs, cats, woodchucks, and opossums. Unhappily, | | | | fences; but human garden vandals are the most |
| we add humans to this list as well. Your garden | | | | challenging lot. They may respond to education or |
| location determines which of these animals are | | | | the passage of time but certainly not to fences, |
| troublesome. Fences also provide a way to | | | | unless the fences are barbed wire or electric. |
| overcome space limitations in the garden. | | | | Next, you must examine your garden's location. |
| Fences can support certain climbing crops, including | | | | Some location factors reduce the garden's need |
| pole snap and lima beans, peas, cucumbers, small | | | | for protection. For example, city gardens are not |
| melons, squash, and even some pumpkins. You | | | | usually troubled by animal pests, but the odds that |
| even tie tomato plants to fences. Instead of | | | | animals will invade the garden increase in the |
| spreading horizontally, such crops encompass | | | | suburbs, and increase still more in country |
| vertical space, freeing up gardening space for | | | | gardens. However, exceptions do exist. For |
| other crops. | | | | example, I presently have a city garden at my |
| The goal is to find the ideal, all-purpose fence | | | | home on the corner of two heavily traveled |
| suitable for both protection from small animals and | | | | streets. I have a lot of vegetation on my lot, |
| support of climbing crops. Fences used to | | | | which is also a short distance from a park. I have |
| surround and protect crops that appeal to animals, | | | | frequent garden visitors, including skunks, |
| such as corn and salad crops, may also support | | | | raccoons, opossums, and squirrels; but I can still |
| climbing crops that animals don't molest. The | | | | grow climbing crops on my fence, because these |
| location of the fence, the kinds of animals | | | | animals seems to have other food preferences. |
| present, and the other available food sources | | | | However, if their alternative natural food supplies |
| determine how effective the fence will be. The | | | | decreased, I could have trouble. |
| only sure way to know if the fence works is to | | | | Another choice faced by the gardener is whether |
| try it, or as the scientist would say, experiment. | | | | the fence is to be permanent or temporary. Both |
| To determine what kind of fence you need, you | | | | cases have their pros and cons. The joy of |
| first have to determine what kinds of animals find | | | | permanence is that you do the job once and |
| your garden attractive. For example, deer can be | | | | don't have to repeat it. The problem is a lack of |
| troublesome in rural areas, because they can | | | | flexibility and aesthetics. For example, if you use |
| damage vegetables and shrubbery. To deter | | | | permanent fencing, it becomes difficult to change |
| them you need a high fence. Little pests like | | | | the size or shape of your garden. Also, you may |
| rabbits and woodchucks can dig under fences, so | | | | not want to look out your window in winter to |
| to keep them out you need a fence that goes | | | | see a stark, forbidding fence looming out of a |
| underground. Woodchucks are double trouble | | | | snow drift. On the other hand, the annual erection |
| because they can climb; for them you need some | | | | and removal of temporary fences involve a lot of |
| sort of anti-climbing device on top of the fence, | | | | labor and frustration, besides the fact that you |
| as well as an underground extension. Other | | | | may not have the storage space for your fences. |