Spicing Up Your Life

We are following the progress of our garden through video updates and here is our second installment.

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As we move into a new gardeing season we want to keep you up to date on the progress of our garden and what we are doing with the produce. You can watch the video below and we hope you enjoy joining us as the summer goes by.
The video was taken using a High Definition video camera (Vado) that cost me just $135.00. I am still trying to get the frames per second right in the editing so this version seams a little jumpy even though the resolution is pretty good.

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If you try to garden in any part of the country infested with deer you know what gyrations it takes to keep them out of your yard and especially your garden. Deer are lovers of young plants and can decimate your hard work in a single night unless you have taken steps to keep them out. This can take many forms and involve much time and money but I have found a way to slow these critters down and keep my plants protected that is easy and affordable. With a small investment of time and money you too can create this for your garden. Here is what I did.

My garden is a little different in that it is built above a retaining wall but you can create the same thing with any garden configuration.

Basic tools and items needed:

Table Saw

Power drill and ¼” bit

Sledge hammer

(3) 1″x6″x8′ treated deck boards $3.97 ea.

(9) 5′ metal fence posts (U-Post) $4.45 ea.

(1) 280′ roll of 50 pound test fishing line $3.36

(1) box 2″ wood screws $5.45

Take the deck boards and split them vertically into 3 individual posts 1 3/4″ wide. Space each post about 6 feet apart and push or bury at least a foot into the ground. Place the metal fence post next to the wood post and drive into the ground at least up to top of the triangular plate to secure it firmly into the ground. Screw the wooden stakes to the metal fence posts with 2 or 3 screws to keep them from moving. Beginning about 1 foot from the ground, drill a hole into the wooden stakes spacing them about one foot apart up to the top of the post. String the fishing line through the posts and tie it off making sure that it is tight to the feel. You may have to come back in a week or so and retighten the lines as they will stretch out slightly so make sure that you leave enough string on each end and tie a knot that can be undone without having to cut the line.

As you can see, my garden is built above a retaining wall so I chose to put the fence on only three sides. The deer will jump into the garden from the front however, so I used the posts without the fishing line in the front hoping that the deer would assume that there was line there also. If you are using a raised bed or conventional rectangular garden you could leave a single opening or create a gate system that allowed you to open a small portion to access your garden to tend and harvest.

My total cost for this fence was $60.77. Using this simple system has saved me from having to use more expensive and unsightly fencing systems. I hope it does the same for you.

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