New Garden

lexusnexus · April 7, 2015

My neighbor is professional landscaper with all the necessary tools and machines so paid him to install my new garden and deer fence (I still think we should import a pack of wolves to get the exploding deer population under control

, but I doubt the neighbors would agree). The first picture is most of my seedlings, mostly maters but some marigolds and Sweet Williams thrown in.

barefootgardener · April 8, 2015

How exciting for you. Very nice pictures, and your plants look good and strong. What variety of marigolds are you planting? I just transplanted a couple tray's of crackerjack and french. When is your plant out date in MD?

Your garden is nicely fenced in. Not sure how tall your fence is, but be aware that once the deer locate your garden they might jump the fence if it is less than eight ft. tall. Sometimes higher. I hope they dont and dont want to burst your bubble, but our deer population is high in our neck of the woods and they have jumped our eight foot fence. We had to install a strong strand of wire an extra foot above that to keep them out..

Thanks for sharing

Ginny

rhines81 · April 8, 2015

I wouldn't worry about deer too much in a small fenced in area like that especially after your plants are established. They tend to fear smaller enclosures like that. If it were a larger area, maybe 3-4x that size, you would probably need to go higher with the fencing.
I always plant plenty of other distractions around my yard specifically for the deer. Bulk radish seed is great and pretty cheap if you have some areas that you don't mow, like around wooded borders, hedges, etc. You could even make a special small garden just for them to have munchies. Radishes grow quickly and you can continuously plant (just throw seed on the ground and lightly rake in with a leaf rake) throughout the summer to keep them busy.

barefootgardener · April 8, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhines81

I wouldn't worry about deer too much in a small fenced in area like that especially after your plants are established. They tend to fear smaller enclosures like that. If it were a larger area, maybe 3-4x that size, you would probably need to go higher with the fencing.
I always plant plenty of other distractions around my yard specifically for the deer. Bulk radish seed is great and pretty cheap if you have some areas that you don't mow, like around wooded borders, hedges, etc. You could even make a special small garden just for them to have munchies. Radishes grow quickly and you can continuously plant (just throw seed on the ground and lightly rake in with a leaf rake) throughout the summer to keep them busy.

I had a small fenced in garden about this size and the deer jumped right on in. It is not impossible. They also knocked part of the fence down.
We are surrounded by plenty of fields with corn, oats, timothy, clover and lots of wildlife shrubs with berries etc..young trees... They still find my fenced garden more appealing and they like my rose bushes which are planted close to the house. Last year we planted 100 poplar seedlings and put small cages around them. The seedlings were planted around the front of our property in our yard and the deer nibbled them down. We own 120 acres and have tons of poplar trees and seedlings, and they still come in our yard to nibble down just about everything we plant . If you plant it they will come. Last week when the weather was nice, I counted over 50 deer across the road in our neighbors field, and just about that many in our two surrounding fields. We have no shortage of deer...

kath · April 8, 2015

Your plants and new fence look great, Dan! Seems to be the same type of material our fence is made from- ours encloses an area 60' x 60' and the fence is only 7' high. We have 30+ deer grazing all around it, walking by it daily, even pulling plants through the fence with their tongues in high season but none have jumped over it in the 20 years we've been here.

Hope you have a great season!

kath

AlittleSalt · April 9, 2015

I like it lexusnexus. The way I look at new gardens is, well, a different way I guess. I think of them as not set-in-stone. They can be changed to your needs - Smaller, bigger, taller, shorter - whatever you need to change - you grow with it.

Looks like a nice new garden to me

April 7, 2015	#1
lexusnexus Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: MD Suburbs of DC, Zone 7a Posts: 500	New Garden My neighbor is professional landscaper with all the necessary tools and machines so paid him to install my new garden and deer fence (I still think we should import a pack of wolves to get the exploding deer population under control , but I doubt the neighbors would agree). The first picture is most of my seedlings, mostly maters but some marigolds and Sweet Williams thrown in. __________________ Dan

April 8, 2015	#2
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	How exciting for you. Very nice pictures, and your plants look good and strong. What variety of marigolds are you planting? I just transplanted a couple tray's of crackerjack and french. When is your plant out date in MD? Your garden is nicely fenced in. Not sure how tall your fence is, but be aware that once the deer locate your garden they might jump the fence if it is less than eight ft. tall. Sometimes higher. I hope they dont and dont want to burst your bubble, but our deer population is high in our neck of the woods and they have jumped our eight foot fence. We had to install a strong strand of wire an extra foot above that to keep them out.. Thanks for sharing Ginny

April 8, 2015	#3
rhines81 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Zone 5A, Poconos Posts: 959	I wouldn't worry about deer too much in a small fenced in area like that especially after your plants are established. They tend to fear smaller enclosures like that. If it were a larger area, maybe 3-4x that size, you would probably need to go higher with the fencing. I always plant plenty of other distractions around my yard specifically for the deer. Bulk radish seed is great and pretty cheap if you have some areas that you don't mow, like around wooded borders, hedges, etc. You could even make a special small garden just for them to have munchies. Radishes grow quickly and you can continuously plant (just throw seed on the ground and lightly rake in with a leaf rake) throughout the summer to keep them busy.

April 8, 2015	#5
kath Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: zone 6b, PA Posts: 5,664	Your plants and new fence look great, Dan! Seems to be the same type of material our fence is made from- ours encloses an area 60' x 60' and the fence is only 7' high. We have 30+ deer grazing all around it, walking by it daily, even pulling plants through the fence with their tongues in high season but none have jumped over it in the 20 years we've been here. Hope you have a great season! kath

April 9, 2015	#6
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	I like it lexusnexus. The way I look at new gardens is, well, a different way I guess. I think of them as not set-in-stone. They can be changed to your needs - Smaller, bigger, taller, shorter - whatever you need to change - you grow with it. Looks like a nice new garden to me