Northeast Gardening: Before and After, 1 by bbrookrd

bbrookrd wrote:
Victor, So far so good after 6 years for having the plastic deer fence around a big chunk of the garden. We had a similar wooden fence on the other side of the house built in 2006. Only one has come in that we know of so far. Dogs when after it. It left part of its antler and some bloody patches of its coat in the fence before escaping.

The plastic fence is about 7 feet. The wooden new gate on the east side is around 6 feet. The deer can jump 12 feet or more, but they don't like jumping over something that they can't see the top of or see through. The black mesh is nearly invisible to them. The fence is pretty solid to their eyes except at the top of the gate. We will lay down some wire fencing on the ground in front of the gate like a cattle grate, if we think they are tempted to jump the gate during the winter and spring. They have gotten use to not cutting through the garden, but I know they are easily tempted. The similar fence on the other side of the house shows ho signs of intruders and that is a garden packed with deer candy. We have an estimated 80 to 100 deer in our square mile, so they are here big time.

If they jump the little gate which has been up for a year and a half, they will be on our porch and this little gal will be greeting them. The other two pictures show the gardens from either side of the wooden fence on the west side of the house. I even give them some hosta to munch on in the fall and early spring. But DH does spray it during the season. The battle goes on. Patti