Homesteader Depot

Tag: fencing

  • 7 Great Fence Alternatives for Your Yard

    7 Great Fence Alternatives for Your Yard

    Improved landscaping, privacy, and security are common reasons why people install fencing in their yards. You don’t have to necessarily use a traditional fence to produce the same effect with the many different alternatives out there. There are several that are environmentally friendly that also look beautiful. Check out seven different options that you have to choose from when it comes to creating a perimeter around your yard.

    1.    Brushwood

    Brushwood is a natural material that you can make yourself or buy from your local lumberyard. When you’re looking to make a barrier, but you want it to look natural, brushwood is a good option. Due to the texture and color, it blends in with the natural background. The problem with brushwood is that it isn’t water resistant and can quickly become damaged or rot.

    2.    Stone

    Stone walls require no mortar so you can easily install it and change it depending on what you need. They look extremely attractive in most yards. Stone walls don’t keep wind or wild animals from doing what they do naturally. Pressure washing the stones is simple if you want to keep a clean look. You can also let the moss and plants grow for a more natural and stunning look. The rocks can be expensive to purchase and difficult to move around if they’re large is a downside to this option.

    3.    Bamboo

    Bamboo screens can be installed quickly, they are affordable, and they grow fast. They don’t have to be set up permanently in case you’re looking for a temporary fencing solution. There isn’t much maintenance required for bamboo. You can either cut it up and let it dry before installing or let it grow wild for a natural look. It will blend into the existing backdrop if other plants or trees surround your property. It’s recommended for small homes and cottages rather than older bigger homes where bamboo might look out of place.

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    4.    Hedges

    Putting in hedging as a fence is probably the most versatile option. You get to decide what kind of plants to install so you can customize the look along with the size. If you want a tall fence, some hedges and trees can grow up to 20 or 30 feet over some time. When something shorter is desired, you can select one that doesn’t reach that height. The combinations of trees, shrubs, and flowers that can be planted to create an effective perimeter around your yard are endless.

    5.    Corrugated Metal Panels

    Corrugated metal is durable and can be decorated with wood accents for a more attractive finish. It’s affordable and can be installed a lot more quickly than traditional fencing. You can give it a modern or vintage look, depending on the size, style, and design you finish it with. The metal can be expensive to purchase if you have a large area to cover. It’s not natural looking and will stick out against the rest of the property making it clear you have put up a barrier.

    6.    Vertical Gardens

    You can construct several different vertical gardens on various platforms and set them next to one another to create a fence. The amount of coverage you’re going to get is going to depend on how dense your gardens are.

    7.    Ivy on Rope

    Running rope around the border where you want to install fencing gives you a good foundation for growing ivy. The plant will grow quickly, and you can train it to wind around your rope and then it will hang off of it creating a radiant barrier. You can also add in different kinds of flowers and plants to create a completely different look.

    As you can see, there are plenty of alternative options when deciding the type of material to use for your fence.  Some of these may not be practical for your purpose, but you should be able to use at least one or two depending on the purpose of your application.

  • 5 Tricks for Keeping Animals out of Your Garden

    5 Tricks for Keeping Animals out of Your Garden

    There’s nothing worse than dealing with a pesky animal that got into your garden. Your fresh fruits and vegetables get chewed on. Entire rows of carrots go missing. The leaves on your trees and shrubbery have tooth marks on them. Yes, these animals can cause quite a bit of damage, both to your edible crops and your ornamental ones. Thankfully, we have some solutions for you.

    Fencing

    In most cases, a fence will keep these critters at bay. It will prevent many large types of wildlife from even getting near your garden. With that said, some, like raccoons, can scale metal chain link fencing, and others, such as moles and groundhogs, will tunnel under it. Fencing isn’t a perfect solution, but if you’re dealing with deer and their kinfolk, it works quite nicely.

    Related Article: Protecting the Garden From Animals

    Keep Outdoor Cats Away

    While outdoor cats are usually friendly and will come up to you for some head scratches, they’ll also use your garden as a litter box. This isn’t the type of fertilizer that you need. You can keep cats at bay with citrus scented items like sprays and fruit peels. They may still come up to you, but won’t leave deposits in your garden anymore. Other cat repellents include pipe tobacco, coffee grounds, mustard oil, citronella oil, lemongrass oil, and even lavender oil.

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    Hot Sauce Will Repel Deer and Raccoons

    There’s one thing that both deer and raccoons have in common – they hate the taste of hot sauce. (Oh, and they’ll go after the same plants, for the most part. That’s two points of commonality.) In order to repel these critters, you’ll have to make a concoction of water and hot sauce. Fill a spray bottle with water and drop in some hot sauce, powdered cayenne pepper, and even flakes of red pepper. Basically, every spicy substance that you find in your kitchen – dissolve them in the water. Then, spray your homemade pepper spray on your plants. The raccoons and deer won’t nibble on them anymore. If you use the spray on your edibles, just wash them well before eating them. You’ll also need to reapply your pepper spray after a rainstorm.

    Deter Moles with Mothballs

    Moles aren’t necessarily the type of pests who’ll end up eating all of your vegetables. You might find them nibbling on some greens, but for the most part, their damage takes place under the ground. They can destabilize your garden’s soil fairly quickly. Since moles tunnel, they can destroy entire root systems or leave your garden without enough depth. You’ll begin to see these sections collapse in on themselves as you begin to wonder why your plants aren’t thriving. Mothballs and some patience is the best solutions here. Why patience? Because you’ll need to figure out where the moles are coming from. You may have to hunt around your yard looking for the end of one of their tunnels. Once you find that entry point (or exit point, who knows with a mole), pour some mothballs into it. The moles will steer clear of that particular tunnel.

    Use the Aluminum Pie Plate Method

    The aluminum pie plate method is inexpensive and very effective. There’s a reason why gardeners have been practicing it for years. It involves punching holes at the tops of the pie plates and stringing twine through them. Use the twine to tie them to your fence. The wildlife will be deterred by their shininess and the light they reflect. The pie plates will also make some noise on windy days, which will help keep those critters away.

  • Protecting the Garden From Animals

    Protecting the Garden From Animals

    After you have invested time, physical effort and money into creating a garden from which you plan to enjoy a variety of fresh vegetables, the last thing you want to see is an invasion of wildlife. In a single evening, devastation can occur as a result of unwanted four-legged visitors. A slower method of destruction can occur from casual nibblers and from critters who destroy your plants from underground.

    Individual species of animals attack your garden in different ways. Animals such as rabbits and deer simply move along throughout your garden nibbling on or possibly entirely consuming some plants. Other animals such as mice and woodchucks attract your plants from underground. Your garden can also be damaged, although typically not totally destroyed by dogs and cats trampling the plants or digging up some of the plants. The area you live in often determines the type of animals you are most likely to be in competition with when it comes to enjoying garden vegetables, fruits and even flowers.

    Fencing is the most assuredly effective way to protect your garden. Various factors enter into the type of fencing you use. An electric fence is considered to be the ultimate protective fencing. However, if you have young children, this may not be the best option for you. There are a variety of safer options available as an alternative to electric fencing.

    You can purchase a product that is marketed as deer fencing. Poly fencing does not hamper your view of your garden. This is a good option for a garden that is located in a neighborhood or in an area where it is a visible part of the landscape. Deer fencing made of wire is one of your strongest defenses against deer and other furry invaders. Taking time to observe the unwanted visitors to your garden will help you determine the type of barrier you need to install.

    When appearance is a priority, decorative fencing may be your preferred choice of protective fencing. Reed fencing is a way to increase privacy and protect your garden. If you enclose your garden with wood fencing, you’ll need to add poultry netting to the base to keep out small intruders.

    Moles, voles and chipmunks attract your garden from underground. To prevent your garden from an underground attract, you will need to dig a trench 6″ to 8″ below the ground and begin your fencing there.

    Perimeter fencing has been shown to be the most effective way to protect a garden from the numerous animals waiting to enjoy the fruits of your labor. However, if a permanent fence or temporary fencing is not a possible option for you, there are alternatives. You can interplant animal-deterrent plants such as catmint, sage, zinnia, marigolds, garlic and onion within your garden or use these plants as a living border for your garden to deter unwanted visitors. Some gardeners have found that planting a dense hedge or thorny rose bushes around the garden will deter rabbits and dogs from entering the garden.

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