The Fence Garden

If you remember a couple months ago I spent some time working on a garden remodel for my parents. I had purchased a few plants as gifts for Mother's Day for my mom and decided that I would redo the garden along their backyard fence. The remodel mostly involved moving plants around, installing a stone block border, and mulching, lots of mulching.  Now that the end of September is here it is time for an update.You'll notice that the lamb's ear has filled in from small transplants to become a lush bushy groundcover.  In the distance is a bench area perfect for sitting on a hot summer day in the shade.

Closer to the deck the garden is just now beginning to grow together. The coneflower that was planted will grow larger next year but did manage to provide quite a few flowers in its first season. The monarda is spreading happily while the Russian sage and catmint (which migrated from my garden via cuttings) have thrived here in front of a dappled willow. The variegated liriope hasn't filled in as fast as I had hoped but it's growing fine and should fill the area in front of the Himalayan White Birch (Betula jacquemontii) eventually, maybe as soon as next spring.

I'm pretty pleased with the way this area turned out. There are a couple Bird's Nest Spruce shrubs that probably need to find different homes as they are just being buried by the accompanying perennials like the drummers in a middle school band. The perennials will eventually fill in the gaps as they grow and by late next spring this area should become a completely lush garden.

The Vegetable Garden Has Been Breached! (Deer Again!)

Cucumber Plant - Deer Damage

I was startled the other day when the eventual invader leaped out from behind my shed and scampered off into the woods. I jumped because I thought the deer had gone. I thought that they had picked up and moved on after the neighbors behind us moved in with their dog.  I wish I was right. When it revealed itself from its hiding place behind the shed I was a little concerned but not overly so. Since the deer attacks a couple years ago I began a new strategy: deer resistant plants. Many of my plants are deer resistant which means as long as there is something better to eat the deer will avoid it (never count on this - if they're hungry they will eat anything!). Russian sage, artemisia, heuchera, rosemary, sages and salvias, verbena, and all kinds of other things have been planted in my garden specifically because I knew the deer either didn't like the scent associated with the plant or they just didn't find the plant all that tasty.

Lettuce - Deer Damage

Like I said, I wasn't extremely concerned. I really wasn't too worried about the hosta division I moved to the back garden by the shed. It was small and easily replaced. But when I went out today to the vegetable garden and noticed something was amiss I got worried. I looked over at the heirloom lettuce that I was allowing to go to seed. Something was way wrong and the lettuce had bolted too tall for rabbits to nibble on.

Cucumber - Deer Damage

I checked the squash and saw nibbled off ends and leaves. I checked the cucumbers and found the situation much the same. I inspected the whole garden and found similar situations on all the greens. The colorful rainbow chard was nibbled to the stems (a very attractive feature I might add - the stems sans nibbled parts). The deer had penetrated the sacred ground of my vegetable garden. Never before in my four years of gardening at this house has a deer gotten past my defenses. I knew it was always possible since deer have been reported to jump as high as 8 feet and my fence was a mere four. It wouldn't take much for a daring doe or bold buck to fly over my fence. I suspect the garden's safety was in anonymity. The deer just never new it was there.

Lettuce - Deer Damage

This afternoon I located the point of entry the deer used for its commando-like attack. (What else would you call leaping fences in the dead of night for stealing from a secure location?) Then I went out and purchased some taller poles to erect a new security measure - the invisible fence. Deer don't like running into things that they can't see, really who does? So I also purchased fishing line. The idea is to create a net/web between the poles to discourage the deer from leaping into unknown territory. If the deer sees an easier route to nourishment somewhere else then maybe, just maybe it will leave my vegetable garden goodies alone. The important thing is that the fishing line be located around where the deer's nose might be so that when it investigates it discovers resistance.

Rainbow Chard - Deer Damage

Another option might be to string up objects that will give the deer cause to pause. Anything that makes noise is open for consideration. Maybe some windchimes? Everyone recommends an electric fence as the best way to prevent deer from eating a garden but with two small children and a third on the way I don't want that in the yard. Other folks recommend getting a dog. I would love to adopt a border collie but with a little baby boy on the way we don't need an animal to take care of as well. The enhanced fence is the best option for right now.

Spinach - Deer Damage

Fortunately the deer left my tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini alone. We'll figure this deer issue out somehow whether through reinforced defenses or special deer sprays outside the garden. Something will work or maybe it's just time to open up a petting zoo...

Building a Vertical Garden Arbor with Gutters! (Part 1)

Recently the folks at Lowe's Creative Ideas asked me if I could put together a once a month project using products I found at Lowe's that fit a specific theme.  Of course since I enjoy doing these types of projects around the garden I jumped at the chance!  This month they wanted a project centered around the theme:"Pots and Plants".  The idea behind "Pots and Plants" is to create an older or non-traditional object into a planter for an outdoor space somewhere in my garden. I decided to put together a garden arbor that would serve as a fence panel section around our vegetable garden that used gutters as the planter.  I've seen various renderings of gutter gardens before and thought that this would be a pretty interesting idea to incorporate into our fence!

I planned out the project and dropped into our local Spring Hill, TN Lowe's Home Improvement store to gather the materials with a gift card that they provided.  My wife kept a tally of the material costs as we went through the store and gathered up supplies.

Here's what we bought:
2 - 4"x 4" x 8' Pressure treated Posts 1 - 2"x 6" x 12' Pressure Treated Lumber 4 - 3/8" 8" Carriage Bolts 4 - 3/8" Washers and Nuts 1 - 10' Aluminum Gutter 4 - Gutter end pieces 4 - "L" Brackets 1 Can of Hammered Copper Spray Paint 1 - 80 lb. bag of cement

We actually bought 2 of the gutters with the intent of making three shelves of gutter planters between the posts but found the spacing to be a better fit for 2 - 4' gutter pieces.  Everything we purchased for this 4' 6" wide fence panel including the plants was kept under $100.  I didn't include the plants we purchased but I'll go over them in another post!

The First Step

For the first step on this project I measured and dug two post holes set 4' apart.  I dug down over 18 inches deep which I was extremely lucky to be able to do with only my shovel.  I was afraid I would need a digging iron to break through the soil but since the ground was soft, a little damp, and had a decent organic content a shovel was all I needed!

Once I had the holes dug it was time for part 2: Construction!  You'll see that in a post very soon!

A Spring Fence Garden Update

Last year for Mother's Day I redesigned a garden area for my mom. Their fence garden needed a little revamping and I'm really happy with the results. Here is what the area looked like before:

Here's how it looks now! In the above picture we set the border stones to give an edge for the garden.  The stone also helps make an easy spot for the weedeater to munch the grass for a clean looking edge. The already established trees in the top picture were gradually planted over the years to increase the amount of shade in the yard. Along the fence is a Jacquemonti birch, a Yoshino cherry, a purple leaf plum, and a Kwanzan cherry.

Here is a more detailed layout of the perennial plantings. Monarda is going wild in the middle. Watch out for monarda (or bee balm) it can easily spread and take over a spot if you let it. Lamb's ear is along the front border with a rudbeckia and a coneflower behind them for a middle layer. To the right is a 'Walker's Low' catmint that I made from cuttings and planted in her garden. One of these days I'm going to get myself a rainbarrel or two like what they have in the back of the garden. Dad rigged up a stair stepped set of concrete blocks to give the rain barrels a little lift to harness the forces of gravity for the good of the garden.

Through the trees we created a small walkway that leads back to a peaceful sitting area perfect for sipping lemonade in the shade on a hot summers day.

The bench was built a few years ago by my dad and myself for another present for mom. I think it was her birthday one year but it may have been another Mother's Day. If you can't tell I really like the whole do-it-yourself thing!

Building an Arbor Style Trellis

In the vegetable garden there is always a need for more space.  You never have enough.  The garden is constantly being filled with more plants than you really have room for and you have to find ways to organize it.  That's why going vertical is a great option and the most classic way to go vertical is to use a trellis.  For my March (yep I'm late) Lowe's Creative Ideas post I put together a trellis for growing my edibles with a little bit of arbor style.  This trellis would be an excellent option as a stand alone feature or could be incorporated into a garden fence as I am doing.  Lowe's sent me gift cards to purchase the supplies and I went to work!

To build this trellis I purchased 2 8ft. 4x4's, 2 deck boards, a box of 2" deck screws, a box of 1 1/4" deck screws, a set of  black coated lag screws, 14 - 1x2's, a 1x4, a bag of gravel, and an 80 lb. bag of concrete.  All of these materials together cost about $75-80.

I started by digging the holes for the 4x4's.  My challenge in this was to match it up with last year's gutter planter arbor project.  I wanted the height of both arbors to match.  Then I measured the height of the 4x4's and cut them appropriately.  You can cut them to whatever height you need for your project.  Next I measured the deck boards to allow for an 8 1/2 inch over hang on each side of the posts plus the width of the posts themselves which comes to 72 inches.  The posts needed to be exactly 4' across to match the other arbor.  Then I cut the bottom corners off of the deck boards.

Into the holes I put a couple inches of gravel to allow for drainage.  I put the arbor completely together on the ground before lifting it into the holes.  I attached one side of the arbor top with some black coated lag screws then flipped the arbor over and did the other side.  I like to build arbors on the ground before setting them in the holes since I can get the measurements like I want them without the need for a second person to hold everything.

Once the arbor was built on the ground I raised it up into the holes and leveled it.  Adjust the level of it by adding more gravel or taking it away from the hole.  To help with this I secured the arbor with clamps and sawhorses.  Clamps are a necessity when doing a project like this by yourself!  Once it was all level I put half the concrete into one hole and the other half into the other hole.  I let the concrete cure over night then came back to do the inside lattice work.

For the inside trellis area I secured 1x2's vertically to each 4x4 with enough space to allow the horizontal slats to fit flush with the outside edge of the 4x4s. I used the 2" deck screws to attach them. These 1x2's were placed flat against the 4x4's to give my slats a piece of wood to grip into.  Remember to pre-drill all the holes for any 1x2 you need to screw or you will crack them!  Then I put the top slat just underneath top of the arbor and secured them with the 1 1/4" deck screws. I measured the slat positions at 6" on center and made marks across the top slat.  I attached a 4' long 1x4 to the bottom of the side slats to secure the vertical pieces.  Once the bottom and top were in place I cut and secured the vertical slats to the top bar.  Each slat was centered on the marks I made and allowed to hang.  After they were all hung on the top bar I leveled them and secured each slat to the bottom 1x4 bar.

I marked and measure the horizontal slats also at 6" on center and cut the 1x2s to fit between the posts.  I pre-drilled the holes into the ends and began securing one side, leveling, then the other side.  You only have to measure one side when you do it this way.  Make sure that you are using fairly straight 1x2s for this.  They tend to warp so you will need to inspect each one.  It's not a bad idea to buy a few spare ones just in case!  Then I worked my way down the arbor with the slats until I finished.

I used the same method to continue the fence around the vegetable garden.  A fence not only prevents deer from entering but will also be a great place to grow climbing vegetables like cucumbers and peas.  An arbor like this is not just great for a fence but would be a very nice stand alone project for any climbing plant. Unfortunately it isn't time to plant the warm season vegetable yet so I'll have to wait until after April 15th (last frost date here in our area of TN) before growing on the trellis!

Beginning the Garden Fence (Friday Free For All)

I've been busy this week.  I say that as if it's something new but it seems like life is just a matter of varying degrees of busy.  Sometimes you're really busy and other times less so but always busy!  This week I dove headlong into my latest project.  I've been talking about this one for years and I'm just now getting to it!  Those of you who have followed me over the years may remember the vegetable garden fence that hasn't been built yet.  Well hopefully that project will be completed this year!  I'm working on the fence in phases.  The current phase is to build the front fence area.

When I'm done my goal is to create something like the picture below.  The grid pattern on the sides of the garden is practical for growing vining vegetables or flowers.  The arbor entry in the middle will also function as a trellis for two grape vines I have planted there already.  I'll train them up the sides.  The arbor on the left actually is my gutter arbor that housed petunias last year.  The fence and arbor combination resembles a Japanese style to some degree. the open grid is good visually but won't keep rabbits out.  For that I'll have a second fence made from wire hidden behind the first with a tight enough mesh to prevent rabbits from gaining easy entry to the garden.

The total fence area is around 30 feet long.  The center gate has a 5 foot opening which gives me plenty of space for wheelbarrows and carts to come through.

I've been able to do most of this project with the help of Lowe's Creative Ideas.  The theme this month is edible gardening and this fence is an important aspect of that for me.  Not only will it help me grow vertically but it will also help keep raiding critters (deer) from dining on my vegetable garden!  Below you can see the two new arbors being held in place while the concrete for the post cures.

Of course with any project there are bound to be things that go wrong.  Like my wheelbarrow for instance.  I loaded an 80 lb. bag of concrete into then heard a loud crunch.  There went the wheelbarrow.  Fortunately it was an old one and I already have a replacement made from metal and not wood.  I do like using the plastic wheelbarrow for mixing concrete.  I'll either replace the base or just take the bucket portion off to use as a concrete mixing container.

I still have a lot of work ahead of me to complete this project but since Easter weekend is ahead of us I won't have the opportunity to work on it until next week.  Once I have the front completed I'll gradually piece together the rest of the vegetable garden fence with a few more sections every few weeks until it's finally all done!

Building a Garden Gate

There are few structures in the garden more prominent than a gate. A good garden gate can invite a person into the garden, protect the garden from intruders, and becomes a feature to draw the eye. This weekend I put together a gate for my vegetable garden fence (which is still under construction). I managed to complete the majority of work on the gate over the weekend but I still have some odds and ends before I would call it a finished project.

All materials for this project were supplied by Lowe's and the Creative Ideas Network of Bloggers!

The material list:

• Deck Screws: 1 1/4" and 2"
• 4 - PT 2"x 4"s
• 2 - PT 1"x 4"s
• 2 - Garden Trellises
• 4 gate hinges
• 1 gate latch
• Wood Glue

To begin building my garden gate I came up with the idea to build two rectangular boxes and insert trellises inside as a design element. I started construction with a few measurements. Due to the warping of my arbor I ran into an issue, the top of the arbor was 58 inches apart while the bottom was 59 inches. I based everything around the 58 inch measurement. You need to allow for the with of the hinges and a small space between the two gates so they work easily.

I began making the two gates by using 2x4's to create a frame. To connect the lumber together I used an angle drilling tool called a Kreg. It makes these nice little pocket holes and allows you to get a solid grip at an angle with your screws.

Before I screwed things down I used wood glue to help with the connection.

I clamped the wood down on the table and screwed them together with 2" screws.

Next I attached trim pieces to the opposite sides of the frame from where the pocket holes were. The 1x4 pieces help to create a stronger frame which connects the two side pieces together. Then I measured and cut a few inches of my trellises off. I drilled two holes on the bottom part of each gate door to allow the trellises to stick in easily.

The trellises have a little dragonfly design that I thought was neat! We have quite a few of them that float around the garden each year.

I attached the two gates with heavy duty hinges. I haven't completely decided how to attach the trellis to the top. I am considering cutting the top and drilling holes so that the entire trellis fits inside the wood frame area.

I still need to sand down the wood, adjust the frames so they swing easier, fix the trellis insert, and maybe stain the gate. This was all I had time to accomplish this weekend and I'm pleased with the progress! This gate should prevent the deer from waltzing though the front door to my garden. Now I just need to finish the design and the rest of the fence!

Last Month's Lowe's Project: Making A Garden Hoop House.