What Fence Is Best for Keeping Animals Out of the Garden?

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The best fence for keeping animals out of your garden should fit your wildlife population as well as your other practical and aesthetic concerns. An urban vegetable garden is tempting to a variety of pests, including rabbits and squirrels. If you live in the country, you may also have larger freeloaders such as deer and moose. Keep your produce safe and wildlife at bay by selecting the best fence for the job.

Small Animals

Even though small animals may seem cute and endearing, they are every bit as dangerous to your tender garden plants as larger, more threatening animals. Also, because they can easily slip beneath fencing, they can be difficult to keep out of your garden plot. Putting a concrete footing in place before installing the fencing is one solution. Digging animals such as raccoons or your neighbor’s Jack Russell terrier can’t dig under a fence with a cement base.

By making sure that the fencing material extends downward to nearly touch the footing, you can minimize the gap that squirrels and rabbits might otherwise slip through. If you like to be able to watch your garden grow, see-through chain link material is a natural choice. For a more decorative architectural look, consider one of the many wood fences designs available.

Large Animals

To keep deer away from your fresh veggies, you’ll need a tall fence. The white-tailed variety can jump up to eight feet high, according to the University of Vermont extension service, so fence accordingly. Due to the height, your fence should incorporate lightweight coverage material such as nylon or wire netting.

When dealing with heavier beasts like moose, black bears or a hungry itinerant horse, you may want to consider an electric fence. Mere deer fencing won’t stop intruders of this size. You will need heavy-duty wire and stout posts. Additionally, if you have bears around, you should:

• Keep your compost area fenced
• Secure your garbage cans
• Secure your pet food, or put it indoors
• Try to keep fallen fruit picked up

Garden Fencing for a Beautiful Landscape

Although garden fencing is a requirement for protecting the fruits of your labor, that certainly doesn’t mean the fencing has to be plain or unsightly. First, you can choose from several materials:

Vinyl
Wood
Chain link
• PVC
Ornamental aluminum

You also have color options for coordinating your fencing with your landscape plus tons of profile choices. Choose from rustic looks like split rail and boundary fencing or more polished profiles like scalloped or lattice-top fencing.

Explore Your Garden Fencing Options

Hastie Fence Co. Inc. of Massachusetts can help you choose the fence with the form and function to match your landscape. With locations in Agawam, Hadley and Windsor, we offer free estimates and design advice. Contact us today to learn more.