Monday, May 16, 2011

Rabbit-proof fence?

Another old project which I am only now posting. With plans for some garden space (in place of lawn) came the realization that there are rabbits bounding about my town much of the year. Some fencing was in order.

First, to prep the space... I pulled sod in a roughly 8' x 4' rectangle next to the existing flower beds, and I think I came across a footer or something connected with the old old old porch stairs that likely came off the front under the peaked roof.



With the space cleared and major rocks and roots removed, I laid a 'path' using salvaged bricks so I could access both 'plots' easily.


Fill in with several inches of topsoil...


And now for the fences. These held up fine in the ensuing winter, but they were definitely a temporary solution - although a good way to use existing materials, I think. I started by pulling the screen - some fiberglass/nylon, some maybe aluminum - from the frames of old storm windows I hadn't yet dragged to the scrap yard.


Once again, my 1"x1" poles were turned into stakes with a quick miter. I then cut the screen maybe 5 inches wide and attached the runs to stakes with ye olde staple gun.


As with the raised beds out back I found it easiest to attach no more than two walls at a time, and then complete the sides after the first walls are in the ground. You may also want to carve some trenches along where the screens will run first (you want them to be even a little bit underground so gaps don't open up between earth and barrier) to make it easier for yourself as you lay in the stakes, the screens, and then refill with some dirt.


And here's what you get when you drop some plants in your now rabbit-proof plots:


Update:
And here's about half of the unused tomatoes at the end of the season. Half. The rest went to a friend who swears she could live on fried green tomatoes, and had to prove it after my delivery.


1 comment:

Rebecca A. Maynard said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.