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I tried in vain for years to keep the darling deer out of my garden so that my flowers wouldn't be eaten. Then I built an 8' tall Deer Fence finally I could have flowers.
I tried fishing line strung around and that worked for 2 years. I tried Irish Spring soap, urine, and a host of commercial products including Deer Out, Liquid Fence and many others but nothing worked. I put in an actual electric fence. It worked great but it was a lightening magnet. We lost 6 TVs, 6 phones, and some other household appliance in two separate strikes in a year. Both times the fence charger was blown right off the foundation wall. I unplugged it for good. Once the deer figured out that the fence wasn't working, they jumped it easily. They love my garden...it was a huge deer buffet.
The summer of 2010 was extremely hot and dry and the final straw was when the darling deer ate the buds of ALL the lilies that you see on my "Summer Garden" web page. Instead of hundreds of lily blossoms, there were none in 2010. What is the point of all the planting, watering, and weeding if I get no blossoms? I decided it was them or me. It was keep them out or stop gardening. The latter seemed impossible so I designed and built an 8' tall mesh fence around my back yard.
Photo 1 - My husband and I purchased 2"x2" treated boards 8' long. We created a triangle at the top of each post to bring the top fence wire out toward the deer. I read somewhere that deer are discourage from jumping by protruding fence tops.
Photo 2 - I attached the wooden posts to the metal posts of the disabled electric deer fence with electrical zip ties. My husband helped me put in some additional metal posts but after that I did the rest of the work myself. I used "Wildlife Mesh" purchased from the local home improvement center because the real "Deer Mesh" that I found on the Internet was too expensive. I wove the same type of wire I had used for the electric fence horizontally through the mesh every 18" for additional strength. I used more than a quarter mile of wire and over 300 feet of mesh.
Photo 3 - I researched what colors deer can see and found that their range of vision is limited to yellow and blue so I purchased yellow pennants on the Internet. I strung these along the top wire to give the deer a definite idea of how tall the fence is and to discourage them from attempting to jump it. You can see the pennants clearly in the Photo 1. After about a year and a half, I removed the pennants due to pressure from my family.
Photo 4 - I was very happy to see that the mesh of the fence itself was almost invisible. This photo shows the east side of the yard as viewed from the house. Even the pennants don't seem too objectionable from a distance. My lake views were not obstructed in any way.
Photo 5 - In this view of the west side of the yard, you can barely see the mesh, posts, or the flags. However, my husband and daughter think that I have lost my mind and that this latest venture of mine is the tackiest thing in the world...worse than Coney Island or a Used Car Lot. Quite frankly Scarlet...I don't give a "darn".
If this creation keeps the deer out of my flowers...that is what matters. Not only is the aesthetic appeal of my Deer Fence in question...my husband thought that the deer would break the fence down or worse yet become tangled in it.
News Fash: It's June 17, 2011 and so far no deer hanging in the mesh and my daylilies have a plethora of buds and blooms and no sign of any deer damage...YIPPY!!!
July 10, 2011 and still no deer have gotten inside the fence. I see them all the time in the neighborhood but not in my back yard.
The Fence is Working!
The Fence is Working!
The large mass of orange lilies hasn't bloomed for two years because the buds were eaten. What a sight to see them in full bloom in the morning sun complete with a beautiful Black Swallowtail butterfly.
'Strawberry Candy' Daylily full of buds and blooms
'Rob Cobb' Giant Spider Lily.
Hazards of a Mesh Fence
Hazards of a Mesh Fence
Any mesh like this fence can pose a hazard to wildlife. One has to weight the pros and cons before installation. I am sad to report that the fence cost two 4' long black snakes their lives. They were very dead when I went to investigate a neighbor's email that my fence had kept out more than deer. I felt really sad that these two harmless snakes were trapped and must have died a very bad death.
Diet of the White Tailed Deer
Diet of the White Tailed Deer
The diet of the white tailed deer varies, depending on the time of the year and (Pre Fence) what is currently blooming in Cathy's Garden. In the summer, they normally eat green plants like Cathy's lilies, aquatic plants, nuts, and fruits. In the fall, they mostly eat evergreen plants, Cathy's hostas, and grasses. In the winter, they basically survive off of woody plants like Cathy's decorative peach and cherry trees.
Another fun fact about the white tailed deer is their stomach has four chambers and each one functions differently. After eating quickly, to avoid predators, they will find a safe area to rest and digest their food. To improve digestion, they will regurgitate their food, chew it for a second time, and swallow. Lilies are even better the second time around!
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