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Fence Project

After a couple of years of trying to keep 'critters' & crows out of my garden, I was gifted with a very large roll of black plastic mesh in 2016. Using 10' length ¾ inch PVC 'Charlotte' pipe, I made frames and attached the mesh using zip ties. The panels were 3.5' tall & 5' wide. My beds at the time were 4' x 8' so the panels worked well. I later added 2 more beds & these were 4' x 10'. To accommodate the extra length & give a bit more room, I made some half panels & have used them as 'gates' between the 5' panels on the longer beds.

Having the lightweight panels I could easily set up & take down (either tied together with rope or as of late, loosely zip tied) was a real luxury after temporary fencing. After 6 years, the mesh is starting to degrade & I had to patch a couple of places where it was breaking down. Also, the zip ties get brittle from cold/heat – they last maybe a year, some a year and a half. I am constantly replacing zip ties on panels every spring & fall, taking at least half a day each time. Despite being a great system, something more durable would save a lot of work on zip ties and “sturdy up” the panels (I did not glue the corners). I always wanted to replace the mesh with wire & I recently found stainless steel 'zip ties' so it seemed a perfect time to make the change.

It's been a learning experience and after re-doing the first panel & figuring things out as I go along, I've got a 'system' pretty much in place. The hardest part has been the metal zip ties. They are not 'sharp' until you cut off the excess and that end is like a razor blade. The safety solution that I've settled on is to wrap the tie with weather resistant duct tape. Also, I no longer cut the tie – I just wrap it back over the locking head (which keeps it good and tight) and then wrap with tape. The tape will eventually need to be replaced, but the ties won't break like plastic, so the panel structure should not be compromised.

So here are some pics …..

Mesh vs the galvanized wire/stainless zips.
Since the wire comes in 3' & 4' lengths & my panels are 3.5', I used 4' wire. I'm not cutting off the excess – keeps a nice smooth edge top & bottom & adds some extra height. If it gets too annoying (which I doubt), I can always cut it off.

Corner comparison

Full panel comparison

Finished panels with taped ties. PVC frames & cut wire, ready to be put together - last of the first 100' roll of wire. It will take 2 rolls to finish & add a couple of panels for the sunflower bed ... deer love baby sunflowers!

A friend stopped by to visit yesterday afternoon & we spent the time out in the garden where I was working on fence panels. We originally planned to have lunch, but that didn’t work out. We sat around the fire pit, but no fire - fairly breezy & I didn’t want to risk smoke/flying embers.

It’s been a weird 2 years ... we used to have dinner once a month, maybe every other month when we were busy. When WuFlu hit, we didn’t see each other at all. So I have been holding last year’s birthday present (November) & Christmas present and she’s done the same. Yesterday, we finally exchanged gifts!

She gave me a bunch of things (I did the same) ... as subjects come up in (phone) conversations, we make notes of each other’s interests & tend to gift along those lines. So I had mentioned wanting to have an herb garden again (had one some years ago) & being interested in medicinal herbs. My favorite present was the book ‘Alchemy of Herbs’ by Rosalee de la Foret. Rosalee also has a podcast on herbs that my friend listens to “Herbs with Rosalee” (I subscribed last night for future listening). Other herb-related gifts (all local companies): Elderberry Loose Leaf Tea & a small 4 oz. bottle of ‘Fire Cider’ Additionally, there was a 200 ml bottle of Harissa infused olive oil & a bottle of white wine (Pinot Grigio) from a local winery. Also, there were gardening gloves: a 3-pack of nitrile gloves (top is fabric) & a 2-pack of Comfort Hyde goatskin leather gloves - leather on bottom, fabric on top. I feel like I hit the lotto!

We were talking about her grandkids & my great nieces & nephews .... showed her the books I’ve gotten them for Christmas: ‘Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots’ and ‘Sunflower House’. She loved them & will be ordering for her grandkids. One thing I gave her for Christmas was a book of Williamsburg decorations, both outside & inside - the pictures are fantastic, there are a few instructions for making some of the decorations & it also includes a few Colonial Williamsburg type recipes for the holidays. She went to Williamsburg last year when the Colonial village was decorated, but the interiors were closed, so she’d not seen how they decorate inside. She’s going to take copies of some of the decorations to make with her grandkids when they all meet up for Christmas at their great-grandparents house.

It was a fun time seeing each other again .... now it’s back to fencing & today should be leaf pick up/into the compost bin day. Rain Monday/Tuesday so the leaves need to come up today ... they’re pretty thick. We’ll have to pick up at least one more time - two of the trees are still pretty leafy while most are just about bare. It looks like another gorgeous Fall day here - yesterday was fabulous.