Garden from scratch

Step 16: Done

After finishing our garden we wanted to protect it from wandering pests ….. and pets. We built this very simple picket fence. The posts are simply sitting in place, it’s more of a cage than a fence and we just spray painted it white. It’s three sided and can be easily moved in and out of place.

Comments

[WoodsyGirl]

To make the fence a more permanent feature (i.e. to avoid replacing it the summer after next) I suggest digging a hole for each fence post about twice as big around as the post itself and about a third as long, and filling it half full with concrete then insert the post and fill concrete around it. Make sure it's plumb and true before the concrete hardens.

This additional step will help prevent rapid deterioration by wood-hungry bugs as well as water damage.

[opticalfx]

You shouldn't set the post on top of concrete in the hole as it will accelerate decay. use gravel(tamped) on the bottom and concrete around the post. That way any water that makes it to the bottom of the post can drain away.

[myhomelifemag]

This is very true!

However, with a small garden like this there is little room left to maneuver. When pruning the various herbs you want to have some access to the bed that does not require walking through the mulch.

For this reason we chose to build a fence that would keep pets out of the garden, but that could easily be pulled away leaving wide open access to work from.

[whait86]

ive got a couple of removable fence posts so i can get my car in the back yard, I basically dug a hole about 10 inchs wide, 10 inchs deep, but i covered the end of my 4x4 with saran wrap, stuck it in the hole and filled with concrete, every so often during drying i wiggled it a bit. after the concrete hardend i could pull the post in and out with about a 1/4 gap.. it keeps it sturdy yet removable.