What is the Best Fence for a Garden?

A fence is a barrier for protection, decoration or privacy. It may be made of wire, wood, stone or other materials. The main elements to consider when choosing a fence are its strength and aesthetic appeal.

The “best fence for vegetable garden” is a question that people often ask. There are many different types of fences available, but the best one will depend on what type of fencing you’re looking for and how much space you have to work with.

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It’s difficult to know which sort of fence would work best for your garden. You must protect your plants from a variety of wild creatures and pets, all of which may jump over or dig through garden obstacles. Even when the weather and your budget are taken into account, you may still be unsure which of the hundreds of fence alternatives will provide the best protection for your plants.

The greatest garden fences are usually roughly 5-6 feet tall and are composed of wood, metal (aluminum or iron), vinyl, or masonry materials like brick or cement. Whether you’re looking for broad protection or defense against a particular sort of animal or pet, the type of fence you pick will be determined by your needs. 

Because individuals often construct fences themselves or engage experts to do it, there is no one product that can be pointed to and said to be “the ideal fence for your garden.” Instead, a fence may be custom-made to your exact specifications and regulatory standards, using high-quality materials that should endure for many years. See the overview below for additional information on the components that make up the finest garden fence.

 

Contents Table of Contents

  • What to Look for When Buying Garden Fencing
  • Defending Against Wildlife with Fencing
  • The Best Standard Fence for All-Round Security
  • Final Thoughts

Contents

What to Look for When Buying Garden Fencing

The best style of garden fence for your outdoor area is determined by where you live, what you’re planting, and what kind of pests you want to keep out. You’ll also need to think about whether you’re attempting to preserve a little container garden or a huge crop on a farm. 

You may also need to check your city’s rules before erecting the new fence, since there may be restrictions regarding the following fence details:

  • Material. It’s possible that you’ll only be able to put up fences made of specified materials. Fences should only be built of cement or other classic masonry materials, iron, woven wire, or wood in Colton, CA, for example. (Colton, California – Code of Ordinances)
  • Height. What location do you intend to put your fence? You’ll need to verify your local ordinances for the maximum height permitted depending on whether you’ll be putting the fence in the back or front yard. For example, in Phoenix, Arizona, front yard fences are limited to 3 feet in height, whereas backyard fencing may be up to 6 feet tall. (Photo courtesy of the City of Phoenix)
  • Location. As previously said, you’ll need to consider the location of the fence on your property as well as the sort of land you have. Is your garden on a different property from your house or in your backyard? If you’re gardening on your own land, be sure your fence can be built at the necessary distance from the road. (Gold Bar, Washington – Code of Ordinances)

Keep these considerations in mind as you learn more about the many fence options accessible to you. Although your tastes and particular uses are important factors in determining the kind of fence you’ll build, the law ultimately determines what you’ll be allowed to purchase to safeguard your plants. 

Defending Against Wildlife with Fencing

Deer are among the most prevalent creatures that wreak havoc on gardens throughout the United States. Unfortunately, once they’ve seen your garden, they’re quite likely to come back for more. 

 

Uprooting plants, breaking branches, and stripping foliage are the most typical sorts of harm that deer do to your plants, so you’ll want to do all you can to keep them away. (North Carolina State University’s Chatham County Extension)

Keep in mind that deer may jump over heights of up to 8 feet when choosing fence to keep them out. (Be careful to check your local rules to see if you can build a fence this tall!) They can’t leap very far, however. As a result, the best fence you can obtain is one that is slanted at a 45-degree inclination. You may compromise to around 6 feet in height when tilted like this. The ideal types of fences for this are electric fences and slatted timber fences. 

You could also want to add strands of monofilament twine to offer a little more of a deterrent, since the deer may run away if they run into it. The greatest results would come from tying it between poles that are at least 30 inches from the ground. Between fence posts, barbed and smooth wire may be highly effective. (Sources: University of Vermont’s Department of Plant and Soil Science; Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Habitat Extension Services)

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Other wild animals and pets are kept out by fencing.

Unfortunately, deer aren’t the only creatures that will enter your garden or orchard. Other animals that might destroy your garden (and need proper fence to keep them out) include (source: National Pesticide Information Center):

  • Birds: You may see birds devouring the leaves and blossoms of your plants, stealing fruit and vegetables, or wreaking havoc on trees. Unfortunately, since birds are not limited to moving on the ground, it is more difficult to keep them out of your garden. Installing netting in addition to your fence is the greatest answer since they can’t simply get past it. (Yavapai County, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
    • The Aspectek Bird Netting Protective Fencing is one of the most trustworthy forms of netting. To enclose the garden area, lay it directly over fruit trees or connect it to fence posts. 
  • Rabbits: The amount of harm this animal does varies depending on the season. In the spring and summer, for example, you may anticipate them to devour your fruits and vegetables. They’ll eat shrubs and other woody plants throughout the autumn and winter. Fortunately, a basic woven or welded wire fence with 1/4-1′′ mesh and a height of about 2-3 feet will enough to keep them out.
    • 12″ 19-gauge Amagabeli One of the greatest solutions for rabbit exclusion in the garden is Hardware Cloth. 
  • Coyotes: Although most people think of coyotes as meat eaters, they also like plant matter. Swooping in after strong gusts to pick up fallen fruits and vegetables, as well as digging up the soil around trees and bushes, they’re known to do. Coyote fences should be at least 5 12 feet tall and composed of wood, cement, brick, or wire for the greatest results. (Yavapai County, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)
    • “Coyote rollers” are an extra layer of defense that will keep coyotes out of your garden for good. Because they can’t get a hold on the moving metal, if they make it to the top of the fence, the roller will send them crashing to the earth.

It’s worth noting that several of these options are also suitable for dogs. The same barriers that you employ to keep wild animals out can also deter pets from going into places where they don’t belong. However, please avoid using electric fence or barbed wire to defend your garden from your plants, since this may cause terrible sensations for your pet in their house. 

The Best Standard Fence for All-Round Security

You may not be aiming to protect your garden from any particular animal or insect, but rather to ensure that your property border is clearly demarcated. You won’t need to think about any specific animal behaviour in this scenario. Nonetheless, you should research the fence material’s durability and lifespan. 

The following are some of the most trustworthy materials for erecting a garden fence (source: Fence Supply Online):

  • Vinyl is a lightweight, simple-to-install material that can resist a wide range of climatic conditions. 
  • Pressure-treated wood is one of the greatest options for warding off unwanted garden visitors as well as deterioration caused by mold or environmental factors.
  • Metal: Aluminum and iron are two of the most widely used and trustworthy fence materials. You’ll need to pay particular attention to the quality of the metal; otherwise, the fence will rust.

Whatever material you pick, make sure it complies with your city’s or county’s height and placing standards. This manner, you can guarantee that not only is your garden safe, but that you won’t have to do any unnecessary repairs in the future to comply with local regulatory requirements. 

Final Thoughts

There are many various varieties of trustworthy garden fence available; however, the sort that will work best for you is determined by the wildlife that poses a danger to your plants as well as local legislation. The following are the finest materials to use for garden fences:

  • Cement and brick are common masonry materials.
  • The material is wood (especially pressure-treated wood)
  • Aluminum and iron, in particular, are metals.
  • Vinyl

To protect against unwanted pets and wild animals, you may add features like coyote rollers, barbed or smooth wire, or 14-1′′ mesh to your fence. Your fence should be around 5-6 feet tall to provide the greatest protection from animals. Check out our other gardening articles, such as our garden trellis ideas and our best garden benches list!

 

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