The Deer Fence

H

ow can you not go oooh and ahhhh over a sight like this.  I recently woke up to this adorable sight on my front lawn.  So cute, right?

As adorable as these fawns are, I must say they equally destructive (along with their parents) when it comes to chomping on practically anything within their reach, especially my roses.

I need a deer fence. I spray the roses that frame my front door almost every single week with a very strong (and very stinky) deer repellent, in an effort to keep these bushes from being a smorgasbord for the hungry deer that roam my neighborhood in hoards.

While they still nibble around the edges, for the most part, I’ve been able to keep the deer off these front step rose bushes.

Sadly, I have not been as lucky elsewhere.

This bed of roses runs along the side of my house between my home and my neighbor’s and the deer love it as much as I do.

They show up at dusk and into the night and just help themselves.

When I planted these roses (more than 40 bushes in all), I had high hopes that I’d be able to keep the deer at bay long enough for them to get fully established.

Despite regular spraying of deer repellent, I started noticing the stems were getting thinner and thinner, more sparse between the stems and fewer blooms.

Of course, I knew right away what was going on.

No question these are at least two of the culprits.

Little buggers.

Like I said, cute but oh-so darn destructive.

Knockout Roses (as these are called) are generally quite hearty, resilient and can sometimes grow to be more than 6-feet tall.

I think they’ll make a really great looking hedge… one day… if I can keep them growing and keep them from being eaten.

I’m not sure how the deer do it but somehow, they’re able to navigate around these thick thorns to get right to the leaves and buds.

Clearly, they get a lot of practice.

  

The deer show absolutely no mercy and given the opportunity will shred even the heartiest and resilient rose bush down to barely nothing.

It’s so disheartening to spend so much time and energy on plantings and watch them slowly but surely widdled away by the wildlife.

I decided to install a temporary fence using simple 7-foot mesh and 6-foot plant stakes.

The black spray paint was optional.

Since the plant stakes were so green, I painted them black in hopes it would make them less visible when paired with the black mesh.

Once the stakes are dry, simply weave the stakes through the mesh.

After threading the stakes, drive the pointy end of them into the ground.

I also used a small piece of black electrical tape at the top of each stake to help ensure the mesh would stay put on the top end of the stake.

NOTE: There was a 1-foot section of excess mesh at the bottom of the stake that I just rolled under on the ground.

While the thin mesh is barely visible, I honestly do not like the way the stakes look and I wish they were not so apparent.

I think painting them black may have helped a little but not as much as I’d like.

This is definitely a temporary solution until I can figure out a more attractive deer barrier which will not only work, but also not obscure the beauty of the roses and blend in with my more manicured landscape objectives and efforts.

Any suggestions?

Meanwhile as I continue to search for a more permanent solution , my 40-plus rose bushes are at least finally able to bloom and grow, unfettered by wild critters (albeit cute critters).

I think this is going to be a beautiful hedge one day.

As for those adorable but pesky deer.

Keep moving… nothing to see here… and more importantly nothing to eat. ♥

 Thanks for stopping by.

See you back here next time.