I used to think that maintaining a yard was an exercise in frustration. My yard is bordered by a wilderness area that has a lake and tons of wildlife. Every time I got it looking great, the critters invaded.
Rabbits, raccoons, opossums and deer seemed to think that my yard was their personal grocery store. They ate everything in sight. As soon as some produce appeared in my vegetable garden, it was snatched away in the night.
New blooms on plants didn't stand a chance, and even some of my trees were starting to get stripped down to nothing.
It was enough to make me want to tear out my hair. All of that wasted time and effort down the drain. Surely there was some way that I could protect my yard.
What followed was a few growing seasons of trial and error. Not all of my efforts paid off, but a few of them did. Here are the simple ways I discovered to protect my yard.
Perhaps the most valuable weapon in my arsenal is a plastic deer fence. This is an amazing product that genuinely keeps deer at bay in a completely humane manner. My entire yard is encircled with this fencing, and it truly keeps out the deer.
Not only that but also these plastic fencing kits are available with a chew guard and rodent barrier that keeps smaller animals outside the perimeter. This means that I no longer have rabbits eating the carrots and other produce in my vegetable garden.
I even installed this fence by myself. It was surprisingly easy, and I can't believe how effective it's been.
If fencing your entire yard isn't an option for you, then you still have available solutions. I've discovered that what you plant can make a huge difference in how attractive your yard is to wildlife.
Plant prickly or fuzzy plants like barberry, holly or ornamental grass, and wildlife, especially deer, are likely to steer clear. They just don't like these odd textures. Some really aromatic plants like lavender and garlic also may keep wildlife outside the bounds of your yard.
New plants are particularly attractive to deer, rodents and other wildlife. If you've got new plantings, take special care to protect them. Use a fence or truck wrap to isolate them and to keep critters away.
It's also worthwhile to consider using raised beds and pots for garden plantings. Consider building a raised bed that's about two feet high and then putting a fence around the top. Rabbits won't stand a chance against that kind of ingenuity.
Sometimes the old-fashioned route has worked well for me. Scarecrows can be a fantastic deterrent, especially if you change their position in the yard every few days. Metallic streamers, sparkling pinwheels and other moving, colorful ornaments also may do the trick.
Motion-activated water sprinklers also may be able to deter wildlife from your yard. No animal likes to be hit with an unexpected spray of water. It's completely harmless, but it also can be surprisingly effective.
However, it's the plastic deer fence that made the most notable difference in my yard. It's durable, which means that it keeps out wildlife just as well today as it did when I installed it a few years ago.
Many of the other yard protection methods that I've used tend fade over time with regard to their effectiveness. The wildlife just gets used to the scarecrow or the metallic streamers, and some animals don't mind the occasional blast of water.
However, that deer fence just keeps working. It may be the solution that you need too.
Some people might be wary of the idea of fencing their entire property, but I've found it to be totally worth the investment of time and money. This fence lasts a long time, and it really is an effective barrier against the deer and rodents that were attacking my yard.
Keep in mind that you may not need to fence your entire yard to reap the benefits. Fencing certain parts of the garden may be all that's needed to protect your harvest and the enjoyment of your garden's blooms.
