Don't Fence Me In

Children and sandboxes go hand in hand.  It doesn’t matter if it is a green, plastic turtle shaped box full of store bought sand or an abandoned corner of the yard void of grass.  Some of life’s best building skills are first honed outdoors in the sand.

Growing up near St. Augustine Beach in northeastern Florida, I was blessed with endless expanses of sand, plenty of salty beach water and beach bags full of buckets and cups shaped like starfish, castle bricks and moat walls.  It didn’t take long to figure out that the walls had to be strong enough to stave off the incoming tide and the moat deep enough to contain that occasional stray wave.  

These days I find myself utilizing those building skills against other creatures of nature.  Sand has been traded for chicken wire and buckets for hammers, t-posts and top wire. My culprits, while no less determined than the incoming waves, are now disguised with fur.  They are cute, four legged creatures that lure me with their big brown eyes into believing that they are innocent of all charges. 

But the evidence is damning.  Flowers, once showing the promise of spring are now munched down to the nub.  Rhubarb leaves, poisonous to humans, apparently serve as the perfect appetizer for the health conscious four legged connoisseurs.     And, most surprisingly, even the prickly stems of raspberry bushes are worth the occasional meal on the go between river bottom and bedding area.

We're even fencing in chickens

Yes, folks, I’ve joined in the battle against the deer.  Take a peek into my backyard and you will see permanent, portable and electric fencing.  No skilled warrior would go into battle without a full arsenal of weapons.  The first line of defense, a low chain link fence, serves as little more than an exercise facility for these graceful jumpers.  They have crossed this fence so many times that the tops are curved over in highway like fashion as some sections are curved inward and some outward depending on the travel direction. 

Seasonal plants are protected by the next line of defense:  removable chicken wire cages.  This step is all about the timing.  Similar to my anticipation of that first spring asparagus, the deer lurk behind the trees awaiting the first tender shoots of raspberries, bulbs and perennials. 

The most sensitive areas, such as my vegetable garden, are surrounded by 7 foot fences.  While it is not the most aesthetically pleasing solution, it ensures food on the table come fall and winter.  And while this fence protects the majority of the meandering vegetables, the vining ones sometimes outgrow their confines, amble out into the yard and promptly become a main course. 

New Raspberry Fence in the distance

Battling nature is something that most of us do at some point in our lives.  Little did we know that building sandcastles was preparing us for years of keeping critters out of our yards or teaching us patience as we await that “wave” of life giving moisture.  We are more prepared for the battles of life, the disappointments when the walls come tumbling down, or in my case, when the deer come looking for a cheap buffet.