Protected Garden Enclosure
Introduction: Protected Garden Enclosure
Growing up, we always had a backyard garden. It was great having fresh home grown vegetables in the summer.
Since moving to a wooded area though, it's been impossible. Any attempt to make a garden quickly turns into a 5 star restaurant for all the local wild life. Putting up a fence isn't an effective solution. Birds, squirrels and other critters can still get over the fence and feast on the vegetation. I decided that, if I was ever going to have a garden, it was going to have to be completely protected from top to bottom. Unfortunately I've never been able to manage the time.
Last year changed that. Most of us were forced to spend time at home during the pandemic, and we had a lot more time on our hands, so I decided it was time to go for it.
I regret not taking more step by step pictures, but I'll do my best to outline the steps and list the materials used.
Supplies
This is an approximate list of supplies I used from Lowes:
Pressure Treated Lumber
(4) 4”x4”x8’
(12) 2”x4”x8’
(2) 2”x4”x16’
(2) 2”x4”x12’
(2) 2”x8”x16’
(2) 2”x8”x12’
(1) 1”x4”x8’
(20) 1”x2”x8’
Tenax Net Folded 100-ft x 7-ft Black Polypropylene No Dig Containment Extruded Mesh Rolled Fencing
Item #53046Model #400066
GARDEN CRAFT 50-ft x 2-ft Gray Steel Chicken Wire Garden Poultry Netting Rolled Fencing Item #492400Model #182450S
Power Pro One #10 x 3-1/2-in Bronze Epoxy Flat Exterior Multi-Material Screws (1-lb)
BOERBOEL 7-3/4-in White Gate Latch Item #982864Model #73025491 National Hardware 2-Pack 5.388-in Zinc
Gate Hinge Item #674897Model #N220-137 Arrow 1/2-in Leg x 3/8-in Medium Crown 18-Gauge Heavy-Duty
Staples (1250-Count) Item #91431Model #50824SP
Simpson Strong-Tie 2-in x 1.38-in x 2.05-in 18-Gauge Steel Angle Item #96871Model #A21Z
<PERSON> Strong-Tie 2-in x 2.75-in x 2.05-in 18-Gauge Steel Angle Item #97194Model #A23Z
QUIKRETE QUIKRETE 80-lb High Strength Concrete Mix
Step 1: Location.
I can't stress how important it is to get this right. 181
Most plants will want strong sunlight which means at least 6-8 hours of direct unobstructed sunlight. Note: if your building adjacent to a shaded area to the North, be aware that the shade line will move several feet South from March to June as the sun reaches the summer equinox, so plan accordingly.
Step 2: Prepare the Area.
Ideally, you want the garden be as level as possible, and graded smooth with good rich top soil, and remove any large rocks and stones.
I decided for my purposes, a 12'x16' garden would be a good size. I was able to get the ground level from front to back. Based on the overall grade of the property, I decided I could live with a 5 degree slope from the left side to the right.
Step 3: Building the Base.
I set the planks in place. Using a level, and a carpenter’s square, I got each plank to stand level and perpendicular to the adjacent planks. It was necessary to dig away at the high spots and fill in low spots with stones and dirt to get everything level. Once I had all the boards level and square, I screwed them together to form the rectangular base.
Step 4: Building the Walls.
I needed the walls to be strong enough to support fencing and a roof, but also maximize the amount of sun exposure. I settled on 4x4 posts for the corners, and 2x4s for the rest of the vertical members. For stability, I buried the corner posts about 12 inches deep and set them in poured concrete. 220