Fences.
I recommend fencing the entire property with a high and solid fence.
Plenty of wild animals are attracted to enter your garden. Depending on your location, the animals will vary, of course. In my location, there are families of boars who like to dig in the ground, especially when the crops are almost ready to be harvested. They will eat everything they find on the ground. Badgers destroy plants’ roots when they search for worms, and roe deer eat lettuce, trees, and other young plants.
Not to mention passers-by and neighbors who like to taste something or “borrow” tools (yes, we all have neighbors like that!) :-).
A basic chain link fence is sufficient. It’s practical and requires minimal to no maintenance. On the other hand, a simple steel railing fence would be useless since animals could easily crawl through it. You’ll need a net anyway.
A wooden fence is undoubtedly much nicer but requires constant maintenance—painting, impregnating, and reparations. It looks nice, but it usually starts to fall apart after a few weeks of rain and sunshine. The same applies to natural wicker, bamboo, or wooden pallet fences. These are also inconvenient when it comes to cutting grass and weeding.
Another option is a stone wall, which can be made, for example, using the “dry stone” technique. This technique is natural and lasts ages. However, it is physically very demanding. We must transport the stones to the place and build them according to specific technical requirements (the actual placement of the rocks, water drainage, etc.). It also takes a lot of time to make.
The disadvantage of a stone wall is that plants grow between the stones, so we must clean them constantly, and various animals hide in them. For example, snakes and scorpions love those tiny holes.
Concrete walls are also an option. However, it is usually necessary to have the official permission.
I don’t like seeing barbed wire or electric fences around. As part of nature, there’s no reason to live in excessive fear of animals or the natural world. I don’t support the use of such barriers, especially where I live, since there are no life-threatening animals here. Causing harm without reason, in my view, is unacceptable. Wild animals often don’t notice these fences from a distance and can quickly become entangled or injured when they run into them.
Another option is to use recycled or upcycled materials. I repurpose old metal bed frames in less visible areas of my garden. Although they look pretty bad, they’ve proven to be the most effective fence I’ve used—strong, durable, and impenetrable by animals. Plus, it’s a much better alternative than letting them end up in a landfill or discarded in nature.
Borders and paths
When setting up your garden beds, consider using borders to separate them. Just like with fencing, there are plenty of options.
We can classify borders into two categories: permanent and temporary.
Permanent ones include wooden raised beds, bricks, and large stones. The disadvantage is – their permanence.
This type of border works well for small gardens and ornamental flower gardens. However, when it comes to growing vegetables, you need enough space to rotate crops (since it’s not recommended to plant the same crops in the same spot each year) and to work the soil, especially when using tools like a motor-hoe (if you don’t do no-dig method). That said, these beds look nice and don’t interfere with using a grass cutter.
Wooden raised beds
Wooden raised beds have gained significant popularity recently due to their aesthetic appeal. They are beautiful when positioned near the house, especially when we have a small space for a garden. However, if you choose this option, it’s essential to treat the wood properly – ideally with natural methods – since chemicals from synthetic treatments could leach into the soil with rainfall.
One important consideration is the ongoing need to replenish the soil. While the bottom layer of a raised bed often consists of cardboard and then woody material, the top layer is always soil, which depletes as plants grow.
I use a raised bed made from old solid wood in my greenhouse. I grow vegetables like lettuce, arugula, basil, and cabbage yearly. When plants mature and go to seed, I plant something new. This process requires me to fully replenish the soil about three times a year, meaning I use around 40 liters of soil for a two-meter-long bed.
We can use soil from our garden, but this isn’t a sustainable solution. Two main reasons are that the soil may not always be the right composition (nutrient level, pH, and presence of weed seeds) and that the amount of soil needed is enormous, so you would constantly make holes in your terrain.
We can create a separate space for making new soil (compost) or rely on external sources whenever we buy it.
Another factor to consider is that enclosed spaces, even if just on the sides, can foster mold and fungi and become a refuge for animals like ants and snails. So, while raised beds have many benefits, they require significant time, space, and financial investment.
On the positive side, raised beds are an ideal solution for those who have children or pets. When seeds germinate, or plants are still small, children and dogs might not realize where they can walk or play. For instance, my dog loves to lie down in my onion patch or trample through lettuce – something I could avoid with raised beds.
Making a raised bed is the same as making a no-dig bed. The only difference is that the raised bed also has wooden borders.
Although I mainly refer to wooden raised beds here, other options, such as stainless steel ones, are available. These materials suit areas with frequent rain or a humid climate. Cardboard boxes can also be used as temporary planters.
Natural temporary borders
Temporary borders are an option that is quick and doesn’t cost money (or little). We can create temporary borders from natural materials in a few minutes: small stones, natural rope, sticks, and wood.
Despite the variety of options, they all have one drawback: rain, wind, and sun will wear them down within days or weeks.
Small, flat stones make mowing difficult and create a perfect spot for ants, who love to build anthills under them (so when your fruit ripens, they have it closer). Scorpions hide in the wicker fences, and sticks can be dangerous if a child (or you!) trips and falls.
Using tall sticks is helpful if we move the hose in the garden and could accidentally damage the plants – the stick creates a barrier and stops the hose far from the plant.
Paths
We can use large stones, small pebbles, or even straw for paths for a decorative approach. But, like with temporary borders, the weather is against us. Large rocks or tree trunks become slippery in the rain, pebbles can be expensive and attract weeds, and straw can also be slippery, with the added risk of introducing unwanted wheatgrass if the straw contains seeds.
It seems like I’m only focusing on the negatives, but trust me – I’ve tried them all. My goal isn’t to discourage you from trying what appeals to you but to highlight potential challenges that aren’t always apparent in the beautiful photos online. By being aware of these risks, you can better plan and choose the method that suits you best.
The easiest and most space-efficient solution is to create a simple, well-trodden path between planting beds. Adding mulch is even better.
When creating paths, cardboard or black gardening cloth and mulch can also be used. This will suppress the weeds, leaving the path easy to walk without mud. When choosing mulch, some things to consider: Fresh wooden chips and small chips are not suitable, even for the paths, because they will contact the ground and plants anyway.
Small wooden chips retain water, fly away, decompose quickly, and become sticky, creating more mess than solutions. Fresh wood can also affect the level of nitrogen in the ground.
When choosing the right mulch, consider its effects on the ground’s pH. For this reason, avoid wood that can increase the ground’s acidity as it decomposes—pine, cedar, spruce, hemlock, fir, and oak, for example.
Flowers used as natural borders
Edible flowers can also enhance natural paths. They create a beautiful, functional separation between planting areas and offer additional benefits.
Of course, you can also choose non-edible plants, but why not combine the pleasant with the useful?
We can say that (almost) every plant grown in the garden is a flower – because it produces flowers. For example, lettuce has beautiful white or purple flowers (each species blooms differently). But I’m talking about plants that are just flowers.
In this case, it is better to choose annual flowers – perennials would always have to be transplanted again. You can select perennial varieties that are easy to transplant, such as primulas (primrose), which are easy to grow, come in many beautiful colors, and are edible.
Additionally, some edible perennials can be invasive and challenging to remove once established (such as mint or edible roses). They also tend to grow tall, which not only takes up valuable space but can also cast shade over other plants.
Some examples of edible annual flowers:
- violet
- nasturtium
- borage (tends to grow tall – can be helpful when needed shade for plants during scorching summer)
- chamomile
- elderberry
- calendula
- basil
- chive
Other annuals often used as natural separation:
- french marigold
- zinnia
- sweet alyssum
- cornflower
- cosmos flowers
I hear everywhere that we must plant flowers to attract pollinators to our gardens. This information may be a bit misleading. While we absolutely need pollinators, and they also need flowers to survive, a bee would still visit your garden even if there was just one flower in a whole area. Also, some plants, like tomatoes, are self-pollinating, so they don’t need pollinators. While some plants need a specific type of insect for pollination, so you need more plants of this species than random flowers.
I prefer to think of it differently – I plant these flowers FOR the bees, giving them more options and easier access. It’s a small way to compensate for all the mowed lawns and paved surfaces they must contend with.
And of course, these plants can also serve other purposes, such as pest control.
Concrete and stone tiles
To wrap up this topic, I’d like to mention a semi-permanent option: DIY concrete and stone tiles. These are excellent for small gardens or pathways around the house. When made properly, they can last for years. They’re slip-resistant and nice-looking. Although heavy, we can still move them around, changing compositions and layout. Additionally, using scrap metal in their construction makes them a practical and eco-friendly solution.