This is the year that I start bugging my husband about adding a split rail fence to our property line. The deer have gotten out of control and starting to eat my fancy hydrangeas. Of course a deer can jump a fence this height with very little effort except that I’ve got a few tips that will make it a more successful barrier.

Zigzagging the fence confuses the deer a bit. If they think they aren’t going to land on solid ground then they will avoid the jump. I’ll also add some rose bushes, large rocks, and other obstacles on my side of the fence to discourage them. They will look before they leap. If something is in their way–then they move on.

So I will build a split rail fence and zigzag it adding greenery and obstacles in an effort to move the deer along to other grazing destinations. That is the plan—hopefully.

If that doesn’t work—I’ll add some motion detector sprinklers to the fence. I’ve heard that works marvelously.

I took the photo at the Pioneer Museum in Staunton, Virginia.