Meet the Fortress : Our Answer to Pesky Varmints

The Brown family is serious about organic gardening. JB and Sara love the time outside and fresh produce almost as much as their two kids, Cameron and Grace. Problem is the critters in their backyard are more persistent than a door to door salesman. Every fat, green tomato went missing just days from turning red. Half eaten cucumbers littered the ground around the garden like peanut shells at a football game. Entire rows of bush bean plants were cut down to sad little stubs peeking up through the soil.

“We tried some deterrents,” explains JB, nodding toward a plastic owl sitting on the edge of one of the raised beds we installed back in May. “They left some stuff alone, like the peppers and eggplant, but we didn’t get to eat one single tomato. And I’m a tomato guy. “

A tomato guy with no tomatoes? That’s as bad as a theme park with no roller coasters.

Our solution?

The Fortress ;  An 8’x8’x7’Tall enclosed garden.

The fortress is made by connecting panels framed with cedar 2”x4” lumber, and wrapped with ½” galvanized hardware cloth to create an enclosed space that will keep out birds, squirrels, rabbits and other meddlesome varmints, while still allowing pollinating insects easy access to the plants. Once the cage was in place, we then installed a horseshoe shaped raised bed made with 4”x4” cedar timbers.

The area inside the beds was finished with small brown pea gravel, which has a warm, natural appearance, and won’t become discolored from mud and foot traffic like a lighter color stone. The beds were filled with our blend of pine bark fines, mushroom compost, and PermaTill, and we planted an assortment of heirloom carrots, turnips, radishes and peas.

As for JB’s tomatoes?

“Spring will be here in no time.” He smiles, locking the bolt on the door.