Cages! They won't keep out the underground critters - but most everything above ground. You're probably thinking of just digging a nice garden out in the open - with a critter-proof fence all around the perimeter. How I would love that myself! Unfortunately, I live on the edge of a canyon wildlife preserve - Whose inhabitants visits my place almost nightly. You'd think with all that lovely preserve to play in, that they'd leave me alone! However, because of the steepness of the canyon and sloping terrain, it is impossible for a fence to be placed. I would definitely opt for a cage or two. As long as you are going with raised beds eventually, I think it would be less expensive to begin with them anyway. A nice bed made of 1 x 6 cedar board x 2 (stacked) x 8 to 10 ft. long, will grow a lot of stuff. You are thinking of purchasing wire, etc., so the hardware cloth would be the easiest - stretched around some PVC pipe formed into a cage to place inside the box. I guarantee that it will deter most any of the "guests" you mentioned - especially with a wire across the top (birds) - so that leaves ants, aphis and cabbage moth as just about your only invaders. Some Remay cloth stretched over the frame would stop that gap somewhat too. Sorry - if I'm not sounding too optimistic about perimeter fencing, but "been there" "done that" "doesn't work" as I recall, especially if you have that many "interested" visitors, as you mention. Bejay

And the winner is... BIGFOOTsz10 !!! Since Bigfootsz10 got a slow start he wasn't in the original photo, but with lightening fast speed he swept in at the last minute and SMASHED the competition! That brings an end to today's activities. Please use designated garden exits. Thank you for attending this little race and have a great growing season this year.

Hah, I don't know, mrclint. I'm only 5'4" and my wonderful and patient hubby is the same height :-) Trying to get netting over my trees which are 7' tall (and I keep all my trees to 7' or shorter) might be a monumental task without a frame. I'm hoping the birds don't discover my other stone fruits. I have enough of a challenge with all the rodents and snails. I don't think I could net them all, just the cherries :-) Speaking of netting and getting good at doing something the more you do it: I was absolutely amazed at a commercial vineyard we say when we drove out on a trip somewhere (can't remember if I saw this around my area or up in Bakersfield). I saw rows and rows of commercial grapes growing that were all netted. They had a frame built right into the grape trellis that nets were draped over. Rows and rows of netted grapes. I was just amazed. What a lot of work, but it was done so well. I still couldn't help but think that was a lot of work. But, I'm sure worth the effort in some places, as birds can completely strip a grapevine in a matter of days in some places. Patty S.

1>So if ants are building their mounds right at the base 1>of your seedlings, they pose no harm?? 2>Depends on the ant. Most of the time no. I have a raised 2>veggie bed with a largish ant hill in it and this is where 2>I plant peppers. They don't harm the plant at all and the 2>pepper I have growing in the ant mound does just as well 2>as the rest. That is amazing to me. My experience with ants eating plants started at an early age. I thought, gee, nothing growing here, I will plant some peas. Of course it was an ant hill (sleeping during the pea planting season evidently.) Once the peas started growing, they devoured the plants entirely. Those of you who don't see ants as a pest in need of killing must not have as many ant hills in their yard as I do. We had one that was at least 10 feet by 4 feet. That is a lot of space to abdicate to ants. And of course there are maybe 97 other ant hills in other spots. Personally I don't feel the need to let ants rule that much of my yard. Anytime they are trying to live en masse in a garden bed, they are going to get soaked with water, have their nest disturbed, and probably have soapy water sprayed on them if they won't move. They have always eaten the plants or the plant roots near them. I can't imagine what kind of ants you would have that WOULDN'T kill the plants they are by. For proof I point out the completely plantless nature of ant hills. Marcia