Rustic fences can be decorative and practical.
Do you want to keep animals out of your growing space or just make another garden room? Rustic fences are great ways to do this.
First take a garden hose or thick rope and lay out where you want the fence to go. Doing this allows you to move the line around until you find something that looks good in your yard. If you know of underground pipes or wires avoid these.
Once you have your line laid out hammer in green metal stakes every 6 to 8 feet apart. These metal stakes can be purchased at a home improvement store and can be hammered in with a large hammer or a mallet. If it’s not going in easily then try moving a few inches over as you might be hitting a rock.
When the stakes are in place the next step is to line up a pole with the stake that is at least 2 to 3 inches in diameter then wire this pole to the stake; I like to use baling wire. Cut a piece that is long enough and wrap by hand first, then use pliers to twist the wire until it’s tight. If the wood is fresh it will shrink as it drys so you may need to go back and retighten as the wire loosens up.
Here is the green metal stake from the back side.
Next lay out your cross pieces. If you need to keep things out of the garden use heavier pieces of wood and more of them. If it’s purely decorative then you can use lighter branches. Cut the branches to the right size then use wood screws to attach them to the posts. It’s a good idea to wire them as well as the screws loosen pretty quickly.
Here is the baling wire attachment.
If you are keeping chickens or rabbits out then line the bottom with chicken wire and bury it several inches down. This can help with dogs too but it should then be wired or tied to the poles and cross pieces for extra strength.
Here is a very simple gate.
The last step is to build a small gate. Here are basic steps for making a gate.
I use a clip to keep the gate closed. This will not keep out a determined dog but it is a deterrent.
Good luck!