permaculture

[Xavier Dequaire <xavier@futurich.com>]

My solution is, here in Norway:
we have doe deer, which can come through an opening 18 cm wide, 60 cm high, 
and pass a 2 m high obstacle.

I tried too the smell solutions, it does not work long term, and those 
strange smells in the garden are not so pleasant.

I observed that the deers that walk down the road walked up in the garden if 
the low gate was open, but walked to the neighbour when it was closed. The 
animal that could jump over prefered probably the most open visual route.
My provisory solution
I set up a high fence with small  trees I cut down (up to 5 cm diameter) that 
I use as posts every 40-50 cm, and I  thread the branches around those posts:
it is cheap, easy to implement and visually quite neutral compared to fences 
because you do not get straigh lines og squares. You can include living 
treess and get climbing plants on it.
It works fine, and even if I do not have a fence around all the garden, it 
has reduced deer traffic dramatically.
This fence willl decay after all, but it can be maintained easilly with new 
posts here and there and coppiced branches.
I think it fits pretty well to the PC spirit, and the fence is locally 
produced and recycled.

The final solution:
The best PC-solution I see, which avoids a fence , is a productive hedge, 
considered as an integrated part of the garden, it takes more time to 
establish, but gives a long term solution, and it works!

and here is what PFAF mention about it:
« Rosa species: Many roses can be grown as hedges and all of them, in
theory at least, produce edible fruits rich in Vitamin C.  One of
easiest to grow, succeeding in almost any soil or situation and
virtually insect and disease proof  (except the fruits, unfortunately),
is R. rugosa which also has the tastiest rose fruits which we've tried
to date.  It will grow to 8 feet but can be kept smaller by pruning. »

Rosa Rugosa, If the cilmate allows it, it at least is very tolerant to cold, 
salty air and dry/soaked and poor soils.
It grows 2-3m high, and is very dense with thorns, 
Rose flowers can be used for perfume, marmelade (I recommand absolutely to 
try rose marmelade: you need a lot of flowers for a little marlmelade, but 
then you really have a concentrate of taste and perfume, and you do not need 
much marmelade at a time).
The density of shoots from the ground make it virtually impenatrable, even 
for foxes, dogs etc. and it blooms all the summer and autumn.

it is easy to reproduce your self from root shots or small matured branches. 
Some varieties sucker freely.

an edge whichpleases the eye, the nose and the palate...

you can obviously mix with different kinds of bushes like berberis, 
hawthorns, bay tree, yew,  buckthorn, blackberries, look at edible shrubs at 
pfaf



the link: Plants for a future http://www.pfaf.org 

peace
Xavier