We found a solution to keep the local fauna out of the garden.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-13-2009, 12:14 PM

We have a 14 ft x 4 ft section in the front of the house that's going to be our place for the tomato plants. It's a good place to plant, however, we have stray cats around the neighborhood that have used that area as a litter box in the past. The skunks also like to dig for bugs, usually underneath the steps and behind the staircase of the neighbors' house.

I think we've finally found a way to keep the fauna from digging and getting to the tomato plants this year.

We're planning on digging a trench, of sorts, and putting in a barrier retaining wall all the way around the garden. The first layer of rock will go at least a foot down and then we'll be able to do at least a foot or two above ground. We're even putting it against the side of the front steps that my next-door neighbors have to prevent the skunks from digging into my dirt to get behind those stairs.

After that is done, we're putting in a fence to keep the cats from jumping up and onto the dirt. I had originally just planning on mulch in the dirt surrounding the plants, but the cats would just poo in there and leave it.

All of this is probably going to cost us a bit, including a truck full of peat moss to fill in about two feet more (14 x 4 x 2 = lots of peat moss but we can get it for $40 per truck load). We'll also need to get the retaining wall stone that'll have the dimensions of 14 x 4 x 3 (all in feet). However, I'd rather end up with a really cute planting garden for my front yard than doing it halfway.

**Judi Dial** · 04-13-2009, 12:24 PM

Sounds great, be sure to post a pic when you do it!

Judi

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-13-2009, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by Judi Dial

Sounds great, be sure to post a pic when you do it!

Judi

Oh, definitely! I'll be taking pictures of the before, during and after for posterity sake.

**Missy** · 04-13-2009, 01:34 PM

I too, look forward to pictures!

**Must-Stash** · 04-13-2009, 02:14 PM

Sounds awesome! You have obviously given a great deal of thought to this.

We have acreage in the boonies. Everything was a problem. I bought a live trap from Lowe's. Every night I'd bait it with whatever I thought skunk and groundhogs would want. Never got a groundhog. Never got a cat either. I think they're just too smart for that trick. I did, however, easily average 3 or 4 skunks a week. The most frightening part of that was that during a growing season I would average 3 very obviously rabid skunks. Catch and release for them was not an option. Those I would immediately shoot in the trap.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 04-13-2009, 05:45 PM

Originally Posted by Must-Stash

Sounds awesome! You have obviously given a great deal of thought to this.

We have acreage in the boonies. Everything was a problem. I bought a live trap from Lowe's. Every night I'd bait it with whatever I thought skunk and groundhogs would want. Never got a groundhog. Never got a cat either. I think they're just too smart for that trick. I did, however, easily average 3 or 4 skunks a week. The most frightening part of that was that during a growing season I would average 3 very obviously rabid skunks. Catch and release for them was not an option. Those I would immediately shoot in the trap.

Yeah, I'm a big softie when it comes to animals. It's funny because they taught us to shoot to kill in the Marine Corps, but I hate guns and I hate harming animals. DH told me we should just call Animal Control but I'd rather leave them be until they present a huge problem for us.