How to Build a Wire Mesh Planting Bed

Creating a planting bed takes a lot of know-how. If you don't prepare your soil properly, you invite a host of problems. Once you have your bed, you should protect it from such common pests as rabbits, moles, chipmunks, even your dogs and cats. The only sure protection is to build a wire mesh fence around your bed. Follow these steps for a successful, pest-free planting bed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bed edger
• Shovel
• Compost
• Gardening rake
• Wire mesh
• Posts
• Plants
• Garden spade
• Gardening gloves
• Mulch
• Bucket

1. Choose your planting bed's dimensions and edge out a border with a bed edger. Remove all weeds, grass and rocks with a shovel, digging down about two feet and making sure to loosen the existing soil.

2. Build a three-foot-high wire mesh fence around your entire bed, leaving a temporary opening for you to enter in order to plant. To keep out cats and dogs, anchor your fence with sturdy metal or wood posts. To discourage tunneling animals such as moles, chipmunks or gophers, line the bed's bottom and sides with wire mesh, which has one-inch diameter holes.

3. Add a rich compost to your soil and mix together thoroughly. Level your bed with a gardening rake, so water won't pool in any low spots.

4. Plant your flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits in your planting bed, being sure to loosen roots before planting. Use a garden spade to dig appropriate holes or your hands, protected with gardening gloves.

5. Water your entire bed, then spread mulch around your plants. Be sure to close off your wire mesh fence once you've finished.

Tips & Warnings

• As you initially dig your planting bed, you can opt to save any earthworms in a bucket with soil. Once you've mixed in your compost, add the earthworms back to your garden.
• If you have a problem with raccoons or opossums, you should add a floppy, 18-inch wire mesh top to your fence. As these animals try to scale the fence, the loose top falls back on them.