Fence in a vegetable garden

Welded wire on steel T-posts. Keeps the dog and the rabbits out of the tomatoes.

How far around the garden?

feet

This fits in a car

About 154 lb of materials. Comfortably inside what a car carries (200 lb), so any shopper can take it. ⚠️ 2 items on the list have no weight on file, so the real load is a little heavier than this.

Before you start

Call 811 before driving posts — a T-post goes deep enough to hit a line. It is free and takes a couple of days. Keep your head clear of the driver and wear gloves; cut wire ends are sharp.

What to buy — untick anything you have

Fencing

2 rolls of welded wire garden fence, 4 × 50 ft
9 Steel T-post, 6 ft
2 bags of t-post clips (25 per bag)Skip these if the T-posts come with clips.
1 Walk-through gate for wire fence, 4 ftSame height as the wire. The kind that hangs on T-posts or comes with its own posts.

Tools — already ticked off, since most people have them

Tools

1 T-post driver
1 Fencing pliers· most people have this
1 Wire cutters· most people have this
1 pair of work gloves· most people have this

It lands in the shopping form, where you can edit anything and say what you think each thing costs. Nothing is ordered until you send it.

How it goes · about an afternoon · beginner

Mark the corners of the garden and decide where the gate goes, facing the house.
Drive a T-post at each corner and at both sides of the gate opening, about 18 in into the ground, with the studs facing out.
Fill in the posts every 8 ft along a string line between the corners.
Unroll the wire along the outside of the posts, pull it snug by hand, and clip it to each post at five heights.
Cut the wire at the gate opening and hang the gate. For rabbits, bend the bottom 6 in outward along the ground and pin it.

Something else

Build a raised garden bed Mulch a flower bed Paint a room Put up garage shelving Fix a patchy lawn Build a fire pit Mount a TV on the wall Cookout for a crowd

Feeding people instead? The recipe book works the same way — pick a meal, say how many, every ingredient lands on the list.