Natural Fencing...Weaving the Wattle fence.......What to use and how to build them......RECYCLING AT IT`S BEST
This world is so full of nature that can be used to make good solid fences to keep deer and other animals out of the garden. Follow me to learn what materials you can find in the bush and around the homestead to make your fence.
I recently wrote a post and just touched on this subject of using nature to make good solid fences. Now that your garden`s have had a great start and most probably full of flowers and early fruit, the animals will want to have a midnight snack, so lets look at how we can build some good solid fences using some old fashion traditional techniques.
This is about the time of year that most will be pruning trees on the homestead, before you mulch up into wood chips all those branches lets look at which branches would make the best for weaving a waddle fence.
Selecting your Wood
Hardwood trees produce stiff wood that is difficult to bend, but small, straight pieces of any wood can be used for posts. Maple trees produce sprouts or young branches less than a year old. There are some species known for their usefulness and productivity, such as common Hazel and Willow. One of the best things about willow is that you can harvest, sort and store the branches in a dry place, so they are ready to use in any season. A long soak in water is required to restore their pliability, but having a store of willow on hand makes it possible to craft natural garden structures in any season of the year. Pine is another resource that is so readily available to make a waddle fence. Newly cut, green wood is best and easiest. Hazel, willow, sweet chestnut, plum, forsythia or any supple, long, straight, slender saplings make good weavers.
Next how is it made
The best description with pictures that I could find was on this website, that I just love as a resources for everything homesteading. http://www.forgottenwayfarms.com/forgotten-way-farms-blog/make-wattle-fencing-step-by-step
I will take a few of their pictures just to demonstrate how easy it is, this demonstration is made using Bull Pine Trees.
Aw see even the little lady can help with a simple project as this. Have fun with this and get crazy with the design. It`s natural beauty will build character for the homestead for years and years. I hope you enjoyed my post and give it a try.
Happy Trails
The only fence weaving that I've done is putting sticks in the field wire fencing that I have around my garden. It's easier for the deer to see the fence that way.
damn! building blocking by boring the tree... that's a good idea! That will work for a few of my projects right now. My sheep are doing a number on the masses of small pine and fir trees that are no more than 15 ft tall, so I can use a ton of them for this kind of fence. A nice tall privacy fence.
Go for it. Please do share pictures of your efforts, and good luck my garden friend.
It truly is natural beauty. Lovely, I wish we had more resources like this available where I live.
All the time lines flow together ^^
Which country do you live.
Im in Southern California. Believe it or not this is 25 minutes from the ocean.☺️ This is the view from my home, not many trees and manzanita is illegal to pick. We have a couple of oak , palms and fruit trees though , maybe the trimmings can be used for that :)
This is a dream. So beautiful. Yes Oak can be used for the posts, as it is hardwood. Just remember to use the young green shoots as they are easier to bend etc. But if you are using older branches you find around on the ground, you can just soak them in water.
Oh thank you so much! older thin branches we have plenty of, I do not want to use any of the green, poor things they survived a fire a couple of years ago and here they still stand majestically!
Love your blog and once again thank you for always sharing such great stuff with us!
grew up in N. California look's like the same desert lol , oak is to useful and California grows boulders so lot's of stone walls/ fences, I think thats what that line in the picture is .
Cali is pretty much a cut and paste of itself no matter where you are haha. The line in that picture is something I think the county and fire department has done on all our properties for erosion and fire control I believe. Its just humps of dirt with grass growing. Right now everything is very dry and we are in fire hazard mode.
Beautifully done. I will try someday ^^
There is a saying, why put off till tomorrow when you can do today. LOL
I will have to try this at my friend's house which is becoming the project site
Elegance in simplicity :)
it sure is and it is free, and a wonderful way to recycle and improve your personal green footprint
I believe they were reffered to as "The intestons of the earth"
Really thank you never knew that
Wow, That fence looks incredible! I've personally never done anything like this. We have a few areas where we have planted selectively to create wind breaks but that's about the extent of it.
You should give it a try
This is brilliant!
I love it using nature and looks natural instead of the huge metal fences erected everywhere 😊
Thank you for your upvote also