Monday, June 6, 2016

The Mint Fence

Cost $0.00 - Time 4.5 hours

As I've posted about a few times previous I love my mint! For the last almost six years I've let kids, our dog & then chickens to run or play on it - even my husband mow over it while trying to get it to fill in a bit more.
This year my darling chickens weeded it out for me in the early spring.

I've jumped at the chance to make it a proper mint patch by now adding a gate! I really want to know that nothing has been pooping on my mint! It would make harvesting it a few steps easier!


First we cleared the space, dug out the holes and then put in the support posts. To hold the support posts up we used large rocks to fill the holes. Placing them down tightly so they won't move.

Being on a very tight budget (flat broke) we used some really great wood we were able to get for free from a company that allows scrapers like myself to come and get their broken frames & large pallets.
The pretty wood fencing came from a friend of ours company.


They sell the wood fences to large box stores - however every now and then things get damaged either in shipping or in the warehouse - he has sweetly given us a few of the damaged pieces. We replaced broken boards or cut around the damaged parts and voila - free fencing!


We added a gate in the middle so that I have full access to my mint and future lavender plants. (Not sure what other herbs but this is going to be home to my future herb garden. Possible Oregano, Lavender & Sage.)


My darling even made a matching gate bar to keep it closed. We plan to add chicken wire to the back of the fence (I have some left over from when we fenced the coop). However, so far the chickens haven't tried to get through the bars and into the mint. Pretty sure they think its like the other fences they can't get through!
We even dug out some paving blocks, re-adding them as our step entry into the mint patch!


Did it take lots of extra time to find the free wood, pick it up and take it apart - YES.
Would I rather pay in time than in money - yes, a thousand times yes.
For those with a better budget I'd estimate this project would cost between $90-120 depending on the size of the area and what type of fencing you choose.

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