People are always asking me, “What can I do about the deer?” Short of a shotgun, there aren’t a whole lot of options. Mel gives a good one in his book, All New Square Foot Gardening: Grow More in Less Space!, and called it a critter cover. It works, but it is not terribly attractive.

On Monday, I mixed homemade Mel’s Mix for Dr. Bill & Sharon Plikerd. Bill bought three of the new Ohio Amish-made red cedar pin box kits, but wanted to raise them off the ground to be able to garden standing up or sitting. He came up with this fabulous solution to both the deer problem and stand-up gardens. His handyman, Rick, cleared and built all of this in about 2 weeks. Notice the Strawberry Topsy Turvy bags in the corners. These are also filled with Mel’s Mix. Bill and Sharon have agreed to host an open house for me and you’ll be able to see Bill’s garden in person. Look for that sometime in June.

A beautiful solution to "the deer problem."