Photo: Audrey Stallsmith for bobvila.com

We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More ›

Home Advice You Can Trust

Tips, tricks & ideas for a better home and yard, delivered to your inbox daily.

Because I live on a farm I have free-ranging chickens, guineas, and ducks in addition to a dog, several cats, and miscellaneous wildlife. The chickens and guineas consider any freshly turned soil fair game for scratching or dust baths, while the ducks delve in it and the cats consider it an outdoor litter box.

As my dog also enjoys digging in the garden, the carnage would be extreme if I hadn’t devised ways to protect my freshly planted seedlings and bulbs. My tools mainly involve sticks and stones, but rest assured that I’m not throwing them at any animals!

Stones

Photo: Audrey Stallsmith for bobvila.com

My solution is not to figure out how to keep animals out of the garden but, rather, away from my most vulnerable plants.…