A garden fence does so many things – it sections off the garden, protects it from animals, provides extra planting space around the perimeter, and looks neat and attractive. However, building a garden fence can quickly become complicated and expensive. Continue reading for a simple fence design that is attractive, long-lasting, and best of all – affordable.
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A fence can add (in my case, much needed) beauty and functionality to any garden. Fencing not only makes the garden area visually more contained, but it provides more planting space around the outside without taking up much extra square footage. A fence is also makes a great trellis for flowering or fruiting vines.
However, attractive fencing can quickly become costly. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be difficult – or expensive! – to build your own garden fence. All it takes is a few simple materials and some time.
In this article, I’ll share exactly how we built a simple but sturdy fence to surround our garden area. I’ve included the materials you need, plus the exact steps to take from layout to finishing. Anyone can do this project without spending a lot, even if you are a DIY novice!
Watch the video below to see how our garden fence came together!
What You’ll Need
To make the fence last as long as possible, use a hard and naturally rot-resistant wood like cedar, cypress, or redwood. However, these tend to be more expensive in many locations. For a more budget-friendly option, use pressure-treated pine and fence boards instead.
If you are concerned about pressure-treated wood leaching harmful chemicals into the soil, the good news is, pressure-treated wood has come a long way. The chemicals that are now used are considered much safer than they used to be (check out this source and this source for details). And since this is for fencing, there is a lot less ground contact than with a project like raised garden beds. But the most important thing is to use the materials that make sense for you.
Materials
- 8-foot 4x4s for corner fence posts. I used one 8-foot 4×4 for every two posts, since they were less than 4 feet tall. Look ahead to Step 1 (layout) to figure out how many posts you will need.
- 8-foot 2x4s for other fence posts. This is a money-saving trick. I only used 4x4s for the corners of the fence. 2x4s were sturdy enough for the posts along the sides.
- 6-foot cedar fence pickets (about 6 inches wide). Each fence picket will be cut in half lengthwise to be roughly 3 inches wide, and then cut to length to fit between the posts. Determine the layout first to find out how many fence boards you need.
- Concrete mix. I used Quikrete high-strength concrete mix.
- Outdoor wood screws.
- Level, drill, measuring tape, wooden stakes, string.
- Fence post paint (optional).
- Solar post cap lights (optional).
Step 1 – Layout
First, determine where your fence will be placed. Measure the length of each side of the fence. Divide each side of the fence evenly to determine the post placement. Make sure that each post is less than 3 feet apart, since the fence pickets will be cut in half to about 3 feet each.
Use string to keep the fencelines straight and to perfectly line up the corners of the fence. Don’t forget to leave an opening to enter the garden! I left my fence open, but I may add a gate in the future. Pound a stake in the ground at the location of each fence post.
Step 2 – Fence Posts
Once you know where the posts are going to be, it’s time to get them in the ground. The corner fence posts are 35 inches high (above the ground), but the other posts are a shorter at about 34 inches high. This way the corner posts stick up a little higher so it’s easier to attach the solar lights.
Cut each 4×4 and 2×4 in two pieces, 4 feet each (you’ll trim them later). The posts will be anchored into the ground about a foot deep. If desired, paint the bottom foot of each post with fence post paint to protect them from rotting (this is essential if you are using a softer wood like pine).
Dig a 1-foot deep hole for each post. To check the depth, lay a scrap piece of wood across the top of the hole and measure from the bottom of the hole to the bottom of the scrap wood.
Starting with the corners, place each post into its hole and check for level in all directions. Once the post is level, stake it to the ground to hold it in place while the cement sets. Drive a stake into the ground at an angle next to the post, then temporarily screw the stake into the post.
Once the post is in place, pour about 6 inches of concrete mix in the hole. Top it off with water (according to the package instructions) and leave the concrete to cure. Once it’s set, backfill the hole with soil and tamp down fully. Repeat this process with each of the fence posts.
Step 3 – Horizontal Fence Slats
First, determine how high you want the fence slats to start off the ground, and at what angles they need to be placed. If your ground is as uneven as mine (I have a pretty dramatic slope in one corner of my garden), it’s worth planning out the angles of the fence first.
Tie a long string to a corner post, then run the string down one side of the fence, wrapping around each post. Adjust the string between the posts until you are happy with the height and angle. I found that following the general angle of the ground (if there is a slope) looked best.
Cut each fence board in half to 3 feet long, then carefully cut them horizontally so you are left with roughly 3-inch-wide slats. If your fence pickets are dog-eared, then trim off the angled ends so they are flat.
Measure the exact length between posts before making final cuts. Since the posts are evenly spaced across each side, the lengths between them may vary slightly, so measure before cutting each slat to length.
Pre-drill holes in the slats to avoid splitting, then screw them in place to the fence posts. We used a piece of scrap wood as a spacing template between each slat so we wouldn’t have to measure each time.
Step 4 – Finish
If you are keeping the natural wood finish, good news – you are done with the fence!
I chose to paint my fence with the fence post paint to further protect it. I also really like how the black pops against the plants, but also somehow blends into the landscape. Since I used the softer pressure treated wood as opposed to something hard like cedar, a protective coat was essential.
The final step is to install the solar post cap lights on the corners. They don’t put out a ton of light, but they do give a pleasant soft glow to the garden area every evening.
You may notice an addition to the fence…check out how we also built a grape arbor archway as an entrance into the garden. Find all the details in this article, or watch the video below to see the whole process.