Fenced Vegetable Garden: 15 Designs for Yards With Deer and Rabbits

ByMarija
15 Fenced Vegetable Garden Designs

A fenced vegetable garden starts with one question: what is getting in?

Rabbits come along the ground, deer come over the top, and the dog just wants the shortcut.

These 15 designs are sorted by that answer, each with its fence, its gate and the beds inside.

1. Wire Mesh on Cedar Posts Around Two Raised Beds, Gate on the House Side

Fenced vegetable garden with two wooden raised beds of bush beans, peppers and basil inside a wire mesh fence on cedar posts with a framed mesh gate
Beds2
FenceSmall wire mesh on cedar posts, bottom edge buried
Built forRabbits

A rabbit looks for a gap at ground level, so that is where this fence does its work. The mesh is small at the base and its bottom edge is buried.

Inside, two raised beds hold bush beans, peppers and basil.

Design tipThe usual miss is the gap under the gate. Fix a board across the threshold.

2. White Pickets Lined With Mesh Around a Square of Four Beds, Gate Facing the Back Door

Enclosed vegetable garden with four raised beds of tomatoes, peppers, parsley and marigolds inside a white picket fence lined with wire mesh, picket gate facing the house
Beds4
FenceWhite pickets with small mesh fastened inside
Built forRabbits, with a fence that looks good from the house

Pickets look finished and wave a rabbit straight through. Small mesh fastened to the inside, with its bottom edge bent outward along the ground, closes the gaps.

Four beds hold tomatoes, peppers, parsley and marigolds.

Design tipRun the mesh across the gate too. People line the fence and forget the gate.

3. Stock Panels Between Timber Posts Around Three Beds, a Hinged Panel for a Gate

Fenced garden with raised beds, three beds of zucchini, bush beans and chives inside rigid wire stock panels fixed between timber posts, with a hinged panel gate
Beds3
FenceRigid wire stock panels on timber posts, small mesh along the base
Built forRabbits, and a fence that goes up in sections

Rigid cattle or hog panels go up one section at a time, with nothing to stretch. Their openings are wide, so a strip of small mesh runs along the base, bottom edge buried.

Three beds hold zucchini, bush beans and chives.

Design tipSkipping the base strip is the common mistake. Rabbits use those openings.

4. A Low Mesh Fence on Metal Stakes Around Four In-Ground Rows, One Section That Unhooks

Small fenced vegetable garden, four in-ground rows of bush beans, peppers, basil and marigolds inside a low wire mesh rabbit fence on metal stakes
Beds4 rows
FenceLow small mesh on metal stakes, bottom edge bent outward
Built forRabbits, at the lowest cost

This is the cheapest fence here: a roll of small mesh, a handful of stakes and no posts to dig. The bottom edge is bent outward and pinned to the soil.

Four rows hold bush beans, peppers, basil and marigolds.

Design tipLoose mesh sags. Pull it tight between stakes before you tie it off.

5. Tall Wire on Tall Wooden Posts Around Four Beds, a Full-Height Gate at the Corner

Vegetable garden fence ideas for deer, four raised beds of tomatoes, pole beans and cucumbers inside a tall post and wire deer fence with a full-height gate
Beds4
FenceTall wire on tall wooden posts
Built forDeer

Deer jump, so a deer fence is a tall one. How tall depends on local deer pressure, and your extension office can tell you.

Four beds hold tomatoes, pole beans and cucumbers, with a 3 foot path from the gate.

Design tipBuild the gate as tall as the fence. A short gate is the way in.

6. Tall Wire With Small Mesh Along the Base Around Three Beds, One Wide Gate

Enclosed raised garden beds, three beds of peppers, bush beans and parsley inside a tall wire deer fence with a band of small mesh along the base and one wide gate
Beds3
FenceTall wire above, a band of small mesh at the base
Built forDeer and rabbits together

Where deer and rabbits both visit, one fence can be built for the pair. Tall wire handles the top, and a band of small mesh along the base, bottom edge buried, handles the ground.

Three beds hold peppers, bush beans and parsley.

Design tipPeople buy posts, then read the height rules. Check local and HOA limits first.

7. A Walk-In Frame With Mesh Walls and a Mesh Roof Over Two Beds, a Framed Door

Enclosed vegetable garden, a walk-in timber frame with wire mesh walls and a mesh roof over two raised beds of tomatoes, eggplant and basil, with a framed mesh door
Beds2
FenceTimber frame with mesh walls and a mesh roof
Built forDeer and rabbits, in a small footprint

Roof the garden and the fence no longer has to out-jump anything. The frame only needs to be tall enough for you to stand in, with mesh on every side and overhead.

Two beds hold tomatoes, eggplant and basil.

Design tipToo low is the regret here. Size the frame so you can stand up straight inside.

8. Tall Wire on Driven Metal Posts Around Five Long In-Ground Rows, a Gate Hung on Two Wooden Posts

Fenced vegetable garden for deer, five long in-ground rows of zucchini, cucumbers, bush beans and marigolds inside tall wire on metal posts with a gate on two wooden posts
Beds5 rows
FenceTall wire on driven metal posts, wooden posts at the gate
Built forDeer, around a larger in-ground plot

Metal posts are driven, not dug, which makes this the lighter way to fence a bigger plot against deer. Wooden posts go only at the gate.

Long rows hold zucchini, cucumbers, bush beans and marigolds.

Design tipCall 811 before driving a single post. People assume a driven post doesn’t count as digging.

9. Low Pickets Around Three Beds Beside the Patio, a Gate That Shuts Itself

Small fenced vegetable garden beside a patio, three raised beds of peppers, basil, chives and nasturtiums inside a low natural cedar picket fence with a self-closing gate
Beds3
FenceLow cedar pickets on posts
Built forA dog that runs through the beds

A dog isn’t after the peppers. It wants the straight line across the yard, and a low fence takes that line away.

Three beds hold peppers, basil, chives and nasturtiums.

Design tipA gate left open is how this one fails. Fit a spring and a latch, and know that a low fence won’t hold a dog that jumps.

10. The Yard Fence as Two Sides, Wire Panels as the Other Two, Gate at the Open Corner

Fenced garden with raised beds in a yard corner, two narrow beds of cucumbers, bush beans and parsley along a wooden fence with wire panels closing the other two sides
Beds2
FenceThe yard fence on two sides, wire panels on two
Built forA dog, in a corner with six hours or more of direct sun

A fenced corner is half built already. Two beds, each about 2 feet deep, run along the existing fence in an L, and two short runs of wire panel close the square.

The beds hold cucumbers, bush beans and parsley.

Design tipDon’t fasten to a fence you share. Set your own end posts beside it.

11. The Back Fence as One Side, a Front Run of Mesh on Posts, Gate in the Middle

Vegetable garden fence ideas for a family yard, one long narrow bed of tomatoes, basil and marigolds against the back fence behind a front run of wire mesh on posts with a center gate
Beds1
FenceThe back fence behind, mesh on posts in front
Built forSoccer balls and running kids

Soccer balls travel low and fast, and a tomato cage loses every time. One long bed, about 2 feet deep, sits against the back fence with a mesh run in front of it.

It holds tomatoes, basil and marigolds.

Design tipPeople pinch the inside path. Keep at least 2 feet between bed and mesh.

12. One Fence and Gate Across the Side Yard, With the House Wall and Yard Fence as the Rest

Small fenced vegetable garden in a side yard, two raised beds of eggplant, peppers and basil behind one fence and gate that closes the gap between the house wall and the yard fence
Beds2
FenceOne run of wood and wire across the open end
Built forA dog or kids, in a sunny side yard

A side yard needs only one new run of fence, across its open end. The house wall and the yard fence do the rest.

Two beds in single file hold eggplant, peppers and basil.

Design tipCount the sun first. Many side yards never get the six hours or more of direct sun these crops need.

13. Two Hinged Mesh Lids on One Raised Bed, No Gate to Build

Enclosed raised garden beds, one wooden raised bed of lettuce, radishes and parsley under two hinged wire mesh lids, one propped open
Beds1
FenceTwo hinged frames covered in wire mesh
Built forRabbits, on a bed of low salad crops

One bed needs a lid, not a fence. Two shallow frames covered in mesh hinge along the bed’s long sides and meet in the middle.

Underneath go lettuce, radishes and parsley. Lettuce and radishes are cool-season crops, best in spring and fall.

Design tipHeavy lids stay shut. Build them light enough to lift with one hand.

14. Hoops and Wire Mesh Arched Over One Raised Bed, an End Panel That Lifts Off

Enclosed raised garden beds, one raised bed of peppers, bush beans and basil under a hoop cage of wire mesh with a removable end panel
Beds1
FenceHoops covered in wire mesh, both ends closed
Built forRabbits, with headroom for taller crops

Hoops give a single bed headroom that a flat lid can’t. Bend them from side to side, cover the arch in wire mesh and close both ends.

Peppers, bush beans and basil fit underneath.

Design tipMeasure for the grown plant, not the seedling. A tunnel sized in spring is too short by midsummer.

15. A Low Mesh Collar Fixed to One Raised Bed’s Corners, One Side That Unhooks

Small fenced vegetable garden on one raised bed, a low wire mesh collar on four corner stakes around bush beans, chives and nasturtiums
Beds1
FenceA low band of mesh on four corner stakes
Built forRabbits, around a single bed

Here the bed’s own boards are the base of the fence. A stake at each corner carries a low band of mesh above the rim, so there is no edge to bury.

Bush beans, chives and nasturtiums grow inside.

Design tipFasten the mesh to the boards all the way round. A gap at the rim is a door.

Match the Fence to the Visitor

A fence is built for one kind of visitor. Find yours in the left column and read across.

Who or whatWhat the fence needsAt the gate
RabbitsSmall mesh at the base, with the bottom edge buried or bent outwardNo gap underneath, and a board across the threshold
DeerA tall fence. The height depends on local deer pressure, so ask your extension officeAs tall as the fence
Deer and rabbitsA tall fence with a band of small mesh along the baseFull height, and tight to the ground
A dogA low fence across its usual route. It won’t hold a dog that jumpsA spring and a latch, so it shuts by itself
Soccer balls and kidsA waist-high run of mesh between the lawn and the bedsWide enough for the wheelbarrow, about 3 feet
One bed onlyA hinged lid, a hoop cage or a mesh collar fixed to the bedA lid or panel you can open with one hand

Where a Vegetable Garden Fence Usually Fails

Mesh that stops at the soil line

Do thisBury the bottom edge of the wire, or bend it outward along the ground and pin it down. Use small mesh at the base.

A gate too narrow for the wheelbarrow

Do thisA wheelbarrow path is about 3 feet wide, so make the gate match it. Soil and mulch come through that opening every year.

Posts set before the 811 call

Do thisCall 811 a few days before you dig or drive posts. The call is free.

Building before reading the height rules

Do thisLocal and HOA rules limit fence heights, so check both before you build. Renters should ask the landlord before digging or building anything.

A solid fence on the sunny side

Do thisBoards cast shade and wire doesn’t. Keep the fence open, so the beds still get six hours or more of direct sun.

Beds jammed against the wire

Do thisLeave a walking path of at least 2 feet between the beds and the fence. A bed that does sit against a fence should be about 2 feet deep.

Fence for the Garden You Will Want Later

Beds are easy to add. A fence is not easy to move.

So I’d draw the fence line around more ground than you plan to plant this year.

Build two beds inside it and leave the rest as mulch or lawn. When you want a third bed, the posts and the gate are already where they need to be.

The spare ground earns its keep meanwhile. It is where the wheelbarrow turns around and where a bag of compost sits until you need it.

A snug fence looks tidy in the first summer and feels like a mistake in the second.

Name the one visitor you are fencing against, then pick the smallest design here that answers it.

Call 811, check the height rules and set the gate posts first, because everything else lines up from the gate.

No fence is a promise, but a fence built for the right visitor changes what you get to pick.

Frequently Asked Questions

How tall should a vegetable garden fence be for deer?

Tall, and the right height depends on how much deer pressure your area has. Your county extension office can tell you what works locally. Check local and HOA height limits before you build.

Does a fenced garden with raised beds stop rabbits?

It helps when the fence has small mesh at the base, with the bottom edge buried or bent outward, and no gap under the gate. A low raised bed by itself is not a barrier, and no fence is a guarantee.

What are simple garden gate ideas for a small fenced vegetable garden?

A wooden frame covered in the same mesh as the fence, hung on two hinges with a latch. Make it as tall as the fence and wide enough for your wheelbarrow.

Can enclosed raised garden beds work without fencing the whole plot?

Yes. A hinged mesh lid, a hoop cage or a mesh collar encloses one bed by itself, which suits a single bed or a rental where you can’t set posts.

Do I need permission to build an enclosed vegetable garden?

Local and HOA rules limit fence heights, so check both first. Renters should ask the landlord, and everyone should call 811 before digging or setting posts.

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