We've never had issues with deer bothering our asparagus but we don't have any of the other fruits here. But what about the walnut tree? Won't it inhibit the growth around it? Looks like you're moving forward quickly!

have you considered using a bow/arrows for hunting the deer? wouldn't food crops outside of the fence lure them closer?

Three years ago, I had to make the same decision about whether to plant fruit trees inside or outside of a fenced garden. I decided on outside and have regretted it ever since.

If you don't put a wire cage around the trees, the deer will eat the tips and leaves off of every branch they can reach. In the fall, the bucks will rub their antlers on the trunks.

If you decide on outside, plan on using a wire cage for 2-3 years (with the associated maintenance hassle) and trunk protection after that for several more years. I would also use standard size rather than dwarfs - otherwise you will need a wire cage forever.

Good luck and have fun with your new homestead.

Hi Anna and Mark - good on you for the main garden deer fence. The deer fence for my plot (much smaller than your plan) has a top rail that deter jumpers. The hog wire, however, doesn't deter rabbits so my gardening goal includes adding a secondary fencing of chicken wire flush with the existing hog wire from the ground up a couple of feet. About your blueberries and raspberries - the location looks lovely and do consider some type of net or chicken wire structure around them, at least post-pollination. The birds will get them if the deer don't, and bunnies and voles love to munch on the stems and bark of blueberries and mountain huckleberries here in my Western Washington state location. Save yourselves from the disappointment I've felt from significant berry losses when I should have known better and protected against the winged and hooved critters. Congratulations on your newest endeavors!

Maps are eye candy.

For five minutes I kept trying to read this but I didn't read A WORD. I just was staring at the maps. Soaking them in. Not intellectually or even understanding them, just like admiring works of art or meditative scenery (which they are.)

Wow. Wow. Wow.

I just can't get my eyes off of your beautiful maps.

I do plan to read it in a jiffy though. Just thought I'd shoot a compliment.

Hopefully not too unintellectual.

Maybe you will end up falling in love with transforming new pieces of land, and start doing that in profession 4 in a decade?

PS I love deterring deer with un-nibble-ables.

I would second what Jeff said about deer and fruit trees. Also, in my experience, bramble fruits are less bothered than others (namely, strawberries and grapes), but I'm not sure if that's universally true.

I had to put a 7 ft deer fence around my garden, but groundhogs chewed through the mesh, so I put a 4 ft wire fence around the bottom of that. I discovered rabbits could fit through that, so I wrapped another fence made of thick plastic mesh around that. Then all my strawberries were eaten by chipmunks, who are impossible to keep out, my barn cat's valiant efforts notwithstanding.

What I see is an absence of a GARAGE in that drawing. Come on, that little plastic Rubbermaid shed you keep the generator in is NOT going to keep all your tools out of the weather long term.

It will be really nice to have a place you can keep the car out of the snow, rain etc. I know Mark has his itch to "tinker" and you will have garden tools, lawn mower, chain saw etc that needs a dry and secure home!

Deer decimate my asparagus. It is fine until they taste it. Then it is gone