Garden makeover by Irene Shonle

Voles have periodic population explosions, and my house was the epicenter this year.   Pocket gophers decided to get in on the party, too.  Whereas before, they had always stayed down in the leach field and other peripheral areas, this year they moved into the garden.  I watched one of my rhubarb plants disappear underground entirely.

Fencing kept out the rabbits and chipmunks, but not voles and pocket gophers

I finally realized that my attempts to retrofit exclusion just weren't working (rocks kept me from burying the fence underground, and voles just slipped right under like the fence wasn't even there).  Pocket gophers were completely undeterred by the above ground fence.   It was time to do things right -- even though it would mean a LOT of work!