Are summer storms dropping dead branches and twigs onto your yard? Recycle them and create a “wattle” fence!  Wattles, or hurdles, have been in use since the Middle Ages; originally used as portable fencing for grazing sheep. Over time, designs have evolved and many examples of beautiful woven fencing can be found worldwide.

Back to our summer storms.  A clever and sustainable method of dealing with these fallen branches is to create a rustic wattle in your own yard.

Benefits include providing homes and nesting sites for beneficial insects, including native bees, as well as adding a fun and rustic element to a natural garden.

They are easy to construct: drive vertical supports into the ground (bamboo is ideal) and weave branches and twigs between these supports.  As summer storms “gift” you with additional branches, don’t send them to the landfill- simply add to your wattle!

Stay safe and happy “wattling”!

For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at (863) 519-1041 or visit us online at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Give us a call or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu.

If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic.

The Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program is a volunteer-driven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

This article was written by Master Gardener Volunteer Molly Griner under supervision of the Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator and Residential Horticulture Extension Agent Anne Yasalonis.

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