In autumn hungry squirrels get serious. You need a strategy to protect cool-weather edibles and other plants from their sharp little teeth, and for that we recommend wire garden cloches.
Handsome and portable, cloches made of galvanized steel, iron, or even chicken wire will harmlessly repel varmints. Cloches also are a welcome design element, as their pleasing domed shapes add structure to a late-season garden. Here are 10 ideas (from styles that hearken to the era of Victorian plant collectors to modern chicken-wire domes):
Modern Victorian Cloches
Above: Designed by Sophie Conran for Burgon and Ball, a Handmade Architectural Cloche echoes its Victorian ancestors with an elegant bell shape. It has wire anchors and a brass ring handle; £19.95 from Sophie Conran.
Tall Cloches
Above: An aged black Medium Wire Cloche has an elongated shape (it is approximately 14.5 inches tall) that makes it suitable to display decorative objects; $29.95 from Provincial Living.
Squirrel Proof Cloches
Above: A dome-shaped steel-framed wire cloche with spiked feet can be secured in the ground to foil garden critters. A Squirrel Proof Cloche is available in two sizes and is currently marked down to from £16.14 to £22.09 depending on size at Crocus.
Folding Cloches
Above: A Folding Three In One Cloche which can be additionally configured as a low protective tunnel is on sale for £31.49 from RHS Plants.
Chicken Wire Cloches
Above: With a turned finial for a handle, a 14.5 In. Wire Cloche is $39 from Home Depot.
Rust Proof Cloches
Above: Available in three sizes, a Belton Wire Plant Cloche is from £22 to £42 depending on size (a set of three is £88) and is “finished in a protective powder gray coating for a long lasting, hardwearing finish,” notes retailer Rowen & Wren.
Adjustable Extension Cloches
Above: Adjustable dome-shaped rabbit proof cloches can be customized with Rabbit Proof Cloche ExtensionS (from £8.02 to £25.49 depending on size at Crocus) to protect larger plants and shrubs.
Reversible Basket Cloches
Above: A basket-shaped Reversible Boma Plant Support can be flipped over to use as a cloche; it is £34.99 from Crocus.
Edible Garden Cloches
Above: A metal garden cloche with an exaggerated bell shape will protect edibles such as lettuces without bruising their leaves. A Chicken Wire Cloche is 16 inches in diameter and 12.5 inches high; $23.95 apiece (or $18 each for a set of three) at Gardener’s.
Stackable Cloches
Above: An Iron Wire Cloche made from 4-millimeter steel rod “can be neatly stacked for compact storage in the shed.” It is £25.99 from Waitrose Garden. N.B.: Yes, we have a thing for cloches. See more ideas in our earlier posts:
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