Individual gardeners adopt approaches to pests and diseases ranging from the laissez-faire attitude of enjoying the natural history aspects of bugs and fungi, to a scorched earth policy of total elimination. The latter tech¬nique can work on a few specific pests and is necessary for some vegetable crops. Fortu¬nately, with ornamental plants, only the occasional pest or disease becomes a serious problem. However, the range of ornamental species which can be grown make a detailed discussion of this aspect of horticulture beyond the scope of this work.

When using chemical methods to control any pest or disease, it is important to follow the general recommendations given under herbicides above, and also the precautions advised by the manufacturer of the product.

Deer, rabbits and similar animals may be very attractive but can cause considerable damage in a garden. The best method to limit damage is to fence them out; other tech-niques, such as shooting, are rarely practical within a garden. Chemical repellents are not totally effective and are rather unsightly. However, where fencing is not feasible, they may be of relevance. More details can be found in Chemical Repellents by H. Pepper, Forestry Commission Leaflet 73.

Rabbits can cause damage by eating small trees and new shoots and by burrowing. They can be excluded by a fence. This should be constructed using wire netting with a mesh size of 3cm and a height of lm. The lower 15cm (6in) should be buried facing out¬wards, which will reduce the risk of rabbits burrowing in from outside. The wire will need to be supported by a stake every 3-4m (10-13ft).

Deer cause damage by either eating the foliage or using trees and large shrubs as rubbing posts to remove velvet from the antlers or for territory marking. Although they can damage a wide range of plants, those most affected include hybrid tea roses, where the young blooms are a choice delicacy. An option, therefore, is to avoid the use of such plants or to enclose the rose garden within a deer-proof fence, rather than the entire garden. To be effective a deer-proof fence must totally enclose the protected area.

Depending upon species of deer, the height of the fence will need to be 1.2m (4ft) (roe deer) to 1.8m (6ft) (red or fallow deer), although it can also serve as a boundary fence. Badgers can cause serious damage to deer and rabbit fences. Badger gates can be constructed where a problem is found to exist.