Deer Deterrent: Building a Fence Around Your Garden

Q: For a small home garden, how high do you think a fence should be to prevent deer from jumping into the garden to devour young tomatoes, emerging okra and other plants?

A: My brother has had success deterring deer, starting with an inherited four 4-foot high chain link chain-link fence for his garden area, including a few hosta.

He extended all the fence posts up four  feet using black plastic pipe, making each post eight  feet high. Between the pipe extensions he attached four -foot heavy duty plastic mesh to which he hung reflective ribbon. He said that deer, seeing what they perceive as an eight -foot-high fence, devoured his unfenced  hydrangeas instead

I think this scheme could be enhanced by a second short fence, perhaps four 4 feet high, outside the tall fence. Now a deer has to contemplate jumping the little fence and then having enough room to jump the taller fence.

I can see how think unfenced ornamentals would be more appealing.

UPDATE: My brother remarks …” it doesnt matter how high the fence is if you forget to close the gate.” sigh…