Friday, April 06, 2007
By WILLIAM WESTHOVEN
Staff Writer
Copyright © 1997-2007 Courier News
The enemy may be cuter than a Disney 'toon, but for many Central
Jersey property owners, the Deer Wars are an ugly business.
There's nothing warm and fuzzy about the Garden State deer
population and other furry allies that use expensive landscaping as
an all-night buffet. But there are peaceful alternatives to deer
hunts and cullings. And an entrepreneur from Readington is on the
front lines, manufacturing a product that will help establish a
peaceful border between the warring factions.
Bob Hannigan of Readington and partner Amit Doshi, of suburban
Philadelphia, are the creators and co-owners of Garden Defender, a
safe, environmentally sensitive fencing system that's designed to
keep deer, rabbits and other critters on the outside looking in.
Hannigan's inspiration came from his own backyard vegetable
garden, which was being ravaged by deer.
"I had wire cones here and there, and tried other things, but
they weren't working," he said. I started putting pots on the porch,
but that's no way to garden."
So he put his professional experience as a sales rep for a
packaging and display company into designing a modular fencing
system that could be easily installed and adapted to different-sized
gardens. Created primarily for the compact garden plots typically
found in suburban back yards, the lightweight but sturdy Garden
Defender fencing system can be installed in 30 minutes, creating a
secure barrier that deer, rabbits, woodchucks and other hungry
visitors can't penetrate.
The design features a series of interlocking two-by-four-foot,
light-green panels with steel frames and tight mesh screen. Each
bottom joint has a flange and a hole for a stake to be driven
through into the ground. All stakes have a feathered shaft that will
keep the unit firmly in place, and its color blends with the
environment.
"We put our prototypes in the ground last spring," Hannigan said.
"I used my neighbor. He was a chicken-wire guy. Once we saw it work,
we knew we had something fantastic."
Garden Defender comes in four sizes, 8-by-10 feet; 8-by-12 feet;
10-by-12 feet and 12-by-18 feet (each kit also comes with all the
tools needed to install the product). The modular design allows any
number of different configurations. Gardeners can start small, and
add more panels if they want to expand their gardens, This expansion
ability, along with the two-way swinging door, are very attractive
features that help Garden Defender stand out in a competitive
market.
"We sold out our first shipment and we have another 60 units
coming in soon," Hannigan said.
Hannigan concedes deer will continue to trek through his back
yard, but is confident Garden Defender will ensure this year's crop
is harvested and eaten by his family, not the deer.
The Garden Defender Web site has an animated link that shows how
the panels lock together. For more information, call (908) 284-2160
or visit
www.gardendefender.com.
From the Courier News website
www.c-n.com
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