GardenEase is reader-supported. When you buy through links on the newsletter, we may earn an affiliate commission.

May 27, 2025

This Week's Garden Gab:
​Tulle Time

Hi Reader!

What is tulle? If you are a person who sews, a ballerina, or a wedding coordinator you might know.

Pronounced like 'tool' is has nothing to do with making or building anything but tulle is a perfect tool to use in your garden.

Let's get into it!

In this edition:

• What is tulle
• How and why it is used in gardens
• Where to purchase
• An alternative to tulle

Education:

Tulle is a lightweight, fine netting fabric made from materials like silk, nylon, or polyester. You will see it used for veils, gowns, and ballet tutus, and also, due to it's delicate quality it is popular in fashion and decor industries. It comes in multiple colors.

Application:

I first saw the use of tulle in a garden on a YouTube video from Robbie and Gary Gardening Easy. They had so many great ideas so I'm here to share with you how I use tulle in my garden.

When I started gardening in 2020, I planted four blackberry bushes in fabric grow bags. When they flowered and bared fruit, the birds and squirrels were on it! I put up regular bird netting but quickly discovered that birds GET TANGLED UP IN TO NETTING!. That's not good.

So, when I learned of tulle, it was a perfect fix for the berry bushes. There were no more flowers so I didn't need to worry about pollinators at that point. I simply covered the bushes and clipped the tulle to the bags. Worked like a charm. The berries grew nice and plump without being attacked by squirrels and birds.

During the Fall season, I also use tulle to cover my brassicas (collards, kale, broccoli, etc.) to protect them from white moths that lay eggs on the greens, which hatch into worms that eat holes in the greens.

Another way I use tulle is to simply keep critters from digging into my bags.

The other day I went outside to water all the bags. I often stand out there daydreaming while working but out of the corner of my eye I saw the contents (leaves/mulch) of a bag I just watered moving around like something was down in the soil.

I watered again and watched. It moved some more. SNAKE?? Snakes like blackberries I hear. I kept watering and then I saw fur! Then more fur! A MOUSE!! NO!!!! A BABY RABBIT!!! It jumped out of the bag and scurried to the fence under a shrub. Whew! That was nuts! I have a whole ecosystem in this garden.

As I watered I saw the mulch was still moving. Then another, and another and another rabbit scurried from the bag! A whole rabbit nest was down inside my 15 gallon blackberry grow bag. Great day! It never occurred to me that a WHOLE nest was inside this bag. The plant was quite large with lots of roots. How'd they even get in there??

Apparently, they've been there a while because they were big babies.

I don't typically put tulle around and over the blackberries until they start ripening. These are showing but are still hard and green. I went to get the tulle anyway.

It can be used by laying it on top of the mulch. Smaller animals don't like to get their little toe nails in the webbing of the fabric so it does a good job deterring these garden wildebeests.

When I got ready to lay down the tulle I saw the mulch move again and lo, and behold, one last bunny came to the top. It was too small to hop over the edge of the bag but with a little help from my hose wand.... BLOOP! he tumbled out and took off.

You can see in the background that I put tulle on my okra plants as well because I saw birds picking at the little okra leaves that just emerged. I had to start over from seed.

This garden is becoming a whole adventure with the animals. Read about Luther in the May 6th edition.

I wish I could have gotten this whole scene on camera but it happened all too quickly. However, when I finished watering I saw that two of the little furballs were apparently stunned and ended up on my patio not knowing where to go. I think bunnies are born blind so I'm wondering if they just couldn't see. Now I feel horrible. They just sat still no matter how close I got. I heard that rabbits can literally be 'frightened to death'. I left the alone.

Later, that evening, my neighbor texted me and said while out walking his dog he saw a mama rabbit with little ones around her in the middle of my lawn. I hoped she found all of them and they found somewhere to live .... besides my blackberry bush bag.

Selection:

So where can you purchase tulle?

If you have a good size garden, I'd buy it by the bolt because it's cheaper that way and should last you a good while. If you have only a couple or three containers you can probably purchase smaller portions.

I know that Joann Fabrics sells tulle but they are going out of business in many locations. Check it though, you can still order online,

I bought my tulle from Amazon. It comes in multiple colors and you can buy it by the bolt or in smaller pieces. Check it out: Tulle Fabric​

Alternative to tulle?

I haven't found anything that is as economical and efficient at tulle however, I did hear of someone using window screening when planting seeds to keep critters out of the containers or off the area on the ground until the seeds germinate. Sounds like an idea I'd try one day. Window screen is a firmer version of tulle. It serves the same purpose, just not as flexible.

Edification:

I've since learned that I should not disturb a bunny nest... however, in my mind when I saw the mulch moving it could have been a mouse or snake nest in there. 😵‍💫

I don't want to know anything more about bunny nests, but if you do, here you go: BUNNY NESTS IN THE YARD​

That's all I have for this edition. Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

Forward this newsletter to anyone you think would be interested in gardening information and to SUBSCRIBE HERE.

I'll see you in the next edition!

Jan🤗

​Tip Jar: Enjoying the Newsletter? ​

A Quick GardenEase Poll

If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jangardener@gardenease.org