I am not totally sure what you are asking, Patty, so if I am not giving you the answer you want, please let me know. My vole issue is so bad that if I stomp around a bed to collapse tunnels, I actually see panicked voles come shooting out of holes and scrambling to get away.

I make most of my vole protection cages from 1/4" hardware cloth (wire mesh), though I have recently begun trying plastic mesh on some to see if that works as well, since the plastic is easier to work with. I use 36" wide rolls since I can make a cylinder about 11" diameter and I make them 6"-8" tall (cut off a strip 6"-8" from the roll of mesh using tin snips rather than wire cutters.) I use wire to sort of sew together the slightly overlapped edges, but you might be able to use a few staples. You might be able to see the stitching on the left side of the left hand cylinder.

I dig a hole large enough to fit the cylinder and put them in holes so that they are mostly below ground but have an inch or so above ground. Then I put some dirt in the hole, enough so that the plant sits at the right depth, place the plant, backfill and water it in. Don't walk in a garden barefoot that has these because they hurt to step on and will put holes right into your foot.

The left hand basket is for clematis and the smaller one on the right is for smaller perennials. I don't use these with shrubs since the root diameter gets too large for the holes in the mesh, so the root will get damaged by the narrow openings, and half inch openings will let voles in. I have a couple of roses in the cages and they seem to be OK after 5 years or so. I don't use them on plants that the voles don't seem to favor or ones that are able to grow faster than the voles can eat such as many suckering plants. And some plants that I don't really love I have just stopped using like tulips. But plants that really float my boat such as clematis that the voles will eat to the point of the plant disappearing, I plant in these baskets and it works well for me. Occasionally a vole will either tunnel in from below or go over the top and tunnel down, but the vast majority of the tunnels turn aside at the cage. And I don't think I have lost more than one plant with caged roots in the 5 or so years I have been using them.

Perfect answer NHBabs, just what I was hoping for. I have done similar. Lots of plants to protect. Greatly appreciate the time you gave in answering.

Patty