Perhaps the best way to do a temporary fence is a little bit of pvc and some bird netting to keep them of of it for now.
Bummer it will be grass. Yes they will tear up pretty much everything else.
Mine have eaten the mint and the hostas. What they did not eat they dug up. If you want plants there perhaps using large pots would be a better option. You can plant things in the pots for you and in the ground for them.
I am zone 5 here so I am lucky enough to be able to grow a wider variety...