We've got a thing about fences and I bet if you're trying to work your land in specific ways, you'll have a thing for fences too. When we arrived here 19 years ago, the only fences on our land were the two separating us from our side neighbours. There was no front fence and the back boundary was marked by an ever-flowing creek.
In the photo above, the fence with the green and blue gate is the one I'm writing about today. Below is a selection of older photos and one new one to show you the configuration of fences here.
When we moved here we brought Murphy, our Airedale Terrier, with us, so one of our early priorities was to fence the entire yard so Murphy didn't wander off. Then we added a chicken coop with another fence. When the chickens were free ranging, we wanted to stop Murphy harassing them so another fence was built which divided the back yard. On one side there was Hanno's big shed, one tank, several fruit trees and the chickens, on the other, smaller side, the vegetable garden, a small run for Murphy, garden shed and garage. We had to then further divide the small side to keep the dogs from the vegetable garden. That fence - a picket fence, stayed through Murphy's life and served the purpose again when Rosie and Alice lived with us. When they died and we decided we'd have no more dogs, the fence came down and the backyard started opening up again.
Above, where you see the orange tree, is the fence that protects the vegetable garden from the chickens. Below is the fence directly opposite that - it protects the fruit trees from the chickens. The second fence is now gone.
A new wire fence went up yesterday. You might imagine that Gracie would run though the gardens and maybe dig every so often. Well, she doesn't do that. No, our puppy picks vegetables, and then she pulls out the vine or bush they have been growing on. It's very frustrating to see perfectly good vegetables shrivelled up on the lawn and the dead plant beside it. We knew we had to put up a another fence but we'd used the original pickets for something else, so Hanno decided on a puppy wire fence with star pegs. We also needed another gate but a quick look on Gumtree helped us with that for just $15.
Looking out from the fruit tree area towards the house. This is one of the fences we've removed.
And the view from the other side of the yard.
The photo above was taken yesterday with Hanno erecting another fence to keep Gracie from the vegetable garden.
And this photo, taken a few years ago from the other side of that fence, is looking towards the house.
A new wire fence went up yesterday. You might imagine that Gracie would run though the gardens and maybe dig every so often. Well, she doesn't do that. No, our puppy picks vegetables, and then she pulls out the vine or bush they have been growing on. It's very frustrating to see perfectly good vegetables shrivelled up on the lawn and the dead plant beside it. We knew we had to put up a another fence but we'd used the original pickets for something else, so Hanno decided on a puppy wire fence with star pegs. We also needed another gate but a quick look on Gumtree helped us with that for just $15.
Above and below is Hanno building the extension to the chicken coop fence a few years ago.
Gracie will still be allowed into the garden, but only when someone is with her. Believe me, she needs supervising. If ever there was a puppy who will get up to mischief, it's her. And even though her naughtiness is annoying at times, it's also kind of endearing and reassuring that puppies never change. Let's just hope the fences stay like this for a while.
Our dog is now 10 years old and if we didn't have a fence around the veggies would be totally destroyed. We also let Samson in every now and then if we are there and he knows very well not to eat them. Well yesterday he was too quick and before we knew it he was running off with a bok choy I had just replanted. He pulls the whole lot out of the ground and eats every bit. Your fences look a lot neater than ours Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteGracie is such a little ink-spot. We have had a bit of work done in the way of fencing too Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteHaha! So true about the fences (and the puppies!) Our LGD is a year old now - still very much a (very large) puppy. We erected extra fencing to keep her swimming out of the goat's pasture through the pond. And now she is somehow able to climb the 5 foot gate and get out that way, so a new fence puzzle to solve...at least it's never boring!
ReplyDelete-Jaime
Fences and dogs! Ha! Little terrors.
ReplyDeleteWe have just finished re-using some lovely decorative old wire fencing around a cottage garden bed near the back of the house. If they manage to jump over and digup my beautiful new hydrangea.....by golly there will be trouble! This is my third try at a solution this year for that one area....
Xx
Love to hear about Gracie's antics. But sorry about your destroyed veggies.
ReplyDeleteGood job you have Hanno the fence builder.
:} Noticed Gracie out there supervising making sure everything is done just right or maybe thinking that an opening will be left for her to get through :}
ReplyDeleteBeautiful garden you have. Looks like mighty good eating out there.
Just curious; what are them poles with the little clay pots on top for? Decoration or do they serve some sort of purpose?
Up and down with fences for sure. And it is the only way to keep dogs in and deer out and even then it is a challenge.
ReplyDeleteI have built or helped friends and family build so many fences over that past 40 years that I honestly have lost count. We always had fun building them though. And we got to be very good at it. My Dad was an engineer and for the first fence we built he invited all his engineer friends to help. They may be able to build tunnels and bridges and railways etc but that fence was so crooked - inside the property line then slightly over the property line - that it became a huge family joke.
We have had several Gracie types who liked to pick produce. Our first German Shepherd denuded nearly all the berry bushes and even stretched up to pick peaches from the tree and grapes off of the vine.
Sunnymidnight
Rhonda, your garden is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJilly ❤️💛💚💙💜