Winter's end - Fence proceeding

[Jardin du Fort]

Last year I had to (read forced to) begin replacing the fence around the back yard. Neighborhood Code Enforcement wanted me to have it all done by September, but that wasn't going to happen. As it was, I had both street sides (we live on a corner lot) torn down and replaced with new fence. The long run along the south side of the yard, however, was only half torn out before being derailed.

I have posted elsewhere about this project, and the fact that much of the fence is (was) covered by various vines. Included in these are: some kind of Morning Glory (bindweed?), Trumpet Vine, Virginia Creeper, and a climbing Rose. These were all planted (I assume) on purpose by a previous owner(s). In addition to these, there are also occasional Poison Ivy, Nightshade, and Indian Strawberry. Add to that the fact that almost all of the area within 3' to 5' of the fence in the back yard has been planted with a variety of perrennials, and you may begin to see my difficulties.

Anyhoo, once I had the most recent 40' stretch of fence torn down, I had to deal with six or seven tree stumps that were in the path of the fence. The trees had been cut down, some recently, but some years ago. Nevertheless, I could not put new fence posts where they needed to be because of the stumps! So.... I hired out to have them ground out. That didn't happen until early November, and so by that time work on the fence was almost done for the winter. Mid-winter during a short thaw I had managed to dig one post hole in the midst of the old stump area and put in a cardboard sleeve, but it was too cold to set the post in concrete.

So the good news is that work has resumed. Yesterday I set the last two posts needed for this 40' run and will put up the stringers and fence boards this week. Perhaps then I will be able to begin working on my veggie garden area. This stretch of new fence is necessary to contain my garden area. Of course there remains the other 40' run of fence on the side that must be stripped of vines, disassembled, torn out, footings dug up, holes dug deeper and aligned, etc. and then on to the 60' fence along the back of the yard, and then on to the next section..........

I am seriously thinking of using some of my "old" fence posts (cedar 4x4) that rotted out at ground level but are "good" as to what was above grade to make a picket fence from the corner of the house to the privacy fence to define the garden area. This would serve to 1. help keep the dog (collie) out of the garden area, 2. provide a cosmetic separation between the "yard" and the "garden", and 3. provide an "edge" against which a "flower" (?) garden can be located. Of course, this is (A) top priority to enclose the space so I can put in the garden, and (B) low priority since I have way too many other top priority things that MUST be taken care of ASAP.

So, I'm just updating my progress. I will continue to do so from time to time on this thread. I suppose this could have gone up under "Landscaping" or some other place, but hey, the whole reason I'm working on it (other than the fact that I have to) is so I can get in the veggie garden!

[imafan26]

I live in commie ville too.

There are rules against clotheslines. So not green! In Hawaii, who really needs a dryer!

Front yards have to be 50% grass.

There can be no "vegetative" plants in the front yard. They meant you cannot have a vegetable garden in the front yard

Little do they know that grass is "vegetative" and can be eaten. What do they think cows, sheep, goats, and bunnies eat.

I also grow nasturtiums, roses, lavender, rosemary, and hibiscus in the front yard. I doubt they know that all of these things are technically edible.

I have a redwood fence. I have to mend it every 5-8 years, but at least I can do that in a day and I only replace rotten boards. As long as I am mending and not replacing the fence, I don't have to get another permit.

[LA47]

I have heard some sad stories about HOA's. I know that they serve a purpose but some of the stories I've read/heard are way to strident for me.

[applestar]

Corn is grass....

I'm planting lemongrass as "ornamental grass" in my Front Yard Edible Landscaping

...I like the idea of vegetable garden surrounded by picket fence...
I want to do that if I ever expand the edible landscaping border along the front of the fence to a more rectangular shape. I have a plan sketched out somewhere, with roses for rose hips planted along the front and raspberries along the side fence with an arched arbor over the gate.

[digitS']

Used fence boards are an underused building material, Jardin du Fort!

The neighbor suggested that I take over his small garden. I said that I didn't need the space for an open garden because of all the ground available to me in a distant location. Yes, I'm a commuting gardener .

Well, with a little negotiation - I expanded my "protective growing" by building a shed-attached hoop house in his garden and used some of his fence boards for the construction:



Kind of a "Through the Wardrobe - Narnia" situation .

Steve

[tomf]

Jardin is that the fence in you are talking about in your avatar picture? I that your garden?

[Jardin du Fort]

Is that your garden?

I WISH!

No, that's some fancy historic Jardin over in Francais. My fence is a cedar privacy fence. The old one was 6' tall with 12" boards. The cedar posts have all rotten out at grade and below after 50 years. Go figure! The new fence is treated posts and stringers set 36" below grade, posts slathered with black jack below grade and set in concrete footers. The boards are 6" cedar. I used new on the two street sides, but my $ is severely limited, and so am recycling the old boards for the two back sides. Oh, the new plan is 5'6" high for the boards, eventually topped by an 18" lattice for a total of 7' high.

Today I have graded the yard under the new fence area, removing as many of the Virginia Creeper roots as I can find. The old fence had cinder 8" x 16" x 2" blocks in a row under the fence, I assume to keep down weeds. 50 years later they are still there but useless. I took them all up, graded, put down snow-and-ice shield (roofing) 8" wide and set the blocks on top of that. I am now putting on the stringers for this 40' section. Tomorrow I will start re-cutting the old panels, salvaging as much as I can....

Maybe when I have time I will post some pics.

[Jardin du Fort]

OK, I was able to take some pictures and upload them to Photobucket, and was successful in figuring out how to post them here! You can click on the images for a full size view....

This one gives you an idea of how bad the fence is (was)



Not all of it is (was) falling down, but enough that I've been using props in several places to keep it from falling over!

This is where I left off in February with one post hole dug (covered by blocks) waiting for thaw, and one post yet to come out.



And then I found one more footing right next to a replacement post (out of sequence!) that I pulled up...



Footing wrapped with chain and hooked to come-along


Comes right up!


Posts and stringers ready for pickets


This section is done.... for now. I will add lattice when time and $ allow...


And now to legitimize this post: Here's where my veggie garden is going to be.


House to fence is about 36', and this corner of house to far fence is about 32'. There are shrubs against the fence and house, so the actual garden area will likely be about 24' by 24' total. Raised (mounded) beds with 2' paths between.

It is all a work in progress!

[ReptileAddiction]

Looks good! May I ask why are you putting the lattice on top?

[Jardin du Fort]

May I ask why are you putting the lattice on top?

Yes, you may ask. I might even have an answer to such a question....

The west fence (at the far end of the garden area in the last photo) has a trumpet vine growing in that area. It was cut back severely for the fence rebuild, but I assume it will return to its former overbearing resplendence in a year or two.


The south and east fence, including the area currently under work has (had) Virginia creeper growing on it. I don't mind having it on the fence as long as I can keep the roots from taking over the yard. Here's what it looks like in the fall:



And the north fence originally had growing on it some kind of morning glory:



which is currently growing everywhere EXCEPT on the fence.

And the east fence has, in addition to the Virginia creeper, a climbing rose.

SO, there's plenty of foliage to occupy the fence. The old fence was 6'2" tall. The new fence is 5'6" to the top of the pickets, and I will add another 1'6" with the lattice for a total of 7' tall.

I'm not sure if that answers "why" but that's what's going on...

[ReptileAddiction]

Oh ok. I was just wondering That virginia creeper looks awesome!