Fence Me In

I just love my chain link fence…most of the time…sometimes…OK mines an eyesore! But what to do?

I need a fence. Most of us do. It acts as a backdrop for the flowers, and a place to grow vines. It also keeps my dogs in the yard and protects my flower beds from wandering strays.

I use to have a hundred pound Rottweiler…a high energy hundred pound Rottweiler. The word DISASTER does not begin to describe what that dog could do to a flower bed. But I loved that old dog, so the flowers took a beating. He crossed the rainbow bridge many years ago and since then I’ve made it a point to rescue small dogs. Right now I have the best of both worlds…a Yorkie , a Chihuahua mix, and all the flowers I can grow. Instead of digging up my flowers, Duke and Sasha dig up moles. Yep…moles! Those two are worth their weight in gold!

But back to fences. Fences can be a mixed blessing. There’s no arguing the positives. The problem for me has to do with esthetics. Many people have beautiful fences made of wood or something else attractive. These are an asset to the garden. My fence is chain link and sixty years old. Yuck!!!

How it came to me I don’t know, but one day I realized I could change the look of my fence without much trouble. I had a piece of vinyl lattice left over from a project I had completed. A friend heard about my idea. She had a structure in her yard  that needed to be torn down. It was covered with the vinyl lattice I was looking for. My cousin James, bless his heart, did the demolition and brought the treasure home to me. Another cousin donated some pieces she had taking up space in her shed. All I needed then was some black spray paint and a way to attach the lattice to the existing fence.

I spray painted the top rail and the upright posts black. I used the same plastic ties I use to attach vines to a support to attach the lattice to the chain link. Sometimes the lattice overlaps in places to make things fit. It’s not noticeable. It was all so simple! The original fence is still there, but the lattice changes the look entirely. I did only the back part of the fence where I have a shade garden. Most of the rest of the fence is hidden behind azaleas and camellias. The white lattice also brightens up the shade.

I love recycling and this was a perfect project. It meets my need for esthetics. my shade garden looks great, it cost almost nothing and the whole process was simple and remarkably easy….James doesn’t totally agree…. He invested a lot of sweat equity here. But what can I say :). The fence really does look great now. I’m pleased. The garden is pleased. James is tired.… All’s well!

Happy Gardening!

 

Linda Newber