Friday, June 12, 2009

Picket Fences

I’ve been dreaming of adding a garden on the East side of our house since falling in love with Jain’s Iris gardens at Once In a Blue Moon Iris. Oh my, if you haven’t been to her blog, stop what you are doing right now and go look. It is Heaven on Earth! The work that she puts into that beautiful garden must be all-consuming, all for the beauty of the flowers. Her hillside location is similar to ours and back in the winter when I was still in the dreaming mode with garden magazines in hand, I told my husband we could do that too. He pointed out that we would have to carry heavy stones to make retaining walls (it’s very steep and slopes off sharply into a deep ravine), have loads and loads of dirt brought in and then there’s the fact that building the patios on the west side of the house nearly killed us! But when we sit on those patios with a glass of iced tea surrounded by deep shade, it's worth all of the hard work. That being said, he was right, we aren’t physically able to do Jain’s terraced gardens. So, on to “Plan B.”

I so love the cottage look of a picket fence with roses, perennials and vines. There’s something very welcoming about a white picket fence. It says “Nice people live here!”
All of the 1950 shows had picket fences; Leave it to Beaver, Hazel, Andy Griffith...maybe that's why I think a house isn't a home without one! We live in the country so our landscape is anything but manicured. It’s rough, rocky ground and everything we plant takes blood, sweat and tears to get in the ground! I could just envision roses or clematis vines climbing and spilling over the fence...blue delpheniums, daisies, and zinnias along the front of the fence!

It took two weekends and here’s the finished project. By the end of the summer the roses and plants should cover the fence and give us the look we want. I want to add a birdhouse or two, maybe on posts behind the fence. We'll add tulips and jonquils this fall for next spring. It's not an English Garden but hey, I live on a mountain in the Ozark Hills...it's as close as I'm gonna get!

13 comments:

  1. You'll have to post progress pictures. What I'd give right now to be sitting on a mountainside in the Ozarks. Looks so inviting.

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  2. ...and it is beauty in the making. It will be spectacular by August and next year you'll be the envy of the neighborhood.

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  3. When we moved into our home, we put up a darling picket fence & the neighbor had a fit. Eventually as time went on, we replaced it ... actually the neighbor didn't like any of our fencing. He got pretty upset when I told him it was none of his business what we put up ...... I love your pickets fences & florals along it. Beautiful! TTFN ~ Marydon

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  4. Ahhh... I love picket fences too.. very nice. Thanks for stopping by my blog and becoming a follower. I'm happy to do the same.
    Amy

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  5. We are so torn between a picket, a privacy and a chain link. I thought why not chain link and then just add a picket to the very far end of the property.. still in thought on this one and no hurry as we are not yet ready to put one up. Love the pink with the fence.

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  6. The perfect house. We all dreamed of that. I always wanted that white picket fence too but never did get it. I also wanted a log cabin far away from everyone but never got that either. Maybe in my next life. I love your fence joy!! Can't wait to see what grows there. Have a great weekend.

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  7. I love Jain's Irises:) Her gardens..her home.. and picket fences:)

    Cute post!

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  8. It looks amazing. You did such a good job!

    Laura

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  9. BEAUTIFUL flowers and pictures.
    LOVELY! :)))

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  10. You are so right! I would have to add that picket fences say, nice and happy people live here. Your project is amazing - oh the embellishments you can add to a picket fence. It is going to be incredible.

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  11. what a sweet post! a friend pointed me over here, since you know i am living outdoors now and never have time to visit anywhere online again until winter!

    i love your picket fence, and all the pics you posted make me smile... it does evoke good feelings doesn't it~ your fence will be a treasure as it fills in, looks wonderful!

    thanks for you kind words, i am off to buy 100s of iris tommorrow, that will keep me busy with new beds and hardscapes all summer!

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  12. Oh I love it. There is something so precious in a little white fence. Glad you made up your mind to dive right in with this project. It's so cute.

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  13. Oh me too... I love picket fences with roses. That's my dream! Maybe some day will come true... ;)

    cielo

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