Some gardeners will murder for a good fence

Good fences make good neighbours.

Indeed they do, and homeowners love them. It’s often the first outdoor project in a new backyard after a deck — or before, if a deck came with the house.

It’s clear the most popular fence is one constructed with pressure treated lumber. They’re the least expensive to build and, thanks to uniform sizes of lumber, nails, screws and fasteners, they’re easy to build, especially with the tools of today. With precut sizes there’s little sawing, so one needs only a power nailer and a screw gun — cordless, even. (I’m from a time when all my tools were cordless, and no batteries.)

Once the fence is in, there’s usually an inclination to plant things — a planter here, a small flower or vegetable bed there — and soon enough gardening becomes a serious pastime, an obsession, even. That’s when you realize a typical board fence is not the most effective at keeping out groundhogs, rabbits and other opportunists. Young rabbits easily squeeze through and larger ones will dig under. They might even chew through it. Chicken wire or mesh extending above and below ground is the only way to ensure they stay out.

I built my fence with barn boards 30 years ago and it’s showing its age, which is why I used it. It has a weathered look that pressure treated lumber never attains. The boards would have been over 100 years old at the time, and they’re still as good as ever; it’s the posts that are starting to fail. Overall, I’ve managed to keep the wildlife intrusion to a minimum, but not without vigilance.

Given the challenges of voracious wildlife, I’ve often thought my dream fence would be a solid concrete wall painted to look like barn board. It would keep rabbits out, and mice, moles and voles, but it’s not going to happen unless Mexico pays for it.

If intruding wildlife is not a concern, why not a hedge? The natural look is far more is attractive, providing it’s maintained, but it can mean extra work. A hedge might only require clipping once or twice a year; if left to its own devices it could become a rampant monster.

This was the case in the U.K. with the notorious Leyland Cyprus, or Leylandii as it’s usually known. It began as a natural cross that occurred over a century ago between a Monterey cypress and a Nootka cypress. Recognizing its potential, growers developed it as a hedging material. It became hugely popular thanks to its fast growth, as much as a metre a year, and it grew rapidly to 20 metres (66 feet) or more, blocking sunlight from formerly sunny gardens. By 2005, thousands of people across the country were battling over these monster hedges, sometimes with violence, even murder in one case. Eventually, local authorities were given the power to deal with disputes.

Fortunately, Leylandii is not hardy enough to survive our winters. Here we have a choice between more suitable varieties of deciduous or native evergreens like yew, cedar and junipers. For a short, ornamental hedge, boxwood is always popular.

The one drawback of a hedge is the time it takes for it to grow; however, that problem could be resolved with a new development: the instant hedge. Not available here yet, instant hedges were first introduced in Europe, and have been well received in Australia and New Zealand. Now, a company in Oregon called InstantHedge is growing and shipping them across the U.S. They’re sold in metre-anda-half sections of four trees or shrubs in a range of heights, pruned into a perfect hedge form. Dig a trench, plop in a row of them, and the impatient landscaper is happy.

An opportunity awaits for Canadian nurseries.

To chat with local gardeners, share tips, pics, discuss fences, see Grand Gardeners on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ groups/Grandgardeners/.

David Hobson gardens in Waterloo and is happy to answer garden questions, preferably by email: garden@gto.net. Reach him by mail c/o Etcetera, The Record, 160 King St. E., Kitchener, Ont. N2G 4E5