Some Ideas for Better Hedges and Fences— By w. s. Rogers 



TOO MUCH SAMENESS IN UGLY FENCES AND TOO SMALL A VARIETY IN HEDGE MATERIAL —SUGGESTIONS 

 FOR IMPROVING CONDITIONS AND MAKING THE BOUNDARIES REAL PARTS OF THE GARDEN PICTURE 



former implies both design and surface, 

 the latter, material. 



Of the woods available, oak is unques- 

 tionably the best for a fence, not only on 

 account of its long life under all conditions 

 of weather, but on the score of appearance. 

 It should not be painted or its charm of 

 color will be destroyed. I know of nothing 

 which better accords with flower and 

 foliage than the weathered surface of an 

 old oak fence. If the pales are cleft, so 

 as to show the natural figure of the wood, 

 the effect will be better and the life of 

 the fence longer. Under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances a height of five feet is sufficient, 

 but a less height may be desirable if there 

 is an attractive landscape beyond. 



The construction should be simple, 

 because elaborate fencework is likely to 

 usurp attention and to detract from the 

 glory of the flower ground. 



The practice of allowing the posts to 

 stand above the top line of the fence, 

 breaking the skyline, is a good one. 



The designs illustrated should be suf- 

 ficient guide as to the type of fence best 

 suited to a small garden. The closed 

 pattern has sawn oak posts and arris rails 

 and cleft pales. If shaped at the top 

 between the posts its appearance is im- 

 proved. 



The "windowed" pattern is an adaption 

 of the park fence, by the addition of raised 

 heads to the posts and a more substantial 

 top rail. The latter should be "weathered" 

 to throw off the rain. 



The half-open fence with lattice top is 

 just the thing on which to train creepers. 



Paled fences should always have a 

 plinth board to protect the lower end of 



The matrimony vine, trained on a trellis, makes a 

 sturdy hedge, in Michigan 



(~\F COURSE at the outset there is the 

 ^^ question, "Do we want a hedge or a 

 fence at all?" Some people do not, under 

 any circumstances. But then again, the 

 conditions will often demand some sort of 

 mark, for protection or for boundary pur- 

 poses. And above all there is the wind- 

 break for winter. 



FENCES AND HEDGES 



How insistently the boundaries of a 

 small garden declare themselves! Which- 

 ever way we turn the vista is closed by 

 a wall or fence, and whatever expedients 

 we adopt to render these artificial frontiers 

 inconspicuous — whether by growing 

 greenery over them 

 or trees and shrubs 

 against them — we 

 cannot entirely keep 

 them out of sight. 

 By adopting a rec- 

 tilinear treatment 

 they can be made 

 to harmonize with 

 the garden fines. 

 Walls are much 

 alike; make them 

 high enough to per- 

 mit of growing orna- 

 mental plants, (or 

 where the climate 

 fits even fruit) upon 

 them, if they get 

 sufficient sun. A 

 height of six feet in 

 most cases would be 

 ample. As regards 

 the fence there are 

 two considerations 

 — appearance and 

 durability. The 



Roses are used as hedge plants in Portland. Ore. 

 and bear immense blooms in profusion 



The one best hedge for quick growth, cheapness, and general adaptability — California privet 



16 



the pales from moisture, and to act as a 

 barrier against burrowing animals 



Oak fences should be put together with 

 copper or galvanized nails; ordinary iron 

 nails cause unsightly inky stains. 



If you cannot afford oak, use chestnut or 

 other boarding for the pales, but have oak 

 posts and plinth boards, though the latter 

 may be omitted if the pales stop just 

 clear of the ground. The pales will need 

 painting either with a tar solution (a 

 preparation of Stockholm tar, not coal 

 tar) or with good oil paint. 



If oil paint is used, the color is important. 

 Perhaps the best is a subdued green of a 

 sagey tint, a tint which harmonizes well 

 with flowers and 

 foliage. One disad- 

 vantage of painted 

 fences is that the 

 paint has to be re- 

 newed from time to 

 time, and that in- 

 volves the tempor- 

 ary removal of 

 creepers and other 

 plants which may 

 have been trained 

 over them. 



Wire fences are 

 not desirable for a 

 permanent purpose, 

 but are permissible 

 to mark garden 

 boundaries whilst a 

 hedge is coming to 

 maturity. At the 

 points where the 

 wires start and end 

 the posts should be 

 stout and well strut- 

 ted, to enable suffi- 



