Fences: Constructed vs. Natural

[shedinator]

Well, since my Cobb oven question got so many answers... here's another one :)

I need a fence for my back yard. With a 4-year-old kid and a 4-month-old puppy who are both very interested in exploring everything they see, it's becoming increasingly evident that we will need some sort of barrier to protect the outside world from them.

If you were constructing this barrier, would you build a good old fashioned wood fence, or grow a natural fence? From what I can see in terms of price, it would be slightly cheaper to plant Thuja or Holly every 6 feet, and put up a simple wire fence for containment purposes while they grow in. Everything I've read says these particular species are fast growing, low-to-no-maintenance, non-invasive, and able to withstand heat and drought conditions without difficulty. What they don't seem to mention are the drawbacks, other than that it can take a couple of years for a natural fence to grow in.

Has anyone had to make this decision? Is it really as easy as it seems, or are the tree people hiding some crucial information?

[velocistar237]

Regarding cob ovens and natural fences, check out the Permies forum. They have a lot more experience with that sort of stuff than the typical MMM forum member.

Let me know if you ever try a rocket stove mass heater. I'd like to make one, but my wife and condo association wouldn't approve, not to mention the city.

[shedinator]

Regarding cob ovens and natural fences, check out the Permies forum. They have a lot more experience with that sort of stuff than the typical MMM forum member.

Let me know if you ever try a rocket stove mass heater. I'd like to make one, but my wife and condo association wouldn't approve, not to mention the city.

I actually looked at the permies discussions on cob ovens before coming here. The threads I could find all involved people using reclaimed materials, mostly from their own land.

As to rocket stoves, I know exactly where we would put one (the house we're buying has a natural gas stove, and a window seat on the adjacent wall), but my wife and resale value would both be major deterrents. Natural fencing is appealing to the eye, and a cob oven is pretty easy to remove if someone doesn't like the look of it, but an in-home rocket stove is a permanent fixture and not exactly in high demand. Maybe when we downsize after the kid is gone and the dog is dead...

[Jamesqf]

A determined dog can go through just about any natural barrier, and most artifical ones.

[shedinator]

A determined dog can go through just about any natural barrier, and most artifical ones.

This is true... but I'm not looking for perfect, just best.

[dragoncar]

If you arent worried about privacy right now, the natural option sounds nice.  I guess even with privacy concerns you could add a cheap tarp to the wire fence

[bogart]

I keep my dogs in with a simple wire fence, no intentional natural barriers involved.  It's just metal posts driven into the ground and 2"*4" (or so) rectangular wire around it.  I've confined a total of 4 large dogs that I've owned using this system, and it's also worked fine for assorted visiting dogs.

It is clearly not insurmountable, and in fact, 2/4 dogs have at different times required a strand of electric wire to be run around the top of the fence before they respected it, but having learned the wire was there, each quit challenging it.  And 1/4 dogs would dig out, but only under the gates, which was pretty easy to fix (I dug a trench and put concrete blocks in it and then covered them up).

In short, if you're willing to put in a wire fence, it's not obvious to me that you need anything else.  And they're pretty cheap and easy to install.  One note:  before you install, call No Cuts (or whatever the name of the place where you live is -- the one that will mark underground lines and pipes so you can avoid driving a metal stake through them.  Just sayin'.).

[meadow lark]

We're thinking about fencing too.  But ours is more for privacy, and it is an urban lot.  Wife is voting for 6' concrete block covered in stucco.

[shedinator]

We're thinking about fencing too.  But ours is more for privacy, and it is an urban lot.  Wife is voting for 6' concrete block covered in stucco.

dunno how y'all feel about hippie environmentalists and the like, but if you're going for a 6' solid block, you should look into adobe and/or cob. If you DIY, it's cheaper, lasts just as long (or longer), and is more environmentally friendly.

[meadow lark]

Oh, I love hippie environmentalist stuff.  Did my permaculture design course, lived in the country without running water for 9 months, etc, etc.  Master gardener certified.  But right now I will not be building a fence.  I'll blame it on my shoulder injury (trying to paint a house right now and barely succeeding.). And cobbing a 6'x140' fence?  You are out of your fucking mind.  :-)  I want a fence, not a 50 yr Magnus opus.  I say this having cobbed before.  I do love adobe fences, and because I live in Albuquerque they are traditional (several on my street.). But I think it would be too expensive.

[shedinator]

Oh, I love hippie environmentalist stuff.  Did my permaculture design course, lived in the country without running water for 9 months, etc, etc.  Master gardener certified.  But right now I will not be building a fence.  I'll blame it on my shoulder injury (trying to paint a house right now and barely succeeding.). And cobbing a 6'x140' fence?  You are out of your fucking mind.  :-)  I want a fence, not a 50 yr Magnus opus.  I say this having cobbed before.  I do love adobe fences, and because I live in Albuquerque they are traditional (several on my street.). But I think it would be too expensive.

oh come now, it would only take a small army a couple of weeks :).

But yeah, if you're not going to build it yourself, perma can easily end up costing more than manufactured. Which is sad.