Question from Carol
What type of material do you recommend for backyard fences? I would love a wood fence but they are so expensive. Many people are getting vinyl fences that can be made to look like wood. Is that a safe alternative?
Debra’s Answer
Vinyl is PVC, which is not safe for people or planet.
Here are some options for backyard fences.
1. No fence. I come from California, where everyone has their entire property fenced along the property line. Here in Florida, many houses have no fences at all, and that is true for much of the South.
2. Hedges. Traditionally in England, they fence with “hedgerows,” which are shrubs planted to form a barrier or to mark a boundary. These are little ecosystems in and of themselves. On my street, one house has a hedge across the entire front, and you cannot see the house at all. In my backyard, a previous owner had installed a three-foot high cement block fence, topped with about four feet of wrought iron. Then the neighbor on the other side planted a hedge which, while not completely dense, is thick enough for privact and about 12 feet tall.
3. Wood or composite (planks made from cement and wood chips) offer more immediate privacy, but both are expensive. The cement and wood chip plants will last longer.
Readers, any other ideas?
