Living Fence

Somebody asked on Garden Web about a Living Fence, and well, it just sounds fun to think and write about.   As I understand, a living fence is a comprised of living things to provide either a visual or physical screen.

Voila, my project in progress spot at the end of the drive.  Behind those bushes is a neighbors side yard and garage.  There is a living fence on the property line.  On our side is a row of podocarpus.

The neighbors side are mature flowering bushes; azeala, camilia and gardenia.  And he has planted bromeliads along the line as well. The double row of shrubs with the ground cover of bromeliads forms a very effective visual shield.

 On our side, you can see from this photo that we have woven green vinyl garden fencing along the trunks.  The visual barrier was not quite enough to keep a certain fuzzy tailed Terv from barreling through after a squirrel, or snake, or ...a tennis ball.  The vinyl fencing is flimsy; but combined with the visual barrier - more than enough to keep all the dogs contained.

I'm slowly working on a living edible 'fence' on the southside of the front; to improve the view as you are coming to and from our front entry.  This is the view as you are standing on our front porch looking out:

And, standing snug to the front door; looking off you see ---- wilderness!  And a few spots of color and interest sneaking in.

We started with the Calomondin; it is positioned so that as it grows it will provide a visual screen between our front porch and the neighbors back porch.  I will leave it mostly in 'brush' form and not trim off the lower branches.  We have one in the 'hood that is essentially wild; growing on public property.  It is about 15 feet tall and nearly as wide.  It forms a very nice visual shield, and has yummy fruit.

Here is another view of the far section; to the far left you can just see the tips of the ferns that are in place temporarily.  They are both in pots; one at ground level and one elevated on top another pot.

Along the property line, I have been transplanting American Beautyberry and bringing in the occasional good find.  I've got a purple flowering perennial that I've forgotten the name, a pretty white caladium, a perennial with golden yellow new leaf  growth (Duranta Gold Mound) , a cordyline and **shock** clerodendrum bungei that is not in a container.  It actually froze to the ground in the great freeze of 2010 but came back.  I like it, so here it is.  Oh, and a pretty fancy coleus I picked up on the bargain rack.  And, turmeric, (Curcuma longa).  I have some thryallis rooting and some Florida Cranberry seeds that I'll plant out next year along the property line.  And, continue to keep my eye on the bargain bins for perennials that fit the scheme.

Backing up a bit, here is the view.  At the edge of the left is a baby Meyer's Lemon, with a Florida Firebush next leading to the potted ferns.

I'm looking for a sweet tea vine plant or cutting to grow in large pots where the ferns are currently and a red stem malabar spinach to grow on the tree to the far right of the photo.  But First.And.Foremost I must get the darn dang blasted catbrier all dug up.  Grrrr ....

Along the back side of the fruit trees and existing trees, I'm thinking of stringing a tight wire about 3' high between two poles and growing winged beans.

I'm working (translate researching, reading up, browsing - putzing around with google) for various perennial or self re-seeding edibles that I can plant in this area, primarily foreground but also for mixed height usage along the property line.

My list of possibles so far includes:

• Garlic Chives
• Collards
• Lemon Balm
• Mint
• Cardamom
• Pineapple Sage
• Katuk
• Strawberry Spinach
• Salad Burnet
• Mexican Tarragon (Tagetes lucida)
• Okinawa Spinach
• Chicory
• Anise Hyssop
• Dill
• Perennial Onion
• Scrub Pawpaw (Asmina obovata)

Now ... to leave you (and me) with gobs of canvas to fill with what you chose; the long view.

In the mean time, I'll keep digging up the dang.blasted.for.ever.to.be.cursed catbrier and mulching leaves.  And watching failed zucchini experiments.  And basil that doesn't want to grow.  Who ever heard of that ?!?