Good fences make good gardens

Everybody knows that line by Robert Frost, "Good fences make good neighbors."

And I guess it's true, if there's a dog or maybe some kids that need to be kept in - or out.

We have a dog, and hence, a fence. But it's a chain-link fence, which I hate, and I have finally persuaded my husband to hate it, too. He wants privacy. I want pretty. A chain-link fence doesn't cut it either way.

In a couple of days, we will both be happy; we will have a beautiful board-on-board cedar fence.

It's been a long time coming.

I have envied Penny the wood fence around her backyard for five years now. It is the backbone of her lovely garden, the backdrop for everything she does. If you took it away, the flowers and the yard art and her sweet little fountain and pond would still be out there. But the garden would lose ... something.

The structure of the fence is just right behind her flowing flower beds, and besides offering literal support to vines and other plants, it provides visual support - a border that defines her backyard retreat.

The flowers may change, but the fence is a constant.

And that's another plus: A wood fence doesn't disappear in the winter, when all those plants you count on to provide privacy and pretty mostly shed their leaves.

I'm already giddy - yes, giddy - planning what kinds of vines I'll plant against my new fence, where I'll hang baskets or maybe some art.

For me, good fences make good gardens.

I can't wait to get mine.

Kim Franke-Folstad

Do you love your garden fence?

Share your ideas with us! We want to see how you make the most of your fence - traditional or creative innovation - whether it's protecting a veggie garden, propping up a vine or serving as a gallery for garden art. Send your photos to baylife@tampatrib.com or post them online at The Dirt at TBO.com, Keyword: Dirt. We'll share them in a future column and on the blog.