Fences have been used all around the world for many centuries for a multitude of reasons. They keep people or animals in or out, they create privacy, they establish and maintain boundaries, they create windbreaks and they often add beauty to the properties they surround.
Traditionally, fences have been made from a variety of different materials including wood, rocks, concrete, hedges, barbed wire and iron. However, you can make your house totally stand out with some well thought out creativity. There’s nothing wrong with being a little different, and hey, you might even start a popular new trend!
In the last few years, innovative people have begun creating, marketing and selling products that serve more than one purpose so that we can accomplish and satisfy more goals and needs with fewer products at less expense.
For example, instead of having to buy and consume cereal and multivitamins and prune juice for breakfast, we now have cereals that are super high in fiber and have all the vitamins we need for the day. We consume just one product instead of three that serves serve all those different functions and needs in a cheaper and more efficient way.
Another example is women’s facial cosmetics. Previously, a woman would need to purchase moisturizer, vitamin/mineral serum, sunscreen and foundation separately and then take the time to apply each one in a certain order and then let each one dry before she could add the next product. This process is both time-consuming and costly. Now there are women’s facial products that contain all of these ingredients, saving both time and money.
You must be wondering what on earth all of this has to do with fences. Well, you’re about to find out.
1. The Edible Fruit and/or Vegetable Fence
• Build or buy a trellis long enough to surround your property and high enough to satisfy local height regulations.
• Tomatoes, beans and peas are great vegetables that create vines, are easy to grow on trellises, create privacy and an attractive fence, are edible, organic and good for you and save money on your grocery bill.
• Boysenberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are delicious and healthy fruits that will also grow easily on trellises, with the same benefits of privacy, beauty, deliciousness and economy.
• You can plant them all on different sections of your trellis. Just follow the directions on the seed packages and you’ll have a multi-functional fence garden that will definitely stand out from your neighbors’ fences!
2. The Bamboo Fence
• Bamboo is another easy attractive plant to grow that is excellent as fencing material.
• The shoots are edible and extremely healthy.
• The mature stalks can be made into fishing poles.
• A bamboo fence can also serve as a trellis to grow your tomatoes, peas, beans and berries, making it an extra multi-purpose fence.
3. The Sunflower Fence
• Beautiful and easy to grow, sunflowers will provide tall, sturdy privacy.
• Just dry and roast the seeds with a little bit of salt and you have a delicious and healthy snack!
4. The Opuntia or Prickly Pear Cactus Fence
• Amazingly, this particular cactus can grow in just about any environment.
• In warmer climates, it can grow 8 feet tall and higher. Just scatter the seeds in a shady area and water them regularly until they germinate, then plant them where you want your fence to be.
• In colder climates, start them off in pots indoors until they are about 2 feet tall, then you can plant them in the ground. But make sure to cover them with burlap if it’s really windy, frosty or if the temperature falls below 32 degrees. If you don’t, they’ll shrivel up, turn black and die.
• The thorns will definitely keep anything or anyone in or out of your property.
• The fruits are sweet and delicious.
• The sap from the prickly leaves helps cure cuts, bruises and burns and is also great mosquito repellant. It can also be fermented into wine or vinegar and can be used as a soup or gravy thickener as well.
5. The Corn Fence
• Plan a row of corn around the perimeter of your property. It’s easy to grow, stays in line nicely and requires little maintenance except for occasional weeding.
• You will end up with a nice sturdy fence that will provide you with privacy, a windbreak and lots of corn that you can prepare in many different ways.
All of these fence ideas are attractive, easy to implement, easy to maintain and will save you money. Instead of having to be mended or replaced from time to time, these fences will just grow bigger and better over time, and the only real maintenance required is the occasional weeding and trimming.
For a complete range of modern and traditional styles fences for your home, garden or pool, contact fencemakers today and ask about their two year written guarantee!