Backyard fencing project

Primarily, the content of the posts on The Variegated Thumb is centered on plants, or at least orbits around the topic of plants.  This post is in a more distant orbit than most of my others.

Pippa (Boxer, left) and Pee-Wee (Boston Terrier, right) posing for the camera

Our dog, Pippa, likes to jump our 4 foot chain link fence.  We have tried keeping surveillance on her while she is outside but she'll jump the fence so quickly we just can't keep up with her.  We tried putting her on a chain the backyard, but she just broke it in two.  When we go out of town, Pippa (and Pee-Wee) get to stay with their grandparents.  But sometimes it is inconvenient for the grandparents or they might even be out of town at the same time as we are.  So, it has come time for us to invest in a taller fence that will allow us to keep the dogs without monitoring.

One corner of our yard before the wood fence was put in

The dogs are the impetus for erecting the fence now, but it is also a face-lift project for our backyard that we would have tackled eventually.  We have enjoyed having the open feel of the chain link fence.  We like being able to see beyond the fence and feel like we're out in the woods when we venture into our yard.  And we enjoy talking with our neighbors.  But the fence will help to make our backyard become more of the comfortable oasis we've been trying to create.

The same corner of our yard after the poles were erected

A couple of years ago we built an elevated, tiered corner garden with a fence backing.  Now the corner garden is not highlighted by the fence since we will have fence around the entire yard, but we have a long list of improvements that will help highlight the corner garden.  Actually we're planning on expanding the corner garden to run another 15 feet along the back fence (to the right) and meet the redbud tree that we planted last season.  As the overhanging trees fill out, some of our "corner" garden will be part-shade and some will be full-sun.

The same corner after fence has been completed

We have now completed 2/3 of our fence.  The side that remains to be built is at your back in pictures above.  We'll be tackling that portion this weekend.

For the most part, our yard is the same, we just installed the wood privacy fence inside of the chain link fence on the back of our yard and one of the sides.  We removed the chain link on the other side because our neighbor went in on the fence with us.

Corner of our house prior to privacy fence.  Notice how the chain link fence was even with the back wall of our house (left side of the picture).

We also extended the fence along one side of our house, enclosing the side windows in our backyard for a little more privacy.  This has given the pups some more room to run and explore in the shade of our house.  The fence runs about 30' along the side of our house now, so that our side yard is now connected to the backyard instead of the front yard.

Corner of our house with fence wrapping around side of house.  There is an extra 6' by 30' run enclosed by the wood fence that was previously part of our front yard.

We have been spending lots of time out in our yard already this summer - mainly working on the fence, but also discussing our future plans.  I will post some of my sketches and ideas a little later this month.