I worked more on the project I started yesterday...but, I have a bad habit of making more work for myself. Even though I'm not really finished, I set things up to see how they'd look. Most likely I may have to move the fence rails to finish things up.
While removing another of the young black walnut trees (I'm not sure this one will survive), I decided to move the fence posts closer together so that I could put the rails up on the posts. The posts were rather loose so I didn't take too much to pull them out of the ground, so I was able to move them closer. Eventually, I'll probably remove the fence--now that I know it is not a historical remnant of a homestead fence. (Last summer the neighbor told me about the previous owner installing it.) For now, I plan to move a native clematis to grow over it. Currently that clematis is growing over one of the blueberry bushes.
There are still more bittersweet roots that I will need to remove. Also, I'm leaving the (cut) vining branches for cover and perches for the birds. Once I know that I've eradicated the bittersweet, I'd like to plant a variety of field wildflowers (natives, of course).
Here is what it looks like so far:
4 comments:
As bad habits go, I don't think yours is all that bad :) Happens to me all the time! That fence looks a bit like a horse jumping gate, did the previous owners have horses? Your birds are sure to love that vine-y tangle!
Your fence really does look like a homestead fence! (And doesn't its decrepit state say something about the quality of some of the materials sold these days?)
Julie, I'm not sure about the horses. I don't think so...at least not recently. No sign of them except one horse shoe I found...but the woman who used to live here seemed to decorate with country things. The neighbor said she put it up...I suspect it was for growing the bittersweet--she also had a clematis and a rose that seems to have grown from the root stock below the graft.
They are all on their way out, to be replaced by the native clematis and various wildflowers including the common milkweed--I just think the pods will look great against the fence in winter. :)
Yes, I hope the birds do love the little bit of tangle I've left...and the new tangle from the Clematis virginiana.
Thanks for being so supportive of my bad habit. ~wink~ :)
Rebecca,
I really did think it was a little piece of the history of this property. If not for the conversation with the neighbor last year, I'd not have knows the truth. Eventually, I may take it down as my vision for the yard starts taking shape more...but, at least for now, it stays.
Yes, I love the look of the wood. It is black locust wood, I think. That takes a long time to decay. From what I've read, switching from locust fence posts to more modern materials is another part of the decline of the bluebirds that used the posts for nesting sites.
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