All around the blackberry bush

[spacealien_vamp]

Blackberry production is beginning to ramp up this week. I'm going to need to start making jam or something soon, or my storage capacity won't be able to keep up. I was also able to start harvesting fresh snap beans from the few plants that I grew for eating (rather than breeding). The winter squash plants are really beginning to take off, so that's something to look forward to in the fall.

I finally got an estimate back from a fencing contractor. My next step was to go around talking to the surrounding neighbors to show them a picture of the projected new fence and ask for their input. The neighbors on one side who don't own a dog seem to think they prefer the wooden fence for privacy, so I may have to leave that one in place. The other two neighbors are still thinking about it.

For reference, I took this Google Earth screen capture of my property. It's kind of amazing how small my garden area looks, compared to how much I know is crammed in there.

I spent several hours on Monday trimming branches from the tree along the back fence line, then chopping them up and laying them down as mulch around the sakura tree's drip line. I don't know if that will help it recover, but at least it can't hurt. If I get the go-ahead from the neighbors to proceed with the new fence, I'll have to make sure there aren't any branches obstructing the fence area anyway.

Comments

[mangaroo.livejournal.com]

Home ownership continues to confound me. If it's your property, can't you put up the fence you want as long as it doesn't defy zoning requirements which are equally opaque to me? Are you just being courteous with your neighbors, or is their approval really required?

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

If it's your property, can't you put up the fence you want as long as it doesn't defy zoning requirements which are equally opaque to me? Are you just being courteous with your neighbors, or is their approval really required?

The fence is on the property line, which means it's shared by both of us. (In fact, it's common practice for neighbors to split the cost of the fence, so they probably helped pay for it.) If I put a new fence up on my side of the line, without removing the other one, there would be no problem.

The difficulty with doing such a double fence is that I have structures (e.g. the pergola) built right up next to the existing fence, so the workers would have a difficult time fitting something between the wooden fence and the structure posts.

[sara-tanaquil.livejournal.com]

Thank you for explaining - that confused me, as well. (I think fences are less common in my part of Connecticut? I have minimal fencing on my property, anyway.) I hope you can find a mutually agreeable way to proceed.

[spacealien-vamp.livejournal.com]

I think fences are less common in my part of Connecticut? I have minimal fencing on my property, anyway.

People here seem to be obsessive about their redwood fences. Maybe it's not a thing in other regions because redwood is harder to acquire? Or maybe people with larger yards feel like they have more of a buffer zone and aren't as concerned with "privacy"? (I put that in quotes because the fence is only 5' tall; I can see over it if I stand on my deck.)