Making A Garden From a Yard

Weeds and an open yard. That describes our garden 18 years ago. I explained to my husband that a garden has "walls", and the sense of security, enclosure, maybe a bit of secret whimsy. What we had a 3 1/2 foot tall chain link fence.  But, where there is a will there is a way.

In 1929 when they made our house and our neighbor's house, they built the detached garages right on the lot lines.  For me each garage became a 36 foot long wall on the north and south side of the garden.  Our house made a third wall.  We just needed the fourth wall.  My husband came up with the idea of using one "cow panel". A cow panel is about 4ft by 16 ft long.  He hung it between two 7foot posts set about 14 feet apart, creating a bit of a curve, stabilized with a metal post in the middle.  The panel was hung high so that my divider was about 7 feet high. Perfect!

Until the plants grew, I decorated the panel with weaving. I went into the woods and picked willow and wove them into a pattern.

The Squirrel never did learn to ride the bike.

From the back side of the divider. Roses from the right: Golden Showers, The Blaze Rose. And on the right one of my favorite fragrant reblooming roses, Madame Isaac Pierre

This was the view from the front of the divider.  Amur maple, feverfew, Bonica Rose and the vine that dominates is Autumn Clematis.