pommepal

Don’t fence me in….

I do not like the modern trend to put up big fences around every new house that is built in this neighbourhood.

Why? Is it for privacy, is it for security? Is it the fear factor of the rising crime rate? Or is it just a trend that architects now perceive that all new houses need to be defined by a fence. houses 010_4000x3000Look how big the houses are. They fill the whole section, and they are two-story. Thankfully building restrictions in this suburb limit the height or maybe they would be built higher. No room for a garden for children to play in.

Can you tell I need a soap box about this subject. houses 004_4000x3000Here is an older house, no front fence. Beside it was a similar house, with no fence, until a couple of years ago when it was knocked down and up went the new white version and yes it has a fence…

We do not have a front fence. I like to think it is friendlier. People stop for a chat when I am working in the garden. Somewhere I have a photo, but cannot find it and it is now dark and so cannot take another one. Lens-artist photo challenge theme is “fences” this week and that set off this rant…

Tomorrow we fly out west. I’m all excited.

I have not had much time for blogging as I organized for the trip, preparing the garden for its time alone (though a friend will be living in to keep an eye on my babies) Thankfully last week we had almost 80mm of rain, so only a few pots to be watered, and showers are forecast again for next week.

No doubt I will have some photos to show when I return…

 

 

85 comments

  1. I agree about the size of the houses. We have them along the coast here too. Luckily I live in the old part of town (it is behind a big fence though. I hope your holiday goes well and that you see some great sights. I’ll look forward to the photos.

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  5. We don’t have front fences at all in our street. What we do have though, and what I dislike, are Colourbond side fences. I’m slowly trying to hide mine with plantings. Have a great trip, Pauline.

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    • Are those the ones that look like corrugated concrete? I see them on houses on Aussie programmes and think they look awful. Very hemmed in. And when there is only a tiny square of outside space it must make it very claustrophobic. Thank goodness you seem to have a lovely large garden Jane.

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            • The thing is that so many things were made and sold as being ‘good’ only later to be told that it is not. We had asbestos heaters which were excellent and of course all ironing boards had asbestos plates where to rest the iron. I bought a diesel car 10 years ago on the basis that it was more economical and better for the environment. Now we are being told diesel cars are the scum of the earth and have to be replaced. I’d like to know where the govt thinks we are all going to get the money from to replace our cars!

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          • Oh, I misunderstood. Ours are steel, powder coated in various colours (cream in our case) and consequently very hot especially in the summer on a 35 degree day. They last forever, which is why people choose them I suppose, but our plants don’t like them at all.

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      • Luckily our garden is quite large for a suburban garden so we don’t feel hemmed in, but I’m always thinking of ways I can hide the fences. It’s a slow process which involves building a second wire fence slightly away from the original one (because it gets so hot in the summer) and then choosing some very hardy climbing plants to grow on it. I much prefer paling fences.

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  7. Have a great trip Pauline! Here on our island fences are not allowed which I think is fabulous although the dog owners don’t like the rule! Love the feeling of openness and agree with your “rant”! Thanks for taking the time to respond to our challenge before you leave!

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  15. First of all, I hope you and Jack have a wonderful trip.
    Secondly, you can share my soapbox!! I’m watching the neighbourhood i’ve lived in for 18 years change virtually overnight with huge houses that fill the sites (which i’m sure isn’t allowed under the District Plan so obviously money talks) and are fenced it with monstrosities like those in your photos.
    Ours is one of the few unfenced houses around, and that was part of the joy of living here, especially when the boy was young and all the neighbourhood kids played on our lawn. Sigh.

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  16. That is a lot of rain, Pauline. Your plants will be happy.

    Perhaps those houses have front fences because they don’t have backyards? We have a tiny house and I often feel we are bursting at the seams. We could extend, but I would have to give up my precious yard, and then inside space doesn’t seem important any more. It is kind of like building a new road. At first there is less congestion, but then the road itself just induces more traffic and soon all the benefits of the new road are lost and you end up with less green space.

    Have a good trip, Pauline. Safe travels.

    Regards. Tracy.

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  19. I like little white picket fences, and they can be cute with an arbor gate, and some wrought iron fencing is lovely, but those in the images above aren’t in the cute category for me.

    Have a lovely, and safe trip! I’m looking forward to the arm-chair tour when you return.

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  20. Gads! That seems to be the trend everywhere. Over the years, neighbors who never speak to me otherwise have wanted me to pay for half of the cost of a new fence, but they want huge fences that shade part of the garden. Why would I want to pay for that! My next door neighbor in town wanted me to pay half for a six foot tall fence to replace our three foot tall fence. It was on top of a two foot retaining wall, so it was about eight feet tall on their side. I declined. I told them that I would pay for half of the cost of replacing the fence with the same three foot tall fence. I did not want a six foot tall fence! The garden of my mother’s home is surrounded by huge fences that exceed the height limit. (I only paid half the cost of a six foot tall fence. They had to cover the rest.) I can’t help but wonder what they are doing in their back yards. What are they keeping out? . . . or in? Are the breeding wallabies back there? The homes are built so close to the fences that there is not much space for any gardening, but that is their business. My mother still has plenty of garden space, even if the space next to the fences is shaded.

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  22. Here we are in Mildura in comfortable Airbnb accommodation, about 300 km to our next Airbnb stop at Broken Hill.
    I have finally caught up with your blog, with so many interesting comments.

    To be brief fences are good for creating work, our unsustainable, capitalist, political system would collapse without production.
    The TV news is full of crime and fear of other people, not only our next door neighbour but those in neighbouring countries. In fear we produce armaments and our small contribution is solid fences, that actually would not stop most people intent on entering a property. They do stop native wild life from getting to the few remaining nature strips and gardens.
    I could talk to you Pauline and say, what a lot of comment you have stirred up and what a wonderful travel organiser you are, but to be up with the modern way of communication I am using a device.

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  23. Those fences are very isolationist and claustrophobic. Maybe that just reflects today’s society and its fears?
    I guessed you were driving out there but I was wrong. Have a wonderful holiday out west in Broken Hill. I’ve been fascinated by that area but never been.

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