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Fencing your Garden

In the majority of cases, when fencing your garden you will probably need to seek planning permission. Once you have established whether this is needed and what you are permitted to construct, you will need to look at the type of fencing that you wish to use - and there are many!

Ranch style fences have strong boards which are usually nailed onto evenly spaced upright boards. In the US this is called 'baffle fencing'. The post and chain fence is an alternative and is really a purely decorative way of marking the boundary, since it does not provide much in the way of support. This is often used as a way of marking a path and obviously would not give privacy either. Chain link fencing is strong, fairly inexpensive and can enclose the garden effectively. You will need to use a firm concrete or wooden post to support it and it is commonplace for the chain link to reach around 3ft in height. It is not particularly nice to look at but does offer a lot of light transmission into the garden.

The picket fence is a traditional form of fencing and is representative of the classic English country cottage. It is usually painted white. It may have rounded or pointed pales and isn't often more than 4 ft in height. You may chose a wire picket fence as an alternative. Obviously this choice is less aesthetically pleasing but may provide more protection from cats entering the garden for example. You will need sturdy supporting posts.

Wattle panels are not very common in the modern garden but can be a very attractive form of fencing if used with the right supports. This form of fence can also provide excellent wind breaking properties. The cast iron fence used to be very popular but has now given way to the wooden fence, after is was removed from wholesale during world war 2.