Way back in 1934, Cole Porter and Robert Fletcher penned the famous ‘Don’t Fence Me In’:
Oh give me the land, lots of land
Under starry skies above
Don't fence me in
Let me ride through the wide open
Country that I love
Don't fence me in
Let me be by myself in the evening breeze
Listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees
Send me off forever but I ask you please
Don't fence me in
At Chartwell, Benny the Labrador (if he could) would probably also be singing about not wanting to be fenced in. Why, because we are busy fencing Benny out! Out of the proposed veggie garden-to-be.
For many months we have been threatening to build a raised-bed vegetable and herb garden, but it has been put off until now because dogs tend to dig up any freshly cultivated ground. We soon realised that we need to surround our seedlings and vegetable beds with a secure fence, then all will be well.
After planning the garden area into sectors (1) Veggie beds, (2) Potager Jardin herb beds and pots, (3) BBQ and recreation area, (3) Green house and potting shed and (4) Irrigation water, we looked ta the available ground, the shade and the sunshine throughout the days.
The first step was to mark out the position of all the fence posts, and then to dig holes to act as foundations for the 4x4 (100mmx100mm) posts…
Above: With about 41 holes to dig in clay and rocky ground, a pneumatic motorised drive and a 250mm hole auger was hired for a week-end.Holes of approximate depth 500mm in approximate positions were drilled.
(Above): A view of a series of holes dug between the greenhouse and the burning area.
(Above): Many of the holes prove to be nests of rocks and stones, requiring hammer and chisel removal, slowing down the progress considerably.
(Above): A row of holes which have been drilled from the secret garden upwards towards the northern fence. This is rock- and tree-roof-infested territory
(Above): Starting a new hole along hydrangea row.
Don’t Fence Me In © Music by Cole Porter, Lyrics by Robert Fletcher, 1934
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