I’m back from my mini beach vacation and wanted to show you our finished fence! It was actually finished a while ago, but I’m not organized enough to get posts out in a timely manner. I’m also not organized enough to line up guest bloggers or schedule posts for when I’m gone, evidently. However, with a name like Domestic Imperfection I think I should be granted a little leniency :)
So it turns out, projects get done really quickly when you hire someone to do them for you. Our entire fence was done by two men (a father/son team) and was finished in four days. FOUR! That’s saying something, because we live on solid rock and it’s impossible dig a hole without a giant air compressor/jack hammer chattering your teeth out. I don’t even want to think about how long it would have taken us to do this ourselves. We would have worked our butts off and it would have turned out crappy. Reals crappy.
Another bonus to hiring it out was that Elijah loved watching them work. They wore cowboy hats, so every morning when they would pull up Elijah would yell “COWBOYS! Mama cowboys! Horse?” Then I’d have to tell him that they didn’t bring their horse today, luckily he was too excited about the cowboys to be disappointed about the lack of horses.
So when I got a quote for our fence I told the cowboys, “ranch style fence, T posts are fine, cheap as you can do it.” They gave me a quote that I thought it was pretty good, so I hired them. About two weeks later they started building our fence…except it was looking nothing like what I asked for.
It was WAY nicer. WAY.
I bet that’s not what you were expecting me to say :) I was surprised myself…I mean, when you don’t get what you asked for it’s usually because your disappointed. These guys cemented in poles, welded gates from scratch, sanded and painted the posts (three coats!) and the wire is strung so tight you can’t even wiggle it. My homes resale value is very happy.
One of the main reasons for getting a fence was to keep the deer out. The deer here aren’t like normal deer. Normal deer are somewhat rare to see, kinda scared of people, and when you see one you get excited and want to take a picture. The deer here are small, scraggly, and WAY overpopulated. DROVES of deer go through my yard each day, eating everything in sight. The is no such thing as a deer proof plant around here…they eat my “deer proof” Lantana, they eat my herbs, they even eat my aloe vera. Now that I have a six foot fence, I can plant anything I want. I don’t even know where to start, I’ve never had that sort of freedom…a garden is in store for sure! Also, the deer here are not scared of humans in any way, and they get fairly aggressive when their fawns come (and pretty dumb during the rut). For example, last year we had one doe in particular that lived in a cedar grove near our house, and she would go on the offensive whenever Pretzel (our dog) went outside. On multiple occasions she attacked Pretzel and a few times I thought she was might attack me. Anyway, one day Pretzel is outside and I hear her yelp and then go running by the bay windows in our dining room, closely followed by the deer. They sprint around on my front porch for a while and then Pretzel smooshes herself up against the front door, screaming in fear, with the deer attacking her. So I grab my broom and fight off the deer (which is not in the least bit scared of me) then go to comfort Pretzel and see that in her little doogy terror she has literally pood herself, all over my welcome mat. She was fine, BTW, though it took a lot of coaxing to get her to go outside for a while. Point being, having a deer proof fence will keep the same thing to happening to one of my boys.
So here are some pics of our completed fence, which also make for some pretty gnarly backyard before pictures. We really have our work cut out for us…fortunately we have 100+ degree weather to comfort us as we work.
This corner here, on the front right hand side of the house, is where I plan to put a garden.
The garden will have to consist of raised beds, because we seem to have a bit of a rock problem going on over here…
A garden in that corner serves double duty, one as a garden (obviously) and one as a distraction from the abandoned crack house next door…
At least an abandoned crack house makes for quiet neighbors, right?
Under this gianormo oak tree (left side of the house) we are going to do some sort of patio and seating area.
Though first we need to do something with this pile of huge rocks…
Elijah is going to be disappointed, he loves to sneak off and climb it. I would normally be all for him exerting energy in any and every way possible, except that I’m pretty sure this particular pile is full of snakes. Adam seems to think it’s all in my head, but for my sanity, it has to go. How? I have no idea.
Also, this weed bed outside the master bedroom may be in need of some attention…
And our partial patio is in a very sad state.
I fully expect the backyard to come along very slowly, simply because it is just to dang hot outside to work unless it’s really early morning, really late evening, or not summer. I’ll keep you updated though, I think I’ll start with that weed bed because it’s the easiest and probably doesn’t involve snakes.
We’re also about halfway done with a really big, really needed outdoor project that I can’t wait to tell y’all about! Any guesses as to what it is?
Carport?
Dang girl, your good!
The new fence looks WONDERFUL. When I showed my husband your post on paying-off the house, he got on board with that, so maybe if I show him this then he will agree to hire out to get our fence up? Yeah. Pretty sure that’s just wishful thinking.
It’s great to see pictures of your ‘Texas’ yard and see the real weeds and dry grass that we are used to battling! On your rocks issue, ever tried taking a picture and posting them on Craigslist? Some people love using those in their landscaping, just say ‘free if you come load them and haul them!’
I’ve thought about putting them on Craigslist, except that most people around here have the same problem so I can’t see why anyone would want my rocks. Guess it doesn’t hurt to try though! How’s the house paying off going?
Your new fence looks wonderful. What a great idea about putting them up on Craigslist from Whitney above!! Or on Freecycle too…whenever I put anything on there people come in droves within hours.
Megan
Yay! Great fence! So excited for you to plant a garden! My husband is obsessed with his garden….waters it everyday at 7am and brings me in cucumbers like it’s a newborn baby. So cute. We have pretty fertile land though, so don’t ask for any gardening advice…plus, I avoid the garden due to a ‘skeeter’ issue. We live across from a pond that is literally a mosquito zoo. Makes for a quiet neighbor….just like your crack house. :) Congrats on the purdy fence and glad you shared the before pics! It’s reminding me to share more of my before pics! I always end up waiting til I finish my projects and then I will have gone an entire week without posting about what I’m working on…no good! :)
The good thing about waiting until you have a finished project is that your project is finished when you post about it. I have posted lot’s of before pictures that were never followed up by afters!
That’s a beautiful oak tree, your seating area is going to be lovely. Your deer sound scary, good thing you got the fence. For your poor dog and your kids!
I feel your pain about the rocks and the snakes. When I lived in NC we had a fence put in around our house and there was NO way we could have done it for the rocks. I saw the fence guys pull out this giant twisty drill thing and still have problems getting those posts sunk!
We also had snakes there and a pile of rocks would have been a plce they would love to hide. I got surprised a few times even in our flower beds by them, and being phobic of them doesn’t help! I am happy to be back in NY where there is too much concrete for snakes and deer! LOL!
I see teasure in those rocks—free landscaping materials and excercise in relocating them!
The fence looks great! Do you know approximately how many linear feet they put in? I’m kind of half wondering if I could get your guys to come to Austin to install my fence, and whether they could do it in a day….
I’m sooo excited that you’re going to be working on landscaping! I’ve been out in the yard nearly every day (early morning) working on mine, and despite the heat, I have to wear long pants and long sleeves because the bugs LOVE me. You should check out the City of Austin’s Grow Green guide (http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Watershed/growgreen/plantguide.pdf), which lists tons of plants that are drought-tolerant and native or adapted to our area. And I’ve done a lot of landscaping in the last year and a half, so feel free to ask if you have any questions. One suggestion as you get started: bring in new, good soil and compost before you start planting. I brought in 24 cubic yards of soil and 24 cubic yards of compost for my 1/4-acre lot — the cost adds up fast, but they say if you take care of your soil the plants will take care of themselves (and use less water).
Can’t wait to see it come together!
Thanks for the link Devon! I may just be asking you plant questions all summer. I definitely want plants that will survive and basically take care of themselves, though I also want useful plants (that we can eat) mixed in throughout the landscaping.
I LOVE those rocks!!!! Unfortunately I live in NY state so I won’t be able to take any off your hands . But why not use them to make your raised beds??
When I lived in NY I was so amazed at peoples beautiful lawns…and they didn’t have to work for them (besides the constant mowing)! It’s pretty much impossible to have a lawn here…even if you pay a ton and sod it, we go on water restriction every summer and you can’t water. Anyway, I’m definitely planning on using rocks to make my raised beds, we still have all the rocks stacked up along the sides of the property that I showed in this post forever ago. https://wildfireinteriors.com/2011/06/curb-appeal/ I’m sure I’ll just keep making beds until all the rocks are gone :)
Beautiful fence! We need one too – though the deer are less of a pain this year than last (I’m between Wimberley and Blanco) I can’t have a garden yet, but they haven’t eaten my newly planted mountain laurel, vitex, or lantana. My son has been clearing the scrub out from underneath our oak trees, I love seeing how it opens up the space, and it’s just begging for a picnic table or swing hanging from the branch … You’re making great progress, thanks for sharing it!
Patty
We’re practically neighbors! Your the second person that has mentioned Vitex, I’m definitely going to hunt some of those down.
I knew those rocks and trees looked familiar! I am just east of you in Buda! We have the raised bed gardens. Can I tell you that lantana, roses, and crepe myrtle are big growers in our area–they make for nice landscaping so long as you put plenty of water on them!
Best of luck in your garden and yard work. Use those rocks in the pile for a beautiful enclosure for your patio under the tree! You might have to hire a tractor to move them, but people pay a lot of money to get them into their yards in the city!!!!
Your yard looks just about mine. Lots of rocks, & dirt. Plus I have a gizillion oak trees & their evil offspring (leaves) . Officially, I live in Boerne but actually am only 4 miles from Bergheim.
I also have the Killer Deer population. Have eaten the ivy off the house, chased my dogs & even challenged me, almost toe to toe. Have you ever hear a hunter talk about Buck Snort. I thought it was a joke but they do snort. When you can see the snot running and hear that snort. It’s downright scary. Even if it only a scrawney little 6 pointer.
Just this morning I was digging (trying) out a submerged rock (about 4×2 ft rectangle prob over 100 lb) while trying to move a vitex (Texas Lavender bush/tree) to a better location. I planted it about 6 years ago in a 3X8 oval metal stock tank. Great to use if you have the rock problem. Got mine for $15 at the Bergheim General Store after the preacher returned it because it leaked when they did the baptisms. (No Really! True Story! Normally over $100.)
My advice, I wouldn’t worry about the snakes in the piles of rocks. Worry about scorpions. Bad deal for kids, dogs, & Moms. Like a hot ice pick going into your body. Work early in AM and early evening. Wear insect repellant & if you work in the sun ~ wear a Willie Nelson Bandana and Wide Brimmed Sunhat.
Good Luck!!
BTW, Vitex are deer resistant, beautiful, butterflies love em, and grow like crazy. Mine is now about 6 feet tall but needed more sun.
Lynn
You had a beautiful fence and I’m so excited to see how beautiful your garden will be. I’m also excited with the patio under the oak tree. You need to use quality materials. Choose material which is durable and not hard to maintain. Good Luck and keep posting about your backyard.