Fences Should Not Be Visible in Urban Gardens – To what extent do you agree?

Not something I can get too excited about. I agree with others that a good fence can be attractive in it's own right, and gives a good boundary that's easy to maintain if you aren't a gardener as such.
I also use climbers on mine, or have a hedge as well. Many people don't have the time/resources for hedging, so it's an easier option for maintenance, and prevents all those problems we hear about, or see, when they get too big and aren't pruned/trimmed correctly.
I've just removed my front hedge as it was becoming too wayward, and although I've replaced it with something evergreen and more well behaved, the fence is quite bare now, and I'm aware of how manky it looks. The weather isn't suitable for painting it though, and it annoys me on a daily basis! If it was fence only, it would be attended to every year so that it looked smart.

 

For fences with slotted Concrete posts you should be able to tell who's fence it is by the way the gravel boards are installed, but I've seen lots of those put in the wrong way round.
I've got a fair amount of 6ft fencing but you can't see much of it.

 

It's usually the 'posts on the side of the owner', but that's not so easy to determine with a double sided fence, which is common round here as it helps to filter the wind.
Most of my fencing is covered too @pete, although I'm still in the process of getting the back one re-covered as I lost a couple of things there.

 

I have been very pleased to discover recently that I am not responsible for the 25 yr old fence in need of attention along the bottom of my garden. It separates me from an open area with a protected oak. This area is maintained by the residents' association management company. I wasn't sure if it was me or them who would pay for upkeep, so I asked. They weren't sure either ... but, long story short and several months on, they are! And repairs have been timetabled.

 

When a wind storm a few years ago brought down the fencing between my house and two of the neighbours, we didn't even bother with who is technically the owner.

The posts were on the neighbours' side but I offered to pay half right away, without being asked to. Besides the fact that I don't know if that system is always correct, I feel that it is fair to share - and it also means that I can do whatever I want with my side of the fence, instead of feeling that I have to ask for permission because I don't have any ownership over it.

Because of some practical issues, we agreed to have the new posts (which are concrete this time) on my side and I have gained some space (nearly a foot on each side) because of that, which I am really enjoying.

Of course, had we not had a decent relationship with the neighbours, this whole situation could have been a real nightmare...

 

You'd like it here, Plantminded. Acres of rolling, former farmland. Even then, we did have to run a two-strand electric fence round two boundaries to keep out deer and wild boar. It's discreet and liveable-with, though

 

I've still got the angle irons in my garden, I'll have to take a look. In some places they are still the only boundary and the wiring has long since perished, so I was thinking of rewiring them this winter when all the plants have died down.

The survey when I bought the house was unable to clearly establish who was responsible for boundaries and my neighbours left, right and bottom have all installed what fencing there is.

 

If you don't want a fence how about a Ha Ha. An ankle breaker trench at the bottom, and or a row of spikes will deter intruders.

 

That does sound good @noisette, I can see what attracted you to move there . Now that I've dismissed the stately home because of staffing problems, I think I could settle somewhere with a walled garden. Walls are much nicer than fencing .

 

Or a nice wall with a subtle use of recycled glass .

 

I remember them walls being fairly common, you would probably get put in prison these days if a burglar hurt himself on something like that.

 

Obviously a cheapskate.