Here are my thoughts. Growing up there were not too many fences, mostly for keeping dogs in the yards. The lots around here are mostly 1/4 to 1 acre. We knew all of our neighbors and played in most of their yards at some point. We also helped the elderly ones rake leaves, shovel snow and other yard work. Fast forward. Now fences are almost a given. Most of it is privacy and not having large acreage. Homeowners have created patios, firepit and barbecue areas in their yards and they just want to sit and not be bothered. Another reason is concern of theft. With smaller yards, there is not much area for storage buildings to lock up large items. People need to leave canoes, grills and snowblowers out, and a fence gives them some minor theft deterrent. I don't think fences make bad neighbors. We all have fences around here, but any neighbors stop over and chat for a while. If we had larger lots with trees lines, we would not fence. We have a nice privet hedge on one side of the yard that we like.
We are one of the very few people in the area with a fence. I didn't want to put the fence up but my wife insisted on it for the dogs. So we grabbed some 4x4 posts and a couple rolls of cattle fencing frome lowes and put up a fence. Now five years later it's over grown with vines and all kinds of crap weeds that I can't get to because I can't weed whack the fence as it gets caught up in the wire. So now we're looking into taking the wire down and putting up a regular wooden fence that will look better and I will be able to weed whack the fence line.
If you want, when the plants are actively growing, on a sunny morning, spray the growth in the fence with a mix of white vinegar an a couple teaspoons of Dawn dish soap. By night fall the plants will be withered up just like you had used a week killer, but this time, no poison used. Dogs are safe. You can use just the vinegar if you so desire. Not great at killing the roots, but enough to do a lot of damage to the weeds. Repeat as needed. No weeds on your fence and no poison used.
From this perspective, we have a fence. It will not keep anything in or out, but there is a falling down barbed wire fence around most of the property. Greg
bought my house with it. i wouldn't have put it in myself. i think the previous owners did it to 'protect' their kids. there's a bit of wildlife around (bears, fox, coyotes)
I have lived with both on smaller plots of acreage. I prefer fencing or walls. More privacy and it also allows for a set up for entertaining. I have always enjoyed the courtyard style of the southern cities. Nice chill outdoor areas that can be made pretty. The fencing also kept small animals out of my garden.
I have heard of that but have not tried it out mostly because I almost an acre fenced in and that would be a lot of vinegar. Im going to have to try something out at least until I can put the new fence up. I figure with the new fence I will have to weedwhack once or twice a month to keep things under control and that should only take about an hour including the rest of the house now to find the money for this new fence.
Lots of stone wall around here, but they are only a couple feet high, and have tumbled down from years of exposure. They are found in the woods representing a time when the woods was farmland for pastures and crops. Behind my land is a stone wall that ends, and barbed wire starts. Now, the barbed wire is only were it sticks out from truck of the trees.
Very similar situation here. I border a farmer on one side and he also let's us treat his land like our own for the most part. He put a fence up along a section of the property line because he has seasonal workers that tend to wander and he wanted to keep them out of my yard.
I am trying to grow trees out front to have a buffer between me and the very busy road...I also have a firewood wall between my neighbor and I but don't really want to feel "penned in"....
