Defining a cottage garden with a low fence not only helps keep animals out, a nice fence also has an aesthetic effect. Find out below how to fence your cottage garden cheaply and easily.

A picket fence is easy to build yourself

What should the fence of a cottage garden look like?

Cottage gardens impress with their naturalness and simplicity. A plastic fence would be completely out of place here. But metal doesn't cut a good figure either. It is best to opt for a simple, low wooden fence. The fence looks particularly beautiful if it is left in its natural state, i.e. not painted. This also saves a lot of work. However, you may then have to dig a little deeper into your pocket when buying the wood.

Which wood for the cottage garden fence?

If you want to leave your fence untreated, you should opt for weather-resistant wood. These include:

  • sweet chestnut
  • douglas fir
  • teak
  • Black Locust
  • larch
  • Oak

If you want to buy a cheaper wood, you should varnish it or treat it with a wood preservative.

Two types of cottage garden fence

For self-construction, two different types of wooden fence are recommended:

  • picket fence
  • Paling

With the picket fence, the individual slats are nailed to two or more crossbars, with the picket fence, the individual slats are connected with a wire. The picket fence is therefore a little easier to build, but also less stable than the picket fence. In the following we explain step by step how to build a picket fence for your cottage garden.

How many slats for the fence?

You can decide how close together you want the slats to be. If the fence is only to be erected for decorative reasons, you can leave a little more space between the slats, e.g. a space between two slats. However, if the fence is to keep cats or other animals out, the gaps should be narrow enough to make it impossible to squeeze through. In this case, the fence should also reach the ground, otherwise you can also leave some space here.

Proper planning is half the battle

Before you go out to buy the materials, you should plan properly. To do this, proceed as follows:

  • Measure the area to be fenced off carefully.
  • Draw a sketch on a piece of paper.
  • Draw in the door(s) and when planning the width, consider that a wheelbarrow, for example, should fit through.
  • Stand in pairs where the fence is to be erected and discuss the height. If possible, use an auxiliary device to simulate different heights.
  • Then consider how wide the individual slats should be. Look at price examples and widths on the internet.
  • Then consider how much space you want to keep between each slat.
  • Now calculate how many slats you need.

tips

During construction, a post should be attached to every tenth slat, for example, which is then rammed into the ground. Posts must be longer and definitely weatherproof. Alternatively, you can concrete them in or use drive-in sleeves.

Category:

Garden design