Picket fences for posterity

After more than 30 years at Towerwater, we find that certain elements on the property need improvement or replacement. Take the picket fences in the orchard for example. With the Bougainvillea hedge allowed to do its own thing for more than 30 years in this section, it took the opportunity to grow into the picket fence and destroy it in places.

Restored picket fence, Winter 2023

With the maintenance and improvement of the garden on the agenda for 2023, repairing and replacing the picket fence featured prominently on the list. The idea was to prune back the bougainvillea hedge enough to enable the replacement of the pickets atop the built wall and between the piers.

When we bought the property more than 30 years ago there was a sad looking wire fence with even sadder looking neglected quince trees shielding the then apricot orchard from the street. It was clear at the time, that a fence was needed to define the borders of the property to prevent people from dumping and using the property as a thoroughfare. We decided on the classic whitewashed wall and piers with green picket panels mounted between them. This had been a popular choice of enclosure in the 1800’s in the Cape.

Picket fences at La Provence, circa 1756 - Photo, Athur Elliott, 1870-1938 

The section of picket fence on the orchard side of the property was the last to be installed. The low wall and piers were first built and afterwards Keith made all the picket panels by hand and mounted them between the piers. In those days nobody would dream of walking into one’s property without prior permission.

Before the walls were built and after the old orchard trees were removed.

The newly built walls and freshly planted fruit trees.

Back then we could finish the wall and install the pickets at leisure after they were assembled. Today, that approach is unthinkable. We were already nervous about cutting the Bougainvillea back because it has provided excellent security over the years.

The garden walls and pickets completed, with the unrestored buildings.

Knowing that the pickets would need to be installed the moment that the Bougainvillea had been cut back, Keith made the pickets out of hard wood and assembled them beforehand. Each picket and timber crosspiece were painted with wood primer and historical green paint before being assembled and then given a finishing coat. When the seven picket panels were completed and ready to be mounted, I could arrange for the Bougainvillea to be cut back.

The young bougainvillea hedge and marigolds

The Bougainvillea hedge, summer 2023 

The initial idea was to rescue as much of the six Bougainvillea plants as possible and to encourage them to grow back into a more controlled hedge. However, when most of the Bougainvillea hedge had been removed, we decided that we needed a more controllable hedge in the long term.

The start of the big cleanup

We decided instead, to continue the Portulacaria afra (spekboom) hedge that we had planted between the driveway gate and the pedestrian gate next to the canal. Years ago, we had decided not to plant a Bougainvillea hedge on the north side of the driveway because of a municipal water drain cover on the roadside that might be obstructed.

Introducing the Portulacaria afra hedge along the rest of the street boundary, meant that there will be visual continuity on the street front. The existing Portulacaria afra hedge provides good security but is much more contained. We would prefer the hedge on the orchard side to be lower and allow for more sun into the orchard to the benefit of the fruit trees alongside the fence.

After the Bougainvillea hedge was removed, we could mount the picket panels. Although the last two panels had to be mounted in the disappearing light of a winter’s afternoon, we managed to secure all the new panels by dusk.

Towerwater looked strange and vulnerable without the protective Bougainvillea hedge. We are concerned for the potential theft of fruit in the summer because the orchard is now completely exposed and might tempt unsolicited picking in season. Upgrading the security beams on the orchard side will be one way of securing the property until the Portulacaria afra hedge is established to offer its own protective barrier.

The property feels different, but we love the clean look of the limewashed walls and the green picket panels. At least the house can be seen directly from the road for the first time in over 20 years. It will probably be the last time that a picket maintenance exercise of this scale will be undertaken on the property, and we hope it will last for posterity.