There is a saying that a good fence makes good neighbors. Unfortunately, fences tend to divide us and reduce the environment, rather than improving things and bringing people together. 

Of course, fences are usually needed for various reasons. For example, we may need to fence pets or livestock. However, when looking for sustainable fencing ideas, the first thing you should ask yourself is whether you really need fencing. 

For example, when fences are only used to mark property boundaries, privacy or shielding, it is better not to use fences at all, but to use plants. 

Hedging willows and other life “fedges” is usually a better solution. Using native trees and shrubs to create windbreaks, privacy hedges or partitions is usually more beneficial to you, your neighbors, and local wildlife. 

You might consider using fruit trees or fruit shrubs to create borders, or taller grasses and perennials to create looser, more informal borders, just to name a few other examples. 

There are many planting plans that can help define, protect, and improve garden comfort more effectively than fences. These can be more sustainable solutions than creating man-made fence structures. 

If you do need to set up permanent fences for pets or livestock, the materials you choose will be important. For those who wish to live in a sustainable and eco-friendly way, what your fence is made of and the source of these materials are crucial considerations. 

The most sustainable way to make a fence is to use natural materials—preferably materials from your own space or surrounding environment. 

For example, you can create:

You can also use natural materials to make walls as a substitute for border fences. For example, you can create:

You can also use recycled materials to create sustainable fences, which are much cheaper, maybe even free, and have a much lower specific cost to humans and the planet. 

For example, you might:

Using your imagination, you may find that there are many ways to make a suitable fence using materials that would otherwise be discarded. You can even put household waste in the fence or wall of the house-using glass bottles is just one example. 

Even where man-made fence structures are needed, it is important to consider how to increase biodiversity and improve the comfort and visual appeal of the space. A single fence, without accompanying planting, will never be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as it might and should be. 

Creating a hedge or border planting next to the fence is good for wildlife, any livestock you may keep, and you. And you should also consider adding suitable climbing plants and vines to the structure you create. 

There are many different ways to combine vegetation with man-made fence structures, which can improve its function and performance and provide a series of additional benefits and yields.

Sustainable fences should always be considered only part of the overall design. Don't consider adding any fences in isolation. Make sure you carefully consider how it fits and blends with the rest of your garden.

In your garden, every element you add (including fences) should have multiple functions. Therefore, before you decide to use a fence, please carefully consider what you want to achieve and what additional functions the fence can achieve. 

For example, fences used for keeping pets or livestock may also be lattices for climbing plants, providing shelter or wind protection for border planting, providing habitat for wild animals, as a small space composting solution, and so on.

If you consider all the above factors, you should be able to find the best solution to meet your needs and create a new fence without negatively impacting humans and the planet.  

There is an error. please try again.

Thank you for registering.