Nosy neighbors, Code Enforcement, Grouchy PPL, & Xeriscape

Hey there, all!

My Village's Code Enforcement department is getting desperate. They couldn't nail people with the red-light traffic cams, and they can only see so much from the street, so now they're resorting to riding around in boats on the canals that are behind many properties in the hopes of finding finable offenses (like docks without updated permits, unapproved additions, etc.)

There is nothing against having a veggie garden in one's backyard, but given the size of it (and the fact that we're going to have to water it every day for awhile) of the garden and we're in water restrictions, I was wondering what I could do to cover up part of my chain-link fence so it's not visible from the outside (without cutting off light to the plants)?

Any suggestions?


I'm trying to make my backyard a completely sustainable (edible/medicinal & cooking herbs) landscape within the next two years. Any plants for South Florida (zone 9-10, depending on which publication you read) that would help me accomplish this?

Thanks.

Hi SoFlaCommercial, I live in the city and wanted just "a little bit" of privacy so we purchased these thin vinyl slats that slide into the chain link fence. I believe it's called MaxSlat from Patrician Products. We ordered ours from Menards (a home improvement center in IL., just like a Home Depot or Lowes). Works great, is easy and super fast to install, lasts a long time and lets in little rays of light but provides enough coverage.

http://www.patricianproducts.com/fencing.htm

Here's a pic of our gate. Guard dog not included!

Toni's suggestion is a great one. You could also grow some vining vegetables up sections of the fence, too. This is a great opportunity to put some rain barrels to good use.

Toni5735 and msrobin:

thanks for the suggestion. I've seen these at Lowe's (although in hideous green - my chain link fence is black), but didn't know how well they'd provide privacy. I'll go back this weekend and see if they have them in white.

Have a great day!

SFC--there is a member who goes by "mommystuff" in Sarasota (Zone 9b) that has a virtual edible garden paradise there.
You might contact her for advice on what to grow.
Good luck on the "civil disobedience"---politicians never tire of confiscating other peoples money.
A normal size chain link with slats should have very little effect on the amount of light reaching the garden.

I'll give the thought first, and then the commiseration:)
I think I'd follow try suggestion of vining plants on the fence. I'd go for cherry tomatoes (you'd have to tie them up, but they'd cover very well, and maybe cukes and vining squash like zucchini rampicante (want some seeds?). I used the slats once, butfound they deteriorated pretty quickly in the Fl sun. Then again, I'm very lazy, and got annoyed at replacing the slats. With the new paints out, you might be able to assemble the whole thing, and then spray paint whatever color you want. Bamboo fencing can work well, but again deteriorates after two or so years. I found that easier to deal with, tho, as I just took down one roll and put up a new one. Good luck...

Boy, I feel for you. As a former resident of PBC, I hear Ya. I still own property out west of you, which I bought when it was at the end of three miles of dirt road. The road is now paved, the property part of Wellington, and the taxes sky high. They're beginning to get very picky, in a place that had no restrictionsbefore. I had the Code Enforcement from heck when I lived in Ft Laud, and moved to Loxahatchee to get away from them. When we first moved it was wonderful, and a very odd little neighborhood. Now, well, it's Wellington...

catmad - I remember Wellington before it was developed. I used to wonder why people would want to live in the middle of nowhere! Now there are beautiful houses, private airplane landing strips, and polo fields where English princes play!

SFC - I know what you mean about Code Enforcement! I once argued (and won) with a South Florida officer that my back yard was a "Wildlife Habitat" - I told him to go look up the meaning! He had the audacity to tell me there was no wild life living in North Palm Beach. HA! He never saw the raccoon looking at me from the other side of the sliding glass door, or sheltered a momma opossom that raised her brood each year behind the gas water heater. And, for goodness sake, what did he think "birds" are - pets?

Vortreker - thanks for the info - I'll look her up.

Catmad & Honeybee - I live just inside Royal Palm Beach, right before 'civilization' ends and you get into the 'wilds' of Loxahatchee, LOL! My only concern (and I expressed this to Mr. Commercial before he built it) is that technically, we have a 10-foot easement in our backyard (which they've never had to use in the 30 years the house has been on the property), and if they get a burr up their proverbial butts, they may 'have an issue' with where in my backyard the veggies are located....but I'll deal with that when/if the time comes.

Actually, in perusing the site (especially trash to treasures forum), I'm going to talk to Mr. Commercial about doing some sort of arbor in front of the gate, and put some vining wild roses or something. That will take care of the sides, and I'll get some slats for the actual gate itself.

Although....it'd be cool as heck if there was a way to attach a container the width of the gate and fill it with a passion flower or something else viny....too bad it'd make the gate too heavy, though.

Cool idea, though, eh?

What about the window box type containers that are basically made of peat moss? They might be light enough. Nice thought, though. I worked in RPB for years, at what was Discount Vet Supply/Kookaburras Nest in the Kmart shopping center. Worked for Animal Care and Control, too.
Honeybee, The unpaved (now paved) road I spoke of was just the other side of the canal from the Aeroclub, with the private runway and hangers in addition to garages. We loved the planes, all kinds of old timey ones:). We had a great mix of people, and everything from a castle and an octagonal house to broke down trailers and cattle.

SoFlaCommercial - I know where Royal Palm Beach is - there are some beautiful houses out that way.

I don't think the utility company will bother with you using their easement UNTIL they need to use it. Then they will simply plow right through whatever you have planted there.

catmad - brings back memories :) We had friends that lived out that way in a small community in the woods, but I cannot remember the name of it. They live in Ohio now.

You might consider installing a T-Tape drip irrigation system; it can do the watering unseen by the floating @*$&@($, especially if doing the job under mulch.
I wouldn't worry much about easements, all you can do is plant annuals or easily removed plants just in case they decide to do some construction in the easement. I just wouldn't plant valuable trees or shrubs there.
It seems that "reason" has left the station...good luck avoiding the bureaucrats!

We have to investigate if the gate can hold the weight and still move freely.

We're putting in an irrigation system tomorrow, but I was unaware that you could mulch in a veggie garden...any suggestions for mulch? We use the red mulch around our bamboo, but when we first started watering, we noticed a red hue to the run off water, so wouldn't that be absorbed by any veggies that are mulched with it?

Mulch with alfalfa hay--

We do not use commercial mulch in our veggie garden but the flower garden is mulched heavily on top of the lasagna. This spring DH spread 11 cubic yard of red mulch so I do not have to weed.

Watering is voluntary restriction here but we have a well and a sprinkler system so I am not a slave of my garden. LOL!!! I do not want to think of what I did years ago when I have to haul the hoses. I do however have 8 faucets around the house because the sprinkler system can not reach all the beds even if we have a 7 zone system. Happy gardening. Belle

My mother-in-law has the same problem with water restrictions where she lives. But she has a well, so they don't apply, so long as she uses well water. She has a small sign in front of her house that says "well water," so C.E. doesn't bother her (anymore).

before I start googling the following:

Beneficial insects in royal palm beach, florida and alfalfa mulch in royal palm beach, florida, do any current/former inhabitants of south florida know of any resources where I can get the mulch in the western communities and also of any nurseries which would sell beneficial insects locally?

I know of several online, but Mr. SoFlaCommercial, with both of us being new to gardening, feels the beneficial insects are a 'luxury' for when we move to a bigger property and feels that Seven Dust should be used. I'm trying to get him to go with me to PHYSICALLY SEE somewhere that the beneficial insects would be sold so that he 'gets it'.

thanks in advance yet again.

Hello...I have a really good place to get the "bennybugs"....
their prices are great(I shop a lot) I buy at least 80% of my seeds and plants from them. I have been a customer for 2 years...

stores.ebay.com/Hirts-Gardens

their products are top quality!

I know you are looking for somewhere to get them in person near by, but check them out, they may save you the trip and aggravation of looking for them.

Dee

SoFlaCommercial - Is your canal fresh or salt water? If it's fresh, and if it's by the backyard of your house, I think I'd be watering my garden out of the canal.

Fishing out of my boat on one of the lakes here, I got a kick out of watching a homeowner who has a house on the lake. He had about a 30-gallon bucket on the 3 point hitch of his tractor, and as I watched he backed the tractor into the lake, lowered the hitch, and filled the bucket. Then he drove up to his vegetable garden, raised the hitch up high, attached a hose to a faucet on the bottom of the bucket, and proceeded to water his tomatoes. Pretty slick, I thought.

Failing that, maybe a small pump and a long hose? You could see what kind of violation they figure that is - or better yet, don't let 'em know you're doing it. Sounds fair to me.

SFC, rather than Sevin, how about just a soap solution spray to keep down the bugs? Have to spray before it's too hot, but it worked fine for me.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6678256_homemade-insecticidal-soap-spray.html

There are several recipes I've seen on DG, as well, maybe someone has favorite. As to mulch, I used to get hay on Southern, west almost to Flying Cow Road. Doubt it's still there *G*.

When I lived in Florida (what back when St Cloud was a very sleepy back-water town and no one wanted to live there) I used pine staw to much all beds, both flower and veg. Worked great and smelled nice too!

I feel you pain with the code enforcers. Booooooo!