# Landscaping a 9" strip between fences. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2009, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landscaping-a-9-strip-between-fences/498961 "2009-06-06T23:28:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landscaping-a-9-strip-between-fences/498961/21 "2009-06-08T14:07:32Z")
> [@Hockey\_Monkey](#): > > How in the world are you going to be able to get into a nine inch space to plant anything between the fences? It’s not just planting that will be hard, but also installing pavers, edging, whatever. And that makes me think that **Panache** had the right answer when he said I should just take down my side of the fence. Initially I was envisioning digging up a bunch of pole set in concrete, and then if I ever wanted to reinstall them having them not match the color/weathering of the rest of my fence. However, if I take down the chainlink “fabric” to plant or to install pavers, really I could just leave it in down. That would leave four posts standing in my yard (and another hidden in some bushes in the corner) but that would probably be fine. One of the posts serves as a base for a purple martin house pole, so there’s really just three to deal with. They’re painted in a low visibility color. We could plant puma grass around them, or bushes (or something else **twickster**?), or lean a trellis against them. ## That seems like the best solution, providing the missus is okay with it. And **Contrapuntal** makes a good point about the difficulty of installing a wood fence smooth side out, with a chainlink fence in the way. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landscaping-a-9-strip-between-fences/498961/22 "2009-06-08T14:44:47Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > One of the posts serves as a base for a purple martin house pole, so there’s really just three to deal with. > They’re painted in a low visibility color. > We could plant puma grass around them, or bushes (or something else **twickster**?), or lean a trellis against them. You’ve got all kinds of options – how tall are they? and how far apart? and if you do go for plantings – you told us your zone, but not how much sun you get. ETA: Oh wait, I see you say 48" in your OP. Kind of low for birdhouses (other than decorative ones). ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2009, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landscaping-a-9-strip-between-fences/498961/23 "2009-06-08T15:24:39Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Our new neighbors on the north are installing a 6’ wooden privacy fence (they have two pitbulls.) We already have a 48" chain link fence around our yard. There’s going to be a strip of “lawn” between the two fences about 9" wide. > > My first thought is to cover it in 12" square paving blocks with landscape fabric underneath. What’s a better, prettier, or cheaper solution? Wood chips? Some cities give them away for free if you are a resident. They generate them as a by-product of chipping the tree limbs and trees people trim/cut down and put at the curb for bulk trash pickup. The fences will hold them in place, they’ll keep the soil from washing away, in fact the lower layers will decompose and enrich the soil. They’re easier to remove than gravel if the fences go away and yourself and/or future tenants/owners want to grow something there. If you get Cedar or some of the nicer chips it can even look/smell good. Enjoy, Steven [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landscaping-a-9-strip-between-fences/498961.md?page=1)