Nothing is more distinctly American than the picket fence. It is the legacy of our first settlers, who needed to protect their food gardens and toddlers from livestock and wildlife. In those days it was known as a paling fence, which could be made of any material widely available in that region.
From these humble beginnings the fence type evolved into increasingly complex designs. Picket fences became a front yard status symbol during Victorian times where elaborately milled lumber was preferred over the rustic predecessors. The more complex one’s pickets, the more they were admired. By the end of the 19th century these pickets grew taller, sharper and more detailed.
For many years I’ve marveled at these fences, which vary from place to place according to the wood that’s available. While materials change, they all share two features. First, the pickets must be close together to keep rodents and wildlife from passing through into a garden or dooryard. Second, the pickets must be pointed so that chickens can’t perch there.
Pioneers discovered a hen doesn’t like to fly over fences; she wants to fly up and perch, then fly down to the ground again on the opposite side.
The most appealing part of these fences is their range of picket styles, which offer great ideas for salvage and repurposing locally available raw materials. The earliest colonial fences of Plymouth were composed simply of sticks pounded into the soil at tight spacing. Then to attach them the colonist harvested thin whips cut from riverbank willow thickets because nails were too valuable. These whips were woven in and out of the sticks to bind them together across the top. As the whips dried they grew rock hard in this position, binding the fence effectively over time.
In California’s redwood country, another picket fence evolved. These were made in the 19th century using the straight grain heartwood of very ancient trees. The pickets were again pounded into the earth, then bound together on top with a single stringer board. These were nailed together, extending across vast sheep pastures. Because redwood is so resistant to decomposition, they stand today in perfect condition a century later, attesting to the longevity of this ancient old growth heartwood.
In the forested regions of the Great Lakes, you’ll find similar hand-split cedar pickets. In the south, bald cypress was preferred for its longevity. In the Southwest, long stems of ocotillo not only made fine pickets, they’d likely take root to result in a spiny, living picket fence. In California the long flower stems of native palm trees were plentiful enough for fences in a barren land.
Every day when that green waste is set out for pickup I see materials suitable for paling fences. Tree trimmers also have a regular supply of material depending on the types of trees they’re working on.
Fruitless mulberry trees and sycamores are often pollarded, a hard pruning technique that results in long straight cuttings each year. In other regions tamarisk and eucalyptus are often hard pruned because they grow so quickly.
To create a beautiful effect, try the weaving technique with willow. The best source of whips comes from weeping willows that yield stems up to 10 feet long. Winter pruning of wisteria and grapevines also provides materials suited to weaving if used immediately when most flexible.
If you prefer milled pickets, do not assume they need to be painted. Some truly beautiful results come from unpainted cedar pickets allowed to weather naturally into a beautiful silvery patina. Natural pickets mean you’re freed of the chore of repainting.
The American picket fence is ideal for low-cost boundaries constructed of locally available raw materials. Invest in quality posts, then apply your found, repurposed or recycled materials for the pickets. This fence will become the model for all your backyard partitions that divide your outdoor spaces into protected plots for kids, crops and chickens.
HomeStyle, Pages 37 on 04/05/2014