"Aunty Kreist" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@individual.net...
Ya know what, putting up those evergreens was probably the smartest thing you could have done! If he's monitoring your yard with that kind of paranoia, chances are he's watching you frequently, and trying to see through windows. You may even want to consider buying those stained glass colored window decals on windows facing his house ( they sell them at home depot). They make the room look pretty, and deter anyone from seeing in.
LOL well in MY case, even when I lived in the city with a house that was only eight foot away from my kitchen windows, and across the driveway on the opposite side of the house near my BEDROOM window (12 feet) I loved open windows as much as I do here in the middle of pastures and hillsides and woods on this ridge, and that means I have so many plants and hangies in my window's, I don't NEED stained glass decals. I have the real things. I have suction cup hangers with all sorts and manner of horticultural themed stained glass to capture the sun's rays and to block the visibility inside, and plants soaking up the winter lights. I can look around them just fine. On my nook window alone I have glass ladybugs, bumble bee, hummingbird, four kinds and colors of butterflies, a morning glory, blue magnolia blossom with red center, glass prism/mother of pearl marble hangie that reflects light rays, a prism that only works at a specific time of the day and an old fashioned glass ball with many facets to reflect the light off of at all times of the morning when the South sunrays bounce off it. Assorted glass things with pressed flowers in the middle so I keep them just out of the direct rays, some cheaper "stained glass" type things my son's got me for the thought at the time when they were younger that are still neat, and hanging on the edges of some of the smaller pots, stained glass hangy wire butterflies and dragonflies made with marbles and springy antenna.,.................
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Heh. My neighbor will stand on his side of the yard, directly by any open window we have, and scream our names repeatedly until we answer. We've actually had to duck while walking by the windows.
No, don't duck as you walk by the windows, when you see him standing there by your open window as he's screaming your names repeatedly, don't answer, smile real loony like, toothy, open mouthed smile (like a bleeding loooooony ) and wave and then turn your head and walk on. Don't stop. He'll think yer nutz and start leaving you alone. (people hate being ignored, i mean, don't duck, that gives him power and he's won, just smile insanely and wave and keep going on with your business inside and don't acknowledge him. Baffle him with bullshit)
Good luck, Victoria I've been pondering all the great advice everyone here has given, and I've decided to follow it. We decided what the heck, we're going to take down the existing 3 ft. high chain link fence, and replace it with a 6 ft.
Well hell in THAT case, go to Lowes and get 50 foot of 72 inch chain link (I don't think it comes in 100 foot but it might) for around $37 a roll and once you've removed hte 3 foot and rolled it up, the posts are still there to use. Lowes gives you chain link pins (looks like big ol' hairpins to secure the chainlink to the post) they come with the rolls. I should know, I worked the garden center for a year and a half. And if Depot's prices are cheaper, go back to Lowes with proof and they'll sell you the same thing at Depot's price PLUS 10%.
I have six foot chain link fence around the west and north portion of my property which is the reason I'm not bothered by the deer that are in the woods in front of me. They pass thru outside the peremeter but don't venture up here where they'd deffinately find succulent tender stuff to munch right now (like that vinca major that has TAKEN OVER THE RIDGE AGAIN< ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) but the fence also keeps out the coyote. The wild turkeys, skunks, coons, possoms, turkey vultures, owls, partridges, quail, cranes, foxes, woodchucks and various snakes, frogs, turtles and the like are still using the driveway as a gateway into the slice of property me and the bendejo across the shared way who owns the majority of the property that wraps around me. Since the previous owner of my house was the one who put up the fence, it encloses the whole inner portion of land. That would be around 10 acres I think. They couldn't afford to enclose the whole 32 acres at the time and did the inner piece of land with her's and her dad's house and barn and such enclosed.
Above that six foot chain link, they also put an outwards angled bar that holds three strands of barb wire that brings the whole fence up to about 8
1/2 or 9 foot. The barb wire deters anything from climbing or jumping over, doesn't restrict the view but the honeysuckle grows up and along it just fine. Be sure you get top supports for the wire which will give more stability to the chain link. And get those fence post caps for a buck more to ensure wasps don't use them as nesting places. (they will every time).
Then, we're going to buy those vinyl strips for weaving through the fence. It'll create a solid wall, and it'll be sturdy enough for me to grow climbing things on my side, without too much growing off into the neighbor's yard. :)
And THOSE are awesome. And easy to weave. If you want another annual vine to plant on the fence, but it will reseed, try Dolchios or Lab Lab vine (Hyacinth bean) beautiful leaves of heart shaped, fuzzy with burgandy backed and dark stems, flowers are set on long stems rising at an angle eight inches away, deep pinkish purple blossoms followed by eye popping electric purple pods and later if you leave the pods alone, they seeds will fall (and feed a few birds) and come back up. Or you can save the seeds when the pods have completely dried on the vines and started to pop open, you can gather them in a ziploc and store them in the veggie drawer until spring and sow them again along the base of the chain link fence. Tha's what I'm a doin' this spring with mine after I cut back some of the honeysuckle that insists it's returning from the pasture side of my link fence. I'd rather have the Lab Lab vine with it's heart shaped leaves. (yes, honeysuckle smells divine, but it will squeeze the life outa things and gets a bit out of hand)
Thank you!
Keep us posted on the fence and vine progress.
madgardener up on the ridge, back in Faerie Holler, overlooking English Mountain in Eastern Tennessee, zone 7 (feels like lower Montana today with temps down to 7o and windchills of below zero, my birds were waiting for me to pour hot water into the water recepticle today so they could at least drink even if I don't have sunflower seed of suet, they cleaned me out) Sunset zone 36