I have a love/hate relationship with my picket fences. I love them and the charm they add to my home and yard. But . . . I hate the maintenance they require. Every 4 or 5 years they need lots of scrubbing to remove the algae, and then tedious and time consuming painting.
I have three sets of picket fences in my yard, so it seems like one of them is always in need of attention. The set in my back yard has five sections in close quarters with bushes, trees, and the compost bin, which makes the job more difficult. I decided to scrub and paint one section at a time so that the contrast is obvious, and once I start, I will be forced to keep going.
The saving grace, which was totally unplanned, is that the numerous honeysuckle trees in my back yard are in full bloom. So, that means the air is fragrant and oh, so sweet as I work underneath them.
There is nothing like the fragrance of honeysuckle and the trees are as fragrant as the vine. Both are rampant growers that require constant maintenance to keep them from overtaking an area.
I spend a good part of every summer hacking away at them since they are on three sides of my yard and would completely close in the back yard if I didn’t. But, for this week at least, when they are in full bloom, I am at peace with them since the heavy humid air smells like heaven.
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