They are something I have always been fascinated by for the timeless associations and memories they evoke. Picket fences, I have discovered on my walks in the historic district of Charleston, enclose many tree-filled yards, gardens and houses, the white ones standing out particularly. They aren’t very high, they aren’t obtrusive, and they certainly are not ugly like most metal and quaid fences. In fact, they are often beautifully designed and present a delight the eye as I pass with my camera.
I think they appeal to me so much partly because they are always associated with old houses, in my mind, never new or modern houses, although in the last 20 years they have been making a comeback in New Traditional style houses.
Within the yards they enclose in old Charleston there may be swing sets or a swing hanging from a tree, picnic tables, children’s bikes and toys, gardening tools, and beds of flowers or shrubs, as one finds so often in the gardens hereabout, including crape myrtle, azaleas, hydrangea and roses. I especially like one house, not that old, maybe 1940s or so, that has what appears to be an antique variety of rose climbing the wooden slats. Lovely.
There’s something about picket fences that are peaceful and comforting. Like front porches, they remind me of a bygone era when life was simpler and fences were more for decoration and ornament than as barriers to keep out the world.
Here is a set of picket fence pictures I took during walks in the Charleston historic district:
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