Thursday, March 31, 2011

A New Garden Fence

This is the fence surrounding my garden and it’s obviously not new. I built the fence 24 years ago and combined the physical barrier with a strand or two of electrified wire to keep the deer from feasting on my garden bounty. The fence has exceeded its life expectancy and needs to be replaced. Normally, I would tear out the old and replace it with new, but I’m not comfortable following that course of action.
The wooden cedar posts that I used in the fence construction, have become the foundation for a multitude of lichen species. I’m not anxious to destroy what has taken over two decades to become established.


I’m not good at lichen identification, so I can’t say for sure how many species are actually here. I know that there are many rare lichens and that some lichens are sensitive indicators of environmental conditions. I don’t like to destroy things when I don’t know what they are.


I also feel some responsibility for the lichens having colonized here. I placed the fence posts and in so doing, I invited life to take up residence. If there is a chance that I inadvertently created a place for rarities to thrive, I don’t want to unknowingly destroy that habitat.


I would hate to be like the person that puts up a lawn ornament that also provides an unintended space for cavity nesting birds and then keeps cleaning out the resulting nests. I think it’s my responsibility to see that I’m not creating an attractant that will be detrimental to the local flora and fauna.


So, until I know more about lichens, I don’t want to destroy what’s growing on the fence posts. Besides, I really like lichens and I just enjoy having them growing in such an easy to view location. I still plan on replacing the fence, but I’ll do it in such a way that protects the posts and their lichens.

8 comments:

  1. And, images of lichens are so fascinating. If my vote counts, I vote to keep the fence posts, too. :)

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  2. Lichens are fascinating things, that's for sure. I recognize a lot of the ones in your pictures but I am still not familiar enough to put names with faces. While out with some botanists from the Edge we ID'd 10 species on a single Ash tree. Pretty cool stuff!

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  3. HI Steven ..Oh I like your photos of the lichen, especially the last one!
    I do love seeing them when I am out in the woods so many variety and spices, and colors or great!!
    I like that you have chosen to leave these and work around them !! : }}
    Try hanging your dirty socks or a bar of ivory soap!! It does keep the deer away but does get the neighbors curious!! hahaha!!

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  4. Hi, Lois. I'll accept your vote. The posts stay.

    Hi, Andrew. Some day I'll have to spend some time learning to identify lichens. Sometimes it looks like there are dozens of species on a single tree. Maybe that's true, or maybe I'm just looking at various growth stages of the same species. Only study will tell.

    I must be in trouble, grammie g. That's the only time I'm called Steven. I've tried old clothes, soap and hair, but nothing seems to bother the deer. I once saved my hair from several cuttings and piled it on top of some cracked corn. The deer just nuzzled the hair out of the way and ate the corn.

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  5. Hi STEVE...Don't know how I did that..hahahahaha!!!
    I don't even know anyone that I call Steve-n
    Know your not in trouble ...well not from me anyway!! : }}
    Those deer evidently never have had a whiff of my X husbands dirty socks!!

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  6. Haha Grammie. Steve, this is really cool. I wouldn't destroy the fence either. I've been keeping an eye out for lichens lately as my fascination for them is growing, but I've never seen these - with the exception of one. A tough group of organisms to conquer! Please post if you ever do key any of these out.

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  7. I like your practice of not destroying what you inadvertently created. Thought this might be useful to you if you don't already have the book: www.lichen.com

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  8. Hi, Mike. I'll definitely post ID's when I get them. I have the books, I just need the time to read them.

    Thanks, Katie. It seems to happen fairly often that I have something living where I had not intended it to be.

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