Good fences and good neighbors

Picket fence around my garden at my home in South Africa (aerial view)

Picket fence, different angle (aerial view)

Picket fence seen at ground level

In 2003 I started to build up an overgrown plot of ground next to our house in South Africa. By 2008 I had the garden of my dreams. It was used for children's parties, ladies' tea parties, garden club meetings and of course, for our own enjoyment. 

Then I found I was away from my home for long periods while I lived at first, in West Africa, then North Africa and eventually East Africa. My garden was still well-cared for by my helpers John and David but late in 2009, we had a severe water shortage in our town. This was partly due to a long winter drought  and also because the municipality had allowed the dam wall to break and lose all the water which had collected during the previous summer.

I approached my neighbor and asked if he'd like to buy that part of my garden. I didn't realize at the time that I was probably the only person in the world who was selling her garden! My neighbor has six large breed rescue dogs and two cats so he jumped at the opportunity to extend his garden. When he walked into my garden to take a look, however, he said, he'd never allow his unruly dogs to romp around and wreck this beautiful garden.

The good neighbor bought the garden and duly erected a picket fence between which was now his garden and ours! 

 Shadow, during his three months between North and East Africa while he lived in South Africa 

Two of our three dogs peering through the fence at me (on neighbor's side!) not too sure why they couldn't get to me! 

I found a small opening in a fence slat and photographed my erstwhile garden through it! 

I'm linking to Good Fences, hosted by TexWisGirl,  which you can access by clicking here