Didn't you ask this question before? I seem to remember the photos...

I was thinking the same thing. Was it over on the Potager forum?

Yes I did, on the potager forum, but I was hoping for some more ideas. I need to get the fence in fairly soon.

While just using the short black fence would be the easy and obvious choice, it seems a bit boring...and very black. I think it would be fine for shrubs, but the veggies and annuals only look good about four months of the year...so a more interesting fence might be a good choice. However, a picket fence 42" to 48" all the way around, would block too much view.

Any ideas? :)

I think you should stick with a single type of simple fencing. Home Depot has some fairly rigid black metal fencing that is really simple and comes in panels. It's called a Euro Fence and I think it would be really nice with the dark structures you already have. I think you could use something that IS boring and fades into the back to let your flowers and the gorgeous pastoral setting stand out. I think it will match what you already have going on and not compete with anything.
Caveat: I didn't look at the price!!

GGG- Good point, but I don't want wire in the front, since the annuals only look good for 3 - 4 months of the year. I have blueberry shrubs, perennials and strawberries on two outside perimeter beds, but the others are not planted yet. I may put shrubs and perennials on the other side, but the front bed would look much better with flowers.

Here's a fence I just love, which is what I want to do with the front. Hollyhocks, snapdragons, sunflowers, marigolds, etc. would be wonderful...but don't look like much from October through April. Many annuals only survive June-August with our cold evenings, so a wire fence would be very exposed, most of the year.

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I'm hoping the blue/gray pickets will look a little more french and tie in more with the black arches and arbor. The birdbath is now under an arch, in a perimeter bed/butterfly garden area. The middle (in front of the arbor) is now home to 'spidey' which will be covered with peas, beans, flowers, mini-pumpkins and gourds, with melons in between the legs...along with flowers, herbs and anything else my nephew can dream up for his garden area :)

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For the view areas, I do not want pickets, so the lowest black wire I could find is a 28" rabbit fencing, which will hopefully be covered by shrubs, vines and perennials in the next few years. Only the picket fence should be visible, by the time I'm finished.

Here's a picture of the birdbath, and I'm debating about putting wire/cord around the back of the arch to enclose the birdbath. With clematis and sweet peas, I think it would be charming, surrounded by lots of butterfly friendly flowers...the plants for the caterpillars are all over the fields and down by the creek! :)

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I agree with ggg that sticking with the same/similar materials as the arbour will look best. The winter view is likely going to be best if it features the layout of the garden with the 'furniture' (benches etc.) as the accents against the snow. I think a picket fence would not enhance the winter scene at all incomparison a simple metal one. A simple design 'rule' is to not mix too many materials. Metal is good and makes a nice black-and-white picture in the snow - as your picture above shows....

I don't know how sturdy you need that fence to be, here's some folding fence: http://agardenplace.com/garden_decor/product/Folding-Fence-Black-32In-x-8Ft-Black.html

Using the same fencing around the perimeter of your garden would look best. I'm not sure how it would block your view so should look fine and is a wonderful cottage-y look. You might do this style where it's lower in between the posts.

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I'm going to disagree with the others. I think what you described will give the garden boundaries without being overpowering. If you were talking wrought iron with picket fencing, I would agree to choose one material, but the rabbit fencing should, as you say, disappear. If you end up not liking it, it wouldn't be so inconvenient to replace the wire with picket fence. Personally, I find just black to be stark in the winter.
Do you have a friend who could make a sketch for you? Or landscaping software you could borrow? Or even print out a picture of your yard and draw the picket fence where you want it, and cut out some pics of shrubs to put in where the wire would go. You should be able to get an idea of how the discontinuous idea looks to you.

GGG- Thanks for the link!

Luckygal- Very pretty fence, but probably more than I could afford or be able to install myself. I'm trying to be creative on a very small budget :)

Woodyoak- The black and white is almost too stark...especially if we're going to have such long winters. We've had snow for the last six months!

Mytime- That's kind of what I thought...it will be easy enough to replace the rabbit fencing, if I don't like it. I think it will disappear and all we'll see is the pickets...mainly in the corners and along the front. I hope the blue/gray will be softer and provide a little color, during the winter :)

LL, I've heard of people using pallet wood for pickets. Requires cutting to size but that's not difficult. When my DH used pallets for various projects he cut the picket part from the ends rather than laboriously taking them apart. Wood in pallets can be various species but if one is painting it that doesn't matter. Pallets can be often obtained for free which is the advantage.