planting next to a fence

hello chaps

i have a smallish garden which is essentially a lawn, with a weeping pear 2/3rds of the distance away from the house.

I'm considering creating borders up against the fence but i worry about what happens when the fence needs painting/repairing/replacing.
the fence is 2 years old and was properly treated prior to being erected.

the garden isn't really big enough to have island beds, as i'd like to keep some lawn for my steamer chairs!

any advice please?
many thanks
lynne

 

You arent going to have to worry about the fence for ages. If you are worried about it though, dont plant climbers and if you plant shrubs dont let them grow too big. Remember that if you plant lots of herbaceous plants they will die back in winter giving you a chance to get to the fence.