Roger Davies
Simple Ways to Beautify Fences in Your Landscape
Fences! Whether wood or chain link, they’re a cross between the good, the bad and the ugly. The good part is that they serve a useful purpose. They define property lines, keep pets and children in, and riff-raff out. But they’re not always the most attractive. Yet, there it is, right in your line of sight. Is there a way to beautify fences in your landscape? The answer is, Yes!
Maybe you haven’t given much thought to the fence. You’re not alone. Many homeowner’s view the fence as something outside of the landscape, not a part of it. Many of us have beautiful backyards and gardens. But truth-be-told, we’re less than enthusiastic about the fence. Why? Well, for one thing, fences are a huge visual. When you look out the window into the back yard, what do you see?
You can tell folks are not exactly in love with their fences by the ways they attempt to cover it up and hide it. They plant tall flowers or shrubs in front of it. Some put up a trellis and train a climbing vine across it. Others plant a hedge to make an ugly fence less visible.
Since fences are just going to be in view, why not find ways to draw them into the landscape with a little imagination? Because fences are costly and labor intensive to replace, I’m a firm believer in finding alternatives that might work out even better. Here are some ideas to consider for wood and chain link fences that won’t break the bank.
Wood fences in your landscape
Paint
From boring to “wow”, a coat of paint is a quick and easy solution that makes a yard or garden spring to life. It’s common to associate a white color with a picket fence. But a vibrant primary color is so cheerful and inviting. It just might be the change you’re looking for.
HOA and Codes: Depending on where you live, there may be certain codes or ordinances that have standards for house colors or certain styles of fences. Honestly, most of us don’t pay much attention to stuff like that until we want to do a project. So, before you get going, please check your local HOA.
Add an interesting feature
This is my 2nd favorite fix for wood fences in your landscape. A fence is nothing more than a blank slate for a touch of art! In the picture above, your eye goes straight to the bicycle and the flowers as the fence fades into the background.
More significantly, hanging something on a fence does a number of other cool things as well:
- breaks up a straight line
- provides contrast (3-D effect)
- Source of color and texture
- Interesting focal point
What to hang on a wood fence?
If you’re in a situation where you can’t paint your fence, or an HOA insists the fence must be a natural wood-stain color, then perhaps the solution is in decoration. Think of things you might already have at home that tie into the theme or “look” you want for the garden.
If you’re the crafty type, paint bird houses multiple colors and hang them up along the fence. Use lettering to create a word or phrase. Treat the fence like a wall of your house and put up some floating shelves or shadow boxes for flower pots or other garden decor. Thrift store picture frames of various sizes can be spray painted to create a geometric design for the more modern garden.
Into vintage? Spray-painted bicycles are popular as fence decor as are old garden tools and plastic dish flowers. If you have a lot of foliage in your yard, an old mirror hung up on the fence reflects the greenery around it. Another fun feature is to make a vignette (small groupings) using an old window–doesn’t even need the glass to get the point across! Pair it with a window box and maybe a vintage watering can. A tea pot would look charming nestled in among those flowers (below)
What about a mural?
When it comes to making your garden a more fun and inviting place to spend time, a wood fence is your friend! Put something on it worth seeing! Let it be the one thing that breathes some fresh air in the backyard. It is, after all, the first thing you see.
Chain link fences in your landscape
Chain link is probably the most common fence. It’s incredibly durable, and because its galvanized, it doesn’t rust. Unlike wood, it doesn’t rot or require painting or staining. Chain link is popular because it doesn’t require much upkeep.
But, they’re not all that attractive. Some people use them to stake peas, clematis or other plants that have a tendency to vine. Others plant hedges in front of them to hide an unsightly chain link fence.
Can you paint a chain link fence?
As I was in the process of developing this article, I did a little research to find out what, if anything, could be done to enhance the appearance of a chain link fence. I learned that yes, they can be painted, though its a bit of an ordeal.
I was kind of impressed with the results. Painted with a flat black gives the fence a more formal, up-scale look similar to wrought iron. A dark color will ‘recess’ or disappear into the background and is not as noticeable. That being said, Make it a Garden is about “simple paths to inviting places” and painting a galvanized chain link fence didn’t fit the definition of “simple”. Plus, it wasn’t as cost effective as it sounds.
To have the finished work really look nice and have some longevity, considerable prep work has to happen. First, you need to power wash the fence which means renting equipment or paying someone to do it. (it’s not a given DIY for everyone!) Next, a galvanized fence must be treated with a vinegar solution or similar product so the paint will adhere well to the surface.
Pick your color (make sure it’s a paint made for galvanized metal fencing) and apply paint to both sides with a roller. Do not use spray paint. You’ll waste a lot of paint with over spray.
A better solution for chain link: Try this instead!
Here is perhaps, the very best solution to beautify chain link fences in your landscape. One that meets our definition of “simple” and affordable. It involves fastening wooden fence panels over the metal framework as a veneer. This project is doable, cost effective, surprisingly easy and the results are very nice. Makes it look like you had a whole new fence put in. Additionally, you could even paint or stain the wood panels for a little more pizzazz.
Disclaimer: This exceptional 5 minute video demo was produced by realtor Tracy Ferguson, who gave ‘Make it a Garden’ permission to use it in this post. I do not know the Fergusons personally and the use of the video is not intended to be an endorsement.
Get Creative!
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