By Laura Wheat, Houzz
Getting the right balance between privacy and an overbearing wall or fence can be tricky. It’s best to consider your options from the start rather than searching for a solution after you’ve finished the garden. If possible, establish your boundaries and responsibilities by looking at the house deeds and discussing issues with neighbors early on. Once that’s done, you can get your fence installed and walls built without damaging new planting. This will give your garden a chance to grow, softening the lines of any additions as early as next spring.
Beautiful Garden Gates to Inspire Your Own
StuartBarr Construction Design Renovation, original photo on Houzz
1. Wide planks. A warm-toned cedar fence provides a relaxed backdrop for this romantic outdoor space. Wide wooden planks with large gaps between them create an effect that’s less graphic than narrower styles and more in keeping with this cottage-style planting.
Nest Design & Build, original photo on Houzz
2. Dry stone. The gentle curve of a pale Cotswold stone wall offsets naturalistic planting with ease. Here, a floating bench in the same wood as the deck has been incorporated into the wall’s construction.
OneAbode Landscape Design, original photo on Houzz
3. Monochrome color. An all-gray palette lets lush greenery take center stage in this courtyard retreat. Walls and fences painted the same shade, with matching paving, make the garden’s boundaries one with the design.
Create a Dreamy Garden of Your Own
Guttfield Architecture, original photo on Houzz
4. Horizontal lines. This garden in Berkshire, England, is all about a linear structure contrasted with natural planting. The horizontal, narrow-slatted cedar fence draws the eye down the garden, making it appear longer, while soft grasses break up the strict form.
The Garden Builders, original photo on Houzz
5. Living green. Explore otherwise empty vertical space in a small courtyard with high walls. Here, layers of wall-mounted troughs are filled to the brim with foliage to create a vertical garden. Outside lights on long arms ensure that the display is just as stunning after hours.
John Davies Landscape, original photo on Houzz
6. Dark shades. Dark paints are de rigueur for exteriors this year, highlighting plants to perfection. Sultry shades also make walls recede: Use deep gray, dark navy or black if you want to blur the divisions on bare concrete block or give new life to an old fence.
Elayne Barre Photography, original photo on Houzz
7. Mediterranean magic. Raised walls make use of the available space in this cute courtyard. There’s even an inset fireplace to warm up chilly evenings. Masses of lavender create a fragrant oasis, while a pile of pallets, smartened up with a custom glass top, is used as a rustic table for the cozy corner bench.
KR Garden Design, original photo on Houzz
8. Beautiful brick. An old brick wall brightened by flowers and warmed by the sun makes a pleasing setting for outdoor dining. This charming garden keeps things simple with ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas and neat boxwood balls in terra-cotta pots.
