White fence..did we make a mistake? Help!!!

7 years ago

Hi all, we've got a small sized garden (approx 8x10m) with a downwards going slope at the back..
Initially we thought we might leave it as it is, as we just moved in and lawn is newly laid and looks like a nice mini football field.
But recently we got an idea to plant the slope up with cottage-style plants and turn this empty space in a wonderful almost evergreen and constantly blooming country garden..
Not sure why, but we started by painting the fence in cuprinol's pale jasmine and noticed how clean the fence started looking..but comparing it with the previous brown stained fence version I'm not sure anymore if we did a right thing!!!
Second night in row I can't sleep properly as I'm so confused and scared that our plan won't work...were even not sure if we will manage to grow plants on that slope!!!
Please help us by providing your thoughts and ideas for our garden..do you think we're going the right way? Or should we repaint the fence? Would we be able to create a nice display at the back and a bit on the sides? I'm seriously freaking out...!
Garden is west facing..and I'm adding some photos for your judgement, even though it's not finished yet. Thanks a lot in advance!!

Featured Answer

eve
Original Author

7 years ago

Hello everyone!
So I posted once and for some reason it didn't save...hence posting again!
It's been a while since we started out white fence project and after so many opinions and great advice received I just wanted to share our garden so far :) I still need to do some tidying up, but here it is as of now ☺️xx

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Comments (80)

eve
Original Author
7 years ago
Lovely fence and garden!! Thank you for sharing!

We just contacted the company we bought our house from and they told us to read a transfer document regarding planting...apparently there is a protective strip going at the back and on the right hand side of the garden...and we can not plant deep rooting shrubs or trees there!!!
Has anyone had similar problems?
What are deep rooting plants? How do I know if climbing rose or clematis is deep rooting or not??
I'm so confused right now...
Don't wanna get in trouble for trying to make our garden nicer!!!
credz4
7 years ago
Hi again, I used to do conveyancing many moons ago and these kind of clauses were quite common on new build estates. Such as you can't put a boundary fence above a certain height at the front or not park work vans etc....its mostly to do with uniformity and to prevent the look of the new estate being littered by vans etc... there is also quite often a time limit on these clauses so it might say for the first 7 years or until 2017. I would imagine that if there is such a clause it would be to prevent you planting something like conifer tree hedging and spoiling the view for the neighbours. However, if you have the documents yourself you might try reading through them to see if you can find the clause and decipher it. Alternatively its a phone call to your conveyancing solicitor and they will either be able to tell you or will spin off a quick letter to the vendors solicitor to clarify what they consider deep rooted trees and shrubs and as to the reason why. Your solicitor should be bound by due diligence so doubt if they would charge you for a quick letter. Whatever the outcome I think it safe to say you can plant your clematis.
eve thanked credz4
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PRO
Studio Trench
7 years ago
garden designers often say paint the back wall dark - it shows off the planting much better. White is also a colour not found often in nature, but black is ..
eve thanked Studio Trench
PRO
The Plant Pot Shop
7 years ago
I think the white looks lovely, and will be especially helpful on the north side of the garden as it will reflect light. You could plant some red stemmed dogwoods up against the fence at the back of your borders. They're not very exciting in the summer but in the winter those bare red stems will pop out in front of the white fence and will look absolutely stunning. Cut them back down to the ground each late winter/early spring and they'll grow back almost 2m each summer for your winter display. They're really immune to harsh treatment so any stray branches growing in the wrong direction for your border can be lopped off and the plant will just shoot some more from somewhere else.The intensity of stem colour varies from plant to plant, so I really recommend buying them in winter so that you can see that you are getting the hottest red possible. Plant them where they'll catch the winter morning sun and you'll have a gorgeous breakfast view. I grabbed this from google images - just imagine how lovely they would be against a white background.
Have fun planting !
eve thanked The Plant Pot Shop
Becky
7 years ago
I have just done the same, and while we were painting it, it was scary! However now it's finished and we have started out plants in, it looks fab!! Keep going and have faith in your decision!! It will be gorgeous once you have finished the whole of it!!
eve thanked Becky
PRO
Landscape Design by James Brunton-Smith Limited
7 years ago
I am a big fan of painted fences and the lift they give a small garden, the only downside I can see to them is the need to refresh the colour every so often.

Planting a cottage style garden in front on the slope will be enhanced so much more with the pale backdrop, maybe avoid planting any climbers directly on the fence and focus on a palette of wall shrubs and perennials. Good Luck!
eve thanked Landscape Design by James Brunton-Smith Limited
eve
Original Author
7 years ago
credz4, you are absolutely right! we have some restrictions applicable and I checked with our solicitors..they advise us to avoid shrubs, especially bigger ones, also we can't dig deeper than 60cm and plants shouldn't exceed 3m in height, so I guess we will go for clematis, climbing rose and some other shallow rooted plants..I really wanted to plant a pink peony too, but need to check if it may cause any damage to the pipes underground etc...oh, so much to research!

That dogwood looks stunning, but now with these restrictions I will need to be extra careful with whatever we choose!

Can't wait to finish painting and start getting really dirty haha :)

Oh, also we had some rain recently and I was watching the white parts of the fence closely, as Steve Burland Architecture mentioned that it may stain due to previous preservative used. I noticed that rain drops on the fence was a little brownish colour, but very very light and when the sun came out it seems that they have bleached or blended back..so so far I am happy about it. We will see for how long it will keep it's original whiteness :)

I really think this white fence is growing on me.. I am still not sure why we even touched this fence in the first place, but when I look at it now and imagine all of the flourishing colourful plants you all mentioned, I just can't wait!
credz4
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Hi Eve, Think pots! Bigger shrubs can often be grown in big pots....even the smaller cherry trees and viburnum will do great in big pots. Go really glamorous and get shiny pots for fab reflections of all your other lower growing plants. And stick in some classical garden ornaments or urns. Plus solar lights for night time glow against the fence.
eve
Original Author
7 years ago
Great idea! Need to think about their support due to the slope at the back..it's actually approx 2-2.4m deep, but sloping only by 0.5m..my border edge with a lawn would be the 'horizon' before the ground level starts going downwards..so I was thinking of planting some lavender and other lower plants there, then gradually increasing plant height towards the fence with climbers going on and above it...so glad it's finally a weekend and I can spare some time sketching etc!

Also, not sure if I can mix pots with plants planted in the ground..wouldn't they look a bit odd?..or maybe I could...hmm
PRO
The Plant Pot Shop
7 years ago
I often use pots alongside things in the ground. It's a quick way to play with heights, without waiting for stuff to grow. And you can pop them into empty patches in the borders to make them look abundant all year round.
PRO
User
7 years ago
Hi Eve think the pale jasmine was a really good choice and looks great. Everyone has given lots of good ideas, when you've finished it will look fantastic - carry on the good work!!
Sven
7 years ago
White will certainly bounce the light around, which is good. I personally prefer black fencing as it sets off plants perfectly and make a fence disappear as our eyes tend to ignore black. With white we 'see' it stand out more.
helen m.
7 years ago
Hi Eve, I personally agree with some of the other posters to paint the fence a dark colour. Like cuprinol's 'holly'. It is a dark bluish green and blends in beautiful with plants. I live in the country (Ireland) and have painted 3 sheds with this colour. In a small garden a dark colour will hide the boundaries of your garden and make it appear bigger. Looking at your pictures again, it seems like there are (birch ?) trees planted behind your fence. If your fence was a darker colour, your boundary would disappear and make it look like those trees were part of YOUR garden and thus make it seem larger if you planted some shrubs (deciduous and evergreen) in front of the fence. Also, a darker color would offset blossoms (think white, pink, blue, purple) much better. It won't show dirt or the wearing off of the paint as much either. As far as planting, make sure you include at least ONE tree in the garden. Some of the nicest smaller and slower growing trees are Amelanchier lamarkii 'Ballerina' (beautiful white spring blossoms, fabulous red-orange autumn colour ), Acer griseum (cinnamon peeling bark and red autumn colour), Sorbus hupehensis or commixa (spring bossoms , pink berries in autum and also autumn colour) . If you put these along the fence, you could also hide an unpleasant view, or a neighbour who can overlook your garden. Just make sure, you leave some space between the tree and the fence, so that the tree can expand. That way you also add some height, which again, makes the garden optically larger. There are also larger shrubs to consider ( flowering dogwoods, Cornus kousa, Arbutus unedo ect.) These can then be underplanted with perennials. Don't forget to add some evergreen plants, so there is some winter interest, many gardens look bare for 6 months of the year. Lots of choices. You could also ask for advice in the garden section. Good luck!
PRO
Anna Finnegan Design
7 years ago
I love a painted fence.
However I would say going darker in colour might be a better option ,simply because the bright paint will reflect more light creating quite a lot of glare...the plants are what's on show not the fence!
Julie Horobin
7 years ago
I think with a second coat the pale colour will look fab also agree with other some orange flowering plants or a couple of red bushes or Acer tree, only reservation is the maintance in keeping it look clean
credz4
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago

Maybe don't keep it clean, have the distressed look. A darker fence entails keeping the birds off it as they make a bit of a mess. I think when your plants start to grow, you will like it. This is my white (magnolia) wall with Euphorbia chameleon against it and a hebe behind them. The trellis is painted in a blue grey dulux paint. Its been done a year now and is weathering nicely. Eve, the top picture is mostly pots, dig a hole and just put the pot in it the orange and red heuchera pots are hidden by silver lamium planted in front.
eve
Original Author
7 years ago
Guys! Gardeners! Do you think this kind of border would look good? Would these plants be ok for a west facing garden?? I really like it and hope we can use this as a guidance for our garden on a marked space!!?!
Plan is here in pdf:
http://jinnyblom.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Gardens-Illustrated-June-2009.pdf
eve
Original Author
7 years ago
Forgot to add that we are thinking of adding a row of grey trellis for clematis there ;)
househund
7 years ago
I like it... Plants with silver foliage would look great...Looks more modern painted.
joolslashley
7 years ago
It looks beautiful. Lovely planting and I love the shape of the bed
househund
7 years ago
Looking Good.....
teenytinyhouse
7 years ago
LOVE the white, and pale jasmine is gorgeous. If you were worried about it "glaring", you could try hanging some outdoor bunting or fairy lights with colourful bulbs (visible in daylight) or something like that along the top of the fence? Outdoor bunting is easy to knock up out of oilcloth - I used a torn oilcloth table cover! :)
Lynn Robbo
7 years ago
I like it X
Patrina
7 years ago
Pale Jasmine is fab once you get a few coats on it makes your Garden crisper and steps the boring old green and brown fence. I think my DIY garden gate looks fab in pale Jasmine.
Helen Brown
7 years ago
Hi Eve...Dont know if you'll see this post but I love your fence. I am hoping to do my fence that colour too and am even more encouraged having seen your posts. Im curious to know what colour you painted your shed (if any) as we have one i'd like to paint, I just worry if I paint the same as the fence (pale jasmine) it will look daft. I hope not. If you have done yours pale jasmine would you mind posting a pic please?
eve
Original Author
7 years ago
Hi Helen, of course I see your comment!! Glad you like it :) I think we got used to it already and it seems that I couldn't have it in any other colour! Although I'm still thinking that maybe it would be worth painting back part in grey (and trellis in white) :) but I will wait for the spring to decide on that. Now that plants are thriving we can barely see the back end of it, but I still wonder how it will look like in Autumn/winter.
Unfortunately we didn't manage to paint our she's yet, as were thinking to replace it, but ran out of time this year, so this will be our project for the next year I guess :) we painted our planters in grey, and they look really nice (matches with trellis) but I think we may consider light blue or green colours for the shed..don't want it looking very same as the fence! Anyway, please post your pictures once you start with you project!!! I'm adding a couple more recent ones :)
Helen Brown
7 years ago
Thanks for replying. Your garden looks absolutely beautiful. I love the dark blue/grey of the planters. I'm inspired!
Amy Brook
7 years ago
This is lovely. In Aus we think of the "English cottage garden" as having a white timber fence so I was really surprised by yard after yard of brown stain
PRO
The Property Rental Group
7 years ago
Bit Late but incase you are thinking of another change . I would ad a black Charcoal to the joints beams going across online to break the solidness.
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The Property Rental Group
7 years ago
Thank eve for the Like
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Helen Brown
6 years ago
You've inspired me! One coat of Pale Jasmine so far....2nd coming soon.
tezz4
6 years ago
I love this - the white fence has brightened up the space. In this case a dark fence would have oppressed and closed you in. This is now begging for a Mediterranean/Mykonos look! Go for two tone grey blue for the shed and train a climber up one wall from the grey planters. Use your existing patio furniture with touches of blues for cushions and a rug as well as ceramic stools for pops of colour. Hanging baskets and lanterns would lift the visual interest upward too. I would also add a focal point or three with some wall tile in blues. You could punctuate the fence with a variety of sizes of blue wall plates at different heights. I'm posting a few pics for inspiration.
eve
Original Author
6 years ago
Looks great Helen!!! Well done!! I hope you are very happy with it! ;)
I still love our white fence, even though it looks a bit washed after a year, but it always lifts the mood and feels fresh! Even on a rainy day it reflects some light into the room too!
Was thinking of updating our garden furniture (planning to make my own garden furniture cushions), so hope by midsummer or so will be able to share some of our pics ;)
Helen Brown
6 years ago
Still lots to do to the garden...fence is only stage one but already love how the colour of my container plants pop against the white background.
nicoletteeve
4 years ago
Both black and white fences are beautiful imo. Although I think white fences look stunning with climbing roses or shrubs in pinks and purples. Blacks are great for foliage and architectural plants. Cottage planting works fab with white fences.
Maths Wife
4 years ago
POST 2 YRS OLD
Marta Benduska
4 years ago
Hi, I'm so happy that found this post. I love your white fence idea. Was looking for an inspiration and found it. Your garden looks lovely x
Cheryl Bartley
3 years ago
I have painted my backyard fence in white and I love it. It opens up the space since the yard is small
Marie Haggarty
3 years ago
I did my fence pale it looked lovely. The previous panels were so different styles and age and it tied them all together.
Marie Haggarty
3 years ago
And thank you Simon @silkenshovel garden design studio
Donna
3 years ago
While white fencing isn't for me in a back garden, I have seen loads of pics here on Houzz with white fences and, although they mostly seem to be over in the USA (let's face it - they tend to have better daylight in parts of North America than we do in the UK) I do like the look of it, though. I especially like the whitewash appearance if you're going for a Cottage Garden as it adds a weathered appeal. I went for black in my garden which looks pretty stylish, especially with the greens and whites in front of it.

I used to live in a house with a roof terrace and we were advised at the time to not use white on the inside of the parapet walls as it would glare too much. The chosen option for the wall was pale grey (before it was fashionable) and it worked really well. For this reason, I wouldn't have gone for white fence or white furniture.
163 hrd
3 years ago
White is a mistake.
connie minton
3 years ago
I think it looks great - how about a fruit tree espalier at the back to break it up a bit and use the slope and then plant some cottage style beds in front of it and around it?
Jacqueline Chance
3 years ago
I personally like the light coloured fence it makes it open and airy. Will also mask bird dropping from our feathered visitors on the fence. Have you thought about climbers on the fence or maybe trained fruit trees to make it a 'useful' area as well? How much sun does it get? Providing the ground is well drained and fed I would imagine anything will grow there. As long as it is watered too as new plants need water when first planted. By adding a mirror or a 'feature' at the back it could become a focal point in your garden. Nothing better than a blank canvas to start with. Have fun.
Elizabeth Murray
2 months ago
Do you all think that I should paint my fence white?
patsylou15
2 months ago
Absolutely yes! Your plants will stand out and be more of a feature. It's a lovely contemporary looking garden and this would give a more cohesive . Of course it depends on the look you are after. My garden is much smaller but I wanted a modern looking Mediterranean style and painting the fences white did that.
pmasmith3
2 months ago
An alternative would be a black or anthracite grey fence! Very contemporary and plants would pop against it.