10 Beautiful Garden Fences and Walls
See some of the stylish options for defining your outdoor space
Laura Wheat
12 September 2016
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced in a handsome Edwardian semi on top of a hill.
Houzz UK Contributor. Freelance Journalist and interiors obsessive, newly ensconced... More
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.
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.
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.
Garden Walls: Dry-Stacked Stone Walls Keep Their Place in the Garden
Garden Walls: Dry-Stacked Stone Walls Keep Their Place in the Garden
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.
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.
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.
How to Add a Living Wall
How to Add a Living Wall
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.
The Elegant Exterior: Add a Black Accent
The Elegant Exterior: Add a Black Accent
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.
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.
9. Built-in bench. Let the gentle swish of the grasses lull you to sleep as you relax in this roomy corner. Using the same material for the fence and sofa in this garden means maximum cohesion. Contrast comes in the form of climbers and other informal plantings along the top of the bench, which balance the angular lines.
10. Lots and lots of plants. One of the best things you can do to boost the sense of being secluded among greenery and blooms in your garden is to obscure fences and walls with lots of planting. After all, who wants the boundaries of their space to get more attention than the flowers?
Tell us: Do you have an outstanding garden wall, new or old? We’d love to see a picture in the Comments below.
Houzz TV: 77 Gorgeous Garden Gates
Browse more stories about garden fences
Tell us: Do you have an outstanding garden wall, new or old? We’d love to see a picture in the Comments below.
Houzz TV: 77 Gorgeous Garden Gates
Browse more stories about garden fences
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Some of the houses in the gallery are like small parks!
Sarah Stanley, I love the folly thatched shed you inherited, its quirkiness will bring smiles to whomever visit your garden. Why not enhance its appeal by planting cottage flowers such as foxgloves, hollyhocks, grasses etc. You could transform the inside into a pretty little summer house.
Boutique master bedroom look