Decorative & Functional Garden Fence Ideas
A great garden fence does more for your home than just marking property lines. They offer you fantastic opportunities to create a socializing space or to reaffirm your personal aesthetic through endless garden fence ideas. Whether you want a natural, lived-in, rustic area or a chic and worldly sensibility, the options are endless.
On top of being practical and stylish, garden fences can help you transform the outdoor space completely, with so many designs and materials that you can use. Here are a few design ideas to help you get started on your garden fence journey.
We believe the following five tips are flexible enough to be enjoyed on their own or to expand into full-fledged garden transformation projects. Whether you choose one or the other, it’s time to show your garden fences some love!
1. Add A Fence Topper
Fence toppers are a fantastic way of extending the height of your garden fence while boosting their visual appeal, all in a very cost-effective manner. Fence topper designs range from simple patterns to very ornate and striking ones, which allows you to get creative when ordering or installing them. Also, you can choose fence toppers made from a different material than your fence, creating a nice aesthetic contrast for your vegetable garden. Which leads us to our next idea.
2. Combine Different Garden Fence Materials
Why limit yourself to a uniform look all across your garden when you can express yourself to the fullest by combining materials in your garden fence? Think of the strengths of each material (wood, vinyl, stone, metal, etc.) and how they play off each other when used in the same project. Stone and wood, metal and wood, metal and brick, you name it. However, don’t let your garden fence look too busy by mixing too many materials, find a sweet spot that suits your garden well.
3. Create A “Living Fence”
Why choose a normal garden fence at all? If you want a sort of fairytale look for your garden (particularly if you’re dealing with a smaller garden space), a living fence, also known as a lived fence, is such a beautiful way to add more green without taking up too much space. Just add plants to a fence that can accommodate them, like a chain link fence or a wooden fence with lattice panels. Climbing ivy is what most people think of when talking about living fences, but that can come with some downsides or be regulated where you live; other options include weaved long grasses, pre-planted herbs or seasonal flowers, and even a wall of trees and stone.
4. Incorporate An Art Element
Adding art to or around your garden fence gives the entire space a more personalized touch — it makes it more yours. The fun (and kind of scary) part is that there’s an essentially limitless amount of options when you want to add art: It could be a mural, a sculpture, a hanging metal design, a wooden structure, a flower arrangement, a collection of lights, and that’s just off the top of our heads!
Whatever visual element you’re adding to help your wall pop out a bit more, make sure to use weather resistant materials so that you don’t have to constantly replace them. Other than that, experiment to your heart’s content.
5. Create A Private Corner Inside Your Garden
Since you’re already customizing and decorating your garden fences so much, why not take the time to transform a section of the fence into your own cozy little nook? Using the garden fence itself as a backdrop for a nice sitting area allows for a lot of possibilities, taking up as much space as you want, and allowing you to create that outdoors café aesthetic without leaving your home.
FAQ
1. How Tall Can A Privacy Fence Be?
For most gardens, garden privacy fences that are six feet tall seem to hit that sweet spot between style and functionality. At that height they can block the view from pretty much everyone at ground level without being so tall that they visually shrink the space around you. If you must go taller, a lattice no more than 18 inches long will aid with the blocking without looking as big as a vertical 18 inches. However, these are just suggestions, and some hedge fences will go as tall as 10 feet tall.
2. Is One Type Of Privacy Fences Better Than All Others?
What the “best” privacy fence is for any given home is always what the homeowner wants to accomplish. As long as the fence blocks the view from outside, that’s a successful privacy fence! So what style of fence is “the best” comes down to what you think is the best, which style compliments your existing decor, and what goals you had in mind when starting the project.
3. What Are Privacy Fences Made Of?
While wood is the most common choice of material for privacy fences, there are other alternatives such as vinyl. However, the reason why wood is so popular as a privacy fence material is because of how many advantages it offers; from its flexibility to how easy to repair and customize it is, it’s little wonder why so many designers and homeowners choose wood above all other privacy fence materials. Inversely, wood is also a popular material because of the simplicity and timeless appeal of the classic fence style of a white picket fence; with its clean lines and pointed tops.
4. What Is The Average Cost Of A Privacy Fence?
Privacy fences are so varied and customizable that it’s really hard to lock down a number as the “average cost”. Depending on materials, size, labor, where your home’s located, length, and many more factors, you could be looking at anywhere between $45 to $170 per linear foot. While it’s tempting to cut some costs here and there, we believe that privacy fences are something you really want to splurge on, particularly when it comes to acquiring quality materials.
5. What Can I Use Instead Of A Garden Fence?
If for any reason you’re not convinced by a garden fence, a hedge can essentially double as a property marker and deal about the same amount of privacy if properly cared for. However, take into account all the extra work and maintenance that a hedge will require before committing to one, particularly if they’re free-standing.
6. What Is The Best Kind Of Fence For Property Value?
The answer to this question is the type to change along with the general public’s taste, however, wooden and metal fences tend to be the most evergreen options when it comes to keeping or increasing both the curb appeal and property values of homes. They’re comparatively simple to maintain, have more longevity when properly cared for, and individual sections of them can be replaced with ease if damaged.
Don’t Hesitate to Share Your Ideas with Stand Strong Fencing
At Stand Strong Fencing, our professionals can help you go through several ideas for your new garden fence, offering you our knowledge about what works, what looks best, and how it can improve your property.
This is thanks to the years of experience we have in working with hundreds of homeowners of different tastes, backgrounds, and needs. Contact us today and we can turn garden fence ideas into reality.