Demarcating the boundaries of our properties, the best garden fence ideas are an essential part of homes.
With a wide range of garden fence ideas on offer, there is so much a well-chosen garden fence can do for your outdoor space. Style is just as important as the quality, so choosing the right material to fit your other backyard ideas is essential.
'Large features like fences also underpin or can dictate a particular design style or theme, so it's important to get them right,' says gardening expert Matt James. Once you've chosen the right design for your space, learning how to build a fence for your backyard will enable you to bring your favorite garden fence ideas to life.
Inspiring Garden Fence Ideas
Picket or rustic post and rail garden fence ideas suit more traditional country schemes. A woven willow fence has a natural, rustic look, whereas crisp horizontal louvered fencing complements more modern or urban designs. However, there is much more to choosing garden fence ideas than selecting a design you like.
Installing a fence is a great garden privacy idea, but also, according to experts, one of the best home security tips. 'Before you build a new fence, there are several key things to consider. Why are you installing it? Is it for privacy, security, to restrict children, pets or livestock, or simply to demarcate your space from your neighbors?' explains gardening expert Matt James. 'Being clear on this will determine the height, material, construction, required degree of privacy of any boundary, and, of course, the price.'
Fences also offer a more practical and cost-effective alternative to both garden wall ideas and the best privacy hedges and will require minimal maintenance for a number of years.
1. Go Classic With A Picket Fence
(Image credit: Future/Clive Nichols)
Given their low height, picket fences are the classic choice for front gardens. They add to the curb appeal of your front yard landscaping ideas and offer protection as they enable you to see beyond your home's border. Furthermore, they won't block the sightlines of pedestrians and drivers – often a law requirement. Complete the look by pairing your picket fence with garden gate ideas.
Picket fences are traditionally made from wood – typically painted white – though there has recently been a rise in low-maintenance vinyl designs. Installing a vinyl fence is much easier than the wooden or metal equivalents and requires very little maintenance.
2. Choose Hit And Miss Fence To Avoid Having The Best Side
(Image credit: Jacksons Fencing)
One of the primary motivations for installing garden fence ideas is to improve your garden privacy. Traditional fences have a good side and a bad side, and it is common courtesy that the 'good' finished side faces your neighbor's garden, with the 'bad side' facing your own. However, it's unlikely that you'll want the 'bad' side impacting your carefully curated flower bed ideas – especially when you paid for the fence – and this can cause disputes between neighbors.
Avoid potential conflict by opting for hit-and-miss fencing. Designed to look great from both sides, the fence's slatted design allows air to pass through the gaps, making it more durable during windy weather.
3. Consider Wildlife When Opting For Your Fences
(Image credit: Tamsyn Morgans)
Consider wildlife when choosing your garden boundaries. Hedges are the ultimate boundary for wildlife garden ideas and suit a cottage-style garden. Opt for plants like hawthorn and box, and you'll see them buzzing with wildlife come spring. However, hedges can be expensive to plant and will require maintenance.
Wooden fences offer another natural choice. 'One of the most important aspects is to ensure that wildlife can move freely between gardens, so leaving a gap under fences or cutting a hole around the side of a CD in the base of the fence is important,' explains Stuart Edmunds, mammal expert at Shropshire Wildlife Trust.
4. Replace Your Fence With A Work Of Art
(Image credit: Stark & Greensmith)
Fences don't have to be made of wood. In fact, many alternative materials let you get a little more creative with your garden boundaries.
One of our favorite garden fence ideas is Corten steel, available in various styles and colors. Designed to naturally weather, the finished look of a Corten steel fence will look unique to your garden and the climate in which you live – giving a textured and natural look that is sure to complement your garden decorating ideas.
5. Add A Fence Around Your Pool
(Image credit: Aquaview)
If you have a pool, then pool fence ideas are a must. In some parts of the country, they are a legal requirement, but even if they are optional where you live, they are a great way to ensure your home is safe. We love the idea of adding a glass fence to your pool patio ideas. Not only does it make the space safer, but it also helps to zone your garden without compromising the aesthetics of your space.
6. Use Fencing As A Backdrop For Built-In Seating
(Image credit: Future)
Horizontal fencing makes a sleek modern backdrop to this built-in outdoor seating area.
It has an enclosed feel in the corner of the garden due to the addition of a pergola.
One of our favorite fence decorating ideas. There are so many stylish pergola ideas that can provide shade and vertical interest in the garden, while this scheme gives a sense of a room outdoors.
Integral raised beds filled with low-maintenance evergreens and climbing plants give the cozy corner a relaxing feel.
Finish off with hanging lighting and an outdoor fire to keep the atmosphere going into the evening.
7. Add Low Trellis Fencing For A Cottage Garden Look
(Image credit: Joe Wainwright)
If you are adding fencing but want to retain the view, then low-level trellis ideas are one of the best garden fence ideas for a traditional scheme.
A trellis design is also the perfect complement to your cottage garden ideas, allowing you to define an area while supporting and displaying beautiful plants.
'There are lots of different styles, colors, and finishes available; just carefully note the size of the holes before you buy,' says James.
'The wider the gaps are, the more you can see behind unless you allow climbers to scramble up through, which for many is exactly the point of using them.'
8. Integrate A Water Feature Into Your Fence
(Image credit: Malcolm Menzies)
Add a unique design feature to the garden with a statement water feature integrated into the fence.
Water feature ideas are a fantastic way of introducing water to a yard that isn't large enough for a pond.
With its minimalist horizontal panels, this louver fence feels sleek and modern, making it a calming backdrop for the sight and sound of trickling water. It's reminiscent of zen Japanese garden ideas.
The plumbing is hidden behind the fence, so it's also an elegant solution.
9. Build A Ranch-Style Post And Rail Fence
(Image credit: Polly Eltes)
The classic post and rail fence is an easy, cost-effective solution to adding a boundary to your yard.
Traditionally used for containing livestock, this style of the fence has all the charm of a country ranch. But, crucially, it doesn't impede views, making it perfect if your property borders an attractive area, such as woodland.
It's also great if you have a huge yard to fence off.
10. Break Up Your Fence With A Living Panel
(Image credit: Leigh Clapp)
You may have seen living wall ideas, but did you know the solution can also be applied to garden fences?
'Living green walls are common in towns, with plants growing to cover expanses of concrete and stretching to the sky in the urban environment. They are also increasingly being used in the home garden to transform walls and fences,' says gardening expert Leigh Clapp.
'Greening up the vertical plane is especially useful in small gardens, courtyards, and balconies to use every perspective.'
To replicate this idea, you need to attach a green wall pocket system to your fence – these are available at Amazon. This can then be densely planted with long-living evergreens. Remember that they need to be planted with shallow roots, as space will be limited.
11. Enclose An Outdoor Dining Area With A Low Fence
(Image credit: Polly Eltes)
As well as defining the borders of your yard, a garden fence can also be used to restrict a patio or boost your outdoor dining ideas.
Designing your garden this way makes seating areas feel more secluded and gives a visual break on the landscape.
A low, open fence is ideal for maintaining views while also helping to support tall plants, although a louvered or close-panel fence allows for denser planting or even the addition of raised beds.
12. Make A Plant Theater Display For Your Fence
(Image credit: Future)
Fences don't have to be plain, unimaginative expanses. Bring them to life with climbing plants or, as in this design, a plant theater.
Painted to match the fence, the theater can display small potted plants, such as traditional primula auriculas – popular in the Victorian era – succulents or herbs.
Using terracotta pots adds a warm, rustic feel to the display.
13. Set Up Horizontal Louvered Fencing
(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)
Make a statement with horizontal louvered screening instead of a traditional fence. It creates a designer look commonplace in show gardens, and the timbers are ideal for supporting plants.
'If a solid fence would block out too much sun or you just want to create a little shade and privacy for a garden dining space, contemporary louvers are ideal,' says James.
'They let in light and offer privacy while blocking views, but unlike trellis, they're visually more substantial.'
Horizontal screens often go to the ground, but they can also add height to an existing wall.
If budgets are tight, there's no need to install this fencing on every boundary; you could incorporate it into your patio ideas or use it close to the house.
Use fencing like this to disguise untidy or unloved areas of the garden – it's ideal for hiding recycling bins, compost heaps, and the like.
14. Install Vertical Fencing
(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton )
A sturdy, mid-budget option, individual vertical timbers are attached one at a time to cross-supports. It eliminates gaps and is one of the best garden ideas for privacy. It also allows you to custom-build to fill whatever space you have.
Cut down on labor costs by buying pre-made panels. Attach them to timber posts in the same way as any other fence panel.
If you want to add an element of greenery to your garden fence ideas, you can attach wire or mesh to the fence to support climbing plants or trees and give a distinctly modern feel.
15. Consider Trellis Options
(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford)
Panels with integrated trellis ideas might offer slightly less privacy initially. Still, the open, airy feel is undeniably elegant and perfect in small gardens, and if you can borrow a view from beyond, your space will feel larger, too.
They also present an ideal opportunity for climbers to interweave and create a more natural, green screen from neighbors.
You could, of course, simply top a standard-height fence panel or wall with a trellis. This adds height without compromising too much on the light.
Either way, once climbers are established and growing, they will break up the look of the solid wood and help the fence to merge with the rest of the garden.
16. Think About Windier Days
(Image credit: Future / Colin Poole)
Unless you have a sheltered garden, a solid fence will suffer more than those with open trelliswork.
The wind can blow through the holes of the trellis rather than battering it – which will ultimately weaken the fence.
If the wind has already wreaked havoc on your garden fence ideas, discover how to fix a leaning fence with our expert guide.
17. Add A Coat Of Paint
(Image credit: Little Greene)
Outdoor paint will not only make your garden fence ideas look good, but it will give the timber added protection, too.
When painting a fence, there are plenty of colors to choose from, but wood generally looks better in more natural shades. Pale colors will lighten a dark garden, while darker colors allow the fence to fade into the background and make a great backdrop to planting. When choosing your garden color schemes, be sure that you know which fence colors to avoid.
18. Go For An Entirely Natural Garden Fence
(Image credit: Future / Brent Darby)
Create a rustic cottage look with willow fencing. It has the feel of traditional wattle but the strength of a modern panel and makes a beautiful backdrop for most plants.
Willow hurdles and framed willow or hazel screens offer a more natural look and suit informal garden settings, but they may not be as strong (or last as long) as a pressure-treated timber panel.
However, these natural woven fences are made from cuttings that encourage growth, making this an environmentally sustainable choice.
19. Choose A Tried-And-Tested Shiplap Design
(Image credit: Jenny Reimold)
Shiplap is the most popular type of ready-made fence panel, offering good value and plenty of sizes. It is usually supported by concrete or timber posts and must regularly be treated with a wood preserver.
If your current shiplap design looks a little tired, give it a makeover by painting it in a distinctive color with themed planting.
20. Create A Boundary With An Evergreen Hedge
(Image credit: Future / Mark Bolton)
Evergreens are perfect for creating a boundary for your property and making the best privacy hedges; the permanent leaf cover of evergreen hedges can do a great job of keeping humans and animals out (or in) if you're not partial to a traditional fence or wall.
Evergreens come in all shapes and sizes – from the tiniest alpines to the tallest trees, so you'll have no trouble finding one (or many) to suit your plot.
What Is The Best Fence For A Garden?
The best fence for a garden is one that will suit your surroundings but also fits in with your chosen design aesthetic.
Privacy is a key consideration when considering garden fence ideas, as are aesthetics – is there a neighboring building or shed that you want to screen off? How high can you go?
While there are many things to consider, it is worth starting with suitable materials.
We suggest using fencing materials best suited to your garden style. For example, use stone, concrete, and sleek wood panels for urban gardens and willow, timber, and hedges for traditional or cottage-style gardens.
How Can I Make A Garden Fence Look Good?
It is incredibly easy to make garden fence ideas look good, no matter your budget.
If you inherit fences that you don't like the look of but don't have the budget to replace, do not despair. Instead, consider it a planting opportunity and look to flower bed ideas.
Chain link fences make great trellises; plant a vigorous ramping rose with honeysuckle and evergreen clematis. Your unattractive fence will soon disappear under a fragrant wild boundary that wildlife and birds will enjoy.
Maintenance is another important factor to consider if you want to keep your fence looking a good many years from now. Give fences an annual check for loose boards, panels, or posts that need repairing.
While most fencing material is pressure-treated wood, it can help prolong your fences' life if you apply an excellent timber care treatment.
What Can I Use Instead Of A Fence?
If traditional garden fence ideas are not on your bucket list, fret not. There are many other options you might want to consider if you want to create a boundary.
A living screen and archway in the form of scented climbers make for an informal border in a country-style garden.
'Wirework trellis panels offer the best support for plants to grow, creating an evergreen boundary that doubles as a habitat for birds, butterflies, and bees,' says Hilary Thurman of Garden Requisites. Wildlife-friendly varieties include dog roses, honeysuckles, and wisteria.
What Is The Cheapest Fencing Option?
'For those on a budget, traditional horizontal waney edge (lap) or vertical feather edge or close board panels, available at your local DIY store, are the cheapest option – certainly for long runs in the back yard,' says James.
'However, only choose these if you plan to partially obscure them with planting in front or train evergreen climbing plants up and over the top as they aren't the most aesthetically pleasing designs.'
If yours is a garden design where you are likely to see a lot of the boundary, it's essential to choose something that won't be an eyesore.
Another great option is installing a chain and link fence, which is affordable and easy to achieve.
Read more: What Is The Cheapest Fence To Install?
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