Ideas to conceal/hide an unsightly retaining wall in a New build, Narrow garden ( includes an unsigh
Cleostar
Posts: 4
Hello,
I am looking for advice re the design of my garden (almost 2years newbuild)
i would like to keep as much grass as possible as I have 2 young children.
1st question...As you can see I am unfortunate to have 4 unsightly walls/fences joining up. It's like a concrete grey jungle....I try my best not too look at it but am looking for suggestions/advice....
Is it worth planting an evergreen creeper behind the shed to the left? Or paint it grey?
its a damp mostly shaded spot (south west)
i painted the fence today Medium oak Ronseal (it's ok...bought harvest orange 1st....it was luminous orange!!!)
2nd question...would it look ok to paint the posts between the fence and the underneath horizontal panels a grey?
3rd question... Any tips/suggestions to draw the eye away from the high retaining wall and more of a focus to the garden.
4th...Shed paint ideas/suggestions??? Will I paint the same as the fence ...or a colour???
ps I have a black/glass rectangular table & 6 chairs +\- parasol that will be taken out of shed this week (I will place on grass in front of shed)
Any suggestions/tips/advice.... greatly appreciated!!! ????????????
Posts
Before fence was painted...
How about something like a living wall for the wall behind the slide? Adds a bit of interest and helps break up the wall of concrete. if you google living wall, you'll get some ideas from the images that come up.
Cleostar I see what you mean.
Use Masonry paint on alll the walls of your patch. I am sure it would look a whole lot better right away.
You could probably take a photo and do a photoshop "paint" job on the walls to see what it would look like. Do you know anyone who could paint a mural?
Print it on plain paper in black and white and water colour it? It might just help to get an idea.
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I would plant a nice tree about where the end of the slide is, and probably anothet smaller one about half way down the left hand side. You could tuck your compost corner behind the one by the shed and then once you get some decent borders going you won't notice the walls or fences nearly so much.
Wowl that wisteria is really doing its job .
'You must have some bread with it me duck!'
I think it's the white wall behind the shed that draws the eye worst. I would plant something like a hydrangea petiolaris behind the shed that will eventually hide that bit. It is self clinging so should be fine Without wires after the first couple of years. The brick wall looks fine but any number of climbers can be planted there. Virginia creeper is a no maintenance climber which is also self supporting. You may even want to consider some wall shrubs or even a fan trained apple tree.
Perhaps think about putting a flower border down one of the sides of the grass. If you did this on the left, curve it round in front of the shed and plant a small tree in the curve. That will break up the view of the shed. Climbers again on the fences. On the other side, to cover the concrete gravel boards you could take out a narrow border and plant it with a ground cover - something like vinca major will spread and grow just high enough to cover the boards And will only need a border about a foot wide. And it's evergreen. Practically no maintenance.
I woulnt paint the gravel boards or the posts.
How strange to use 2 concrete gravel boards! I frankly wouldnt do too much painting of concrete or fence, it seems like a good idea at the time, but you have to live with it, depends what sort of look you are wanting in your face, or mellowing the fence to blend in with nature. But yes, lots of different climbers, metal eye and wire support, not expensive or difficult to fit. Possibly raised beds, (made from gravel boards, not expensive) along the fence, filled with jolly flowers, get the kids growing annuals from seed, giant sunflowers? Are you going to try and veg? We have a view of some rather ugly 60s flat, I have 3 bamboos (in pots) over 2 metres tall so I cant see them.Doghouse, I was going to Japan (in my dreams) but am going to stay in your teahouse, your garden is gorgeous, do you "open" it?
I would not bother to paint it unless you can persuade your neighbours to paint the whole wall.
I would be looking at planting somewhat rampant self clinging climbers, Hydrangea petiolaris, ivies, Boston ivy on the back wall, with somewhat more manageable climbers on the fence (clematis etc). A feature tree with a broad (not upright!) crown would help at the back - quick sketch below.
I assume the ground level in the garden to the left is higher. Which suggests the ground to the left may be more damp than on the right? You could grow a couple of espalier (pruned to be almost flat against the fence) fruit trees on the left side. As other have said, fix wires to the concrete posts not the wooden panels. Or get a tall narrow trough and stand it against that side and plant it with runner beans and sweet peas to climb up bamboo canes in front of the fence, and strawberries to trail down the sides of the trough for the children to pick and eat, a few herbs, maybe.
I like WillDB's tree at the back. The fence on the right is much less offensive and would probably be fine if the other two sides were softer.
Last edited: 24 May 2017 09:41:18