How Fencing Can Transform Your Landscape

Not all fencing is white picket; there are many ways fencing alone can completely transform the look of your landscape. It’s a hardscaping aspect that is just as functional as it is fashionable. Let’s talk about how.

The History & Evolution of Garden Fencing

The oldest known fences were primitive barriers built with natural resources by ancient civilizations. The Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans built the first fences out of branches, stones, and shrubs to mark their territory, control their livestock, and protect themselves from wild animals. Fencing became more elaborate in medieval times, acting as field enclosures and eventually a show of craftsmanship for the wealthy. Colonial America saw a rise in agricultural fencing, mostly made from stone. In fact, many homes across the country came with their own stone barriers, often left behind from colonial times. By the 19th century, barbed wire fencing spread across the American West, aiding in ranch expansion. The 20th century introduced chain-link fencing and low-maintenance composite materials. Currently, while we have all the fencing options that our ancestors had, we also have more. Modern technology has revolutionized the fencing industry, improving security and other smart fencing solutions. But fencing also plays a huge role in simple aesthetics; let’s dive into how your fencing can be both functional and attractive.

Integrating a Fence Into Your Landscape Design

It’s common knowledge that fencing is used to keep things out of your yard and contain things in it. But that doesn’t mean it can’t serve aesthetic purposes, too. Here are some creative ways to integrate fencing into your landscape design to enhance your yard.

Artistic Elements Like your medieval ancestors, you can use fencing to feature artistic elements like metalwork. You can place sculptures on top of the posts or even paint a colorful mural onto a wood fence.

Climbing Plants

With the rise of urban development, vertical gardens are becoming more popular as yards become smaller. Whether your yard is large or small, climbing plants are a great way to integrate your fence into your landscape because they blend everything together. Plus, they’re a timeless look that never goes out of style.

Repurpose Old Materials

Sustainability is always important. Repurposing wood and materials from other projects makes it easier to dispose of waste and adds character to your fencing.

Plant Around Your Fence

This recommendation sounds simple, but you want to plan it out. Creating a plant border along your fence makes it look like it belongs there. You can have fun with it and arrange your plants in a curvy line, which provides some contrast to a straight fence.

Use As A Backdrop

Fencing provides a great opportunity to feature special plants that are other focal points in your garden. Many things can be hung up on a fence, from bird feeders to wire art to plants.

How To Maintain Your Fencing

Like everything else, your fencing requires maintenance. This is how you’ll keep up with your yard’s transformation. There are four main ways to do this: regular cleaning, element-proofing, landscape management, and frequent inspections.

Regular Cleaning

A weekly hose-down never hurts a fence, especially in the summer months. You can also use a soft brush and warm, soapy water to remove debris, moss, dirt, leaves, bird droppings, or algae. To keep it looking new, you should invest in a deeper clean every 3-5 years. If you have a metal fence, you can wipe it with bleach or vinegar and rinse it.

Element-Proofing

It’s important to protect your fence from the elements. Staining and painting help with cracking, fading, and deterioration. You can also use a sealant that protects wood from moisture, UV rays, rotting, warping, and premature aging.

Landscape Management

Managing the landscape surrounding your fence or on your fence is crucial to your fencing’s longevity. Remove plants and trees that could fall and crush your fence. While climbing plants look great on your fence, it’s worth investing in a sturdy trellis or arbor to help support its growth and the fence’s stability. It’s important to consider which vines work best with your fence, especially if it is wooden.

Frequent Inspections

Frequent inspections are a given. You want to look for signs of damage like loose boards, rusted or broken hardware, and rotted material.

Conclusion

Fencing doesn’t have to be boring. There are many ways to spice it up so that its necessary functions can be fun, too. Whether your fencing goes all the way around your yard’s perimeter or is just a point of interest in your garden, you want to give it its best chance at longevity.