Step 1: Create a Flower and Shrub Border
If you want a garden edge with real visual impact, why not plant shrubs and flowers along the fence? Choose a sunny spot along the fence and build a flower bed. These flower beds can create a vertical landscape along with flower fences, climbing vines, and other climbing plants.
Bigleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
Hydrangeas are one of my favorite garden shrubs. They are easy to care for, have a long flowering period, and their blooms are beautiful and colorful, making them a top choice for garden landscapes. I recommend the bigleaf hydrangea, which has large, round flowers, about the size of a grapefruit. Depending on the soil's acidity, the flowers can be blue or red.
Early Meadowsweet
Spiraea thunbergii is a very popular garden plant, easy to grow and maintain. There are hundreds of varieties and cultivars to choose from. One variety, called Early Meadowsweet, is appealing in spring with its dense clusters of flowers, and in autumn, its fiery red leaves brighten up the entire yard. Alternatively, you can try Spirea tomentosa, a native plant that blooms in summer and is rich in nectar, attracting bees and butterflies.
Evergreen Azalea (Rhododendron spp.)
You can find deciduous azaleas at garden stores, but why not choose evergreen azaleas to beautify your fence? These easy-to-care-for plants have an extremely long flowering period, blooming from late winter all the way to early autumn. Garden stores have dozens of varieties of evergreen azaleas, but consider the Indian azalea, which has vibrant red, pink, white, and purple flowers.
Glossy Abelia (Abelia grandiflora)
Glossy Abelia belongs to the honeysuckle family, so its flowers are sure to be beautiful. This elegant shrub has dense, delicate, and lush flowers, making it an excellent hedge plant. There are many varieties of Abelia, so there's something for everyone. We recommend the Glossy Abelia, which can grow up to 8 feet (2.6 meters) tall and is covered in white or pink flowers during the growing season.
Step 2: Create a Living Fence
If your backyard isn't very large, a tall, solid fence can make the space feel cramped and blocky. If that's the case, skip the wood and nails, and plant some shrubs instead. Mix and match evergreen and flowering deciduous shrubs to create a living fence that changes with the seasons.
Step 3: Try Fence Plus Hedging
Some homeowners use hedges instead of fences, while others choose fences over hedges. Combining both, by planting evergreen shrubs along the fence, works especially well and has many benefits. While Thuja grows quickly and is popular, my personal favorite is holly, especially the "Emerald Colonnade" holly, with its lush and pleasing appearance.
Step 4: Choose Bird-Friendly Landscaping
If you're passionate about creating a delightful bird garden and an eye-catching border for your bird haven, consider landscaping with local wildlife in mind. You can choose brightly colored berry bushes, such as the glossy black Chokeberry and Bayberry. You can also use structural fragrant shrubs to create a beautiful barrier rich in berries, which also serve as a welcome treat for bees and butterflies in early season.
Step 5: Try Using Shelves to Build a Fence
You can install shelves or hooks on the fence to hang flower baskets filled with flowering plants, or place pots filled with flowers on the shelves along the fence. This landscaping idea allows you to change plants at any time, ensuring that there are always vibrant flowers blooming around you.
As the saying goes, good fences make good neighbors. In fact, even homeowners with good neighbors value privacy – and fences are key to defining clear and strong boundaries. Simple landscaping along the fence is both beautiful and practical. It can enhance the boundary's appearance and quickly create a private barrier, all while being a relatively economical garden makeover solution.
