How can I cover up my side fence?

Question

Desperately need ideas to cover up my side fence.It has a very ugly sheet metal fence.I just want to cover/hide it.
Please help

Melissa V · Answer

Hey Kimberley! Wow, I have some ancient chain link, but your neighbor is building a fortress. It looks like he started with a 4' high stretch (are you up on your tetanus shots?), then updated to a 6'-8'high SHINY fence, which, by the way is probably not to code-check with your city inspectors office. Is this a new house for you, or have you lived there awhile?
Either way I think that would be step one before you spend money and effort.   A couple of obvious options come to mind. We put up the premade cedar panels to hide our (now previous) neighbors junky yard ruining my efforts for a lush, private backyard. I can see you have a basic frame for a fence. We got zip ties from harbor freight and strapped those fence panels right to the fence framework-no digging, hammering, or dealing with the neighbor. Half a day and you're done! Otherwise, thought two, obviously, plant tall plants, large shrubs and spend a lot of $$$ , ⏱ & 🏋🏼 putting in the plants. Or do both 😃. 
PS- What do you think is going on over there?👽

Karen Morin · Answer

Is the chain link fence on your property?  My guess is that city code enforcement is the place to start.  Make friends with the neighbor and follow the rules.

Nicola · Answer

Paint a mural of a beach scene or garden using spray paint.

Carol L Strom · Answer

I used white lattice, to fancy up my chain link fence.....

Dol7382879 · Answer

Trellis plants in front of it, maybe some espaliered fruit trees, some bushes & arbotvitae. Perhaps paint it a dull camo green first, to blend in.

Kel12841846 · Answer

Yikes, what an eyesore. I think Leland cypress (cheap and fast-growing is one answer. Have you ever seen Bob Ross  painting on PBS or Create channels? You could use his techniques by painting the wall pale blue and, using a large brush, fill the wall with his simple (no talent required) famous fir trees. You gotta get that ugly view under control!! Good luck.

P.chatty · Answer

Get old baking pans spray paint them to look like flowers, etc, then get broken hoses, and then have them become the stems or leaves or go crazy with diffent colors and old metal rusted etc cooking pans or even use those plastic containers that is missing lids, etc, cut one in half, spray paint it the colors of sun set etc, I can go on and on. I hope this help

Jokarva · Answer

Reed fencing is cheap and easy...fast too. If you're patient, planting the cypress is a more permanent fix. That really is an ugly fence.

Mary · Answer

fabulous ideas all!  I think one of the main problems is that the top of the fence is irregular.  If you are able to have someone cut across and perhaps even it out a bit, or at least make sections level, then spray paint the whole this a single color, that would make a good backdrop to whatever else you do.  If it is strong enough )or build supports), you can afix painted pallets that are upright on end and stacked to whatever height you have along the fence, you can build yourself a vertical garden on the cheap. There are other easy vertical garden ideas as well. Just look on you tube for how to do it.

Naomie Moore aka baileyanddaisey, Castaic CA · Answer

Great suggestions!  Although not cheap, I would buy lattice panels and install.  Depending on exposure I would do a vertical garden or start DIY'ing art to randomly dress up the lattice.  Then place either mulch or gravel down with stepping stones and make it a secret garden.  Put a potting bench in there, a bench or chairs - whatever looks good to you and strikes your fancy!  Have fun!

Ejp9127249 · Answer

You could plant vines (flowering or not)that would completely cover the fence, depending on what kind you pick and what part of the country you're in. Hopefully the neighbor wouldn't mind if it grew over to his side.

Pamela S Alexander · Answer

Put up a privacy fence or make a vertical garden out of pallets-and you weren't kidding-that is an ugly fence!

Suellen Hintz · Answer

Mural?  Bamboo fencing?  Fast growing flowering vine that is green all year?  Landscaping?

Mary · Answer

Thanks Melissa!

Sheryle Nesbit · Answer

Rolled bamboo blinds against fence - then plant tall grasses in front of all of it.  By the time the fencing rots the grass should be tall enough to hide everything.

T clemens · Answer

Our fence is lined with these Blue Deodor Cedars. Beautiful all year!!

Carolyn Davis · Answer

here at pinterest lots of ides on covering your fence. https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?rs=ac&...

Ginsum · Answer

I would do a little of it all a little Bob ross as a form of tromping L'oeil for the immediate future then I would put a pergola with some flowering vines I would recommend trumpet vine or wisteria  (if you were here but they may be invasive where you are, of course  that might be just desserts for your neighbour) you could even break  it up with a little vinette with perhaps a water  garden/pond with tall grasses . . . Of course all the plants take time to fill in thus the tromp L'Oeil  for something to look at first

Toni Bylsma · Answer

We had a similar situation with our neighbor doing seriously ugly things to the fence between our back yards, so we sectioned it up, part of it we used cheap lattice with mesh rolled out behind it. Another section we staggered wood slats to make it look intentionally framed, then in last section we put tape on fence in shapes like butterflies and such and painted it a neutral dark color. When the paint dried and we removed the tape it looked great! Good luck!

Catherine · Answer

In Texas,  we would embrace it and hang all manner of things on it.

Renae King Estes · Answer

We also have an ugly fence bordering our property. It does not belong to us so I simply painted it dark grey and it really made it less noticeable.

Cb1922 · Answer

Stand pallets

Fran. Hall · Answer

What about planting a tall hedge along the fence?  Dwarf Burfordi Holly is a nice one that stays green in the winter and has red berries for the birds to eat.

Janet · Answer

Well if you're into street art, you can pay a couple of $$ and have some homies to comes and really decorate your side of the fence. Some of them are really talented and can add some serious design to your fence. Or even ask one of they guys / gals to design you something and get a pre-design just to check it out.

Susan · Answer

I can think of several neat things to do with this eye sore
If you are into fresh greens for cooking and you have some left over evestrough(?)....simply paint the evestrough , drill a few holes add gravel and soil, hang at angles \ / \ / and voila instant herb garden over ugly fence
If you have kids let them have at it with colourful paints and a variety of brushes rags and things to paint with! Bye bye ugly fence!
Or if you're an artist sketch out a nice scene from a beach or whatever you like to look at.......great view no more ugly fence!
Maybe spray paint it a pleasing colour and use it as a display wall for your outdoor decorations.....changing it up with the seasons maybe.......another great view and no ugly fence.
Good luck!

D roach · Answer

get some living willow and plant 5 at one diagonal and the next 5 at opposite diagonal all the way along, it will cover the fence in no time, you could also use the willow to make tunnels, igloos etc.

Rebecca Bourke · Answer

Paint, with some beautiful scenery and you will love the look , re: jungle, rain forest, even tropical , there is a maintenance free garden and a magical fence xo

Bernadette Staal · Answer

first of all you need to paint it a dark colour that will eventually blend into the back ground.  Then you just need to plant it up.  You may wish to use a variety of plants - some fast growing or already established.  You can also run wires from post to post and this will encourage creepers to quickly move up the fence thus allowing the growth to spread quickly.  You need to visit your local garden centre to see which plants are going to do best in your climate and to determine if they are on the sunny or shady side of the property etc.  But start with the fence paint and things will just start to fall into place.  Looking on Garden websites and Magazines will offer some inspiration.

Linda Deshazier · Answer

Plant climbing roses! They will soon cover it. They will be beautiful to look at, & make your yard smell heavenly!

Cathie Mars · Answer

How about putting up those long sheets of bamboo poles going lengthwise -instead of up and down.

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