Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

As they say, privacy fences make for good neighbors. Plenty of materials can be used to divide your yard from your neighbor’s, and we’ve looked at quite a few: vinyl, straw bale, and bamboo. But how about concrete?

You might think concrete would make for an ugly residential fence (though maybe a good traffic noise barrier), but artists that specialize in working with this flexible material can make some pretty cool things.

This concrete fence, with its mountain range backdrop, was made by Seattle-based Artisan Finishes. Not only is it an effective privacy barrier, but it looks like it belongs with the area’s nearby Cascade Mountains.

Browse the company’s photo gallery for lots of other inspiring concrete ideas.

Even though your garden might be located in the backyard, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t embellish it. There are endless ideas for enhancing your garden wall or fence, and there are some ornaments you probably wouldn’t expect to be stylish.

Bird cages painted with bright, bold colors are charming ornaments for your garden wall, especially if your wall looks depressing and bare. Other options include copper-bottomed plant holders, statuary and stone spheres for the top of your posts.

Or create an enjoyable scenery that you can enjoy all year round by painting a mural on the garden fence or wall. Murals date back to the Greek and Roman times, and they can provide a whimsical and fanciful feel to your backyard. Maybe you will choose an ocean view or an Italian vineyard. To make the painting look more realistic, add a coat of translucent glaze for an aged appearance.

Chain link and wood fences are common, but there are more interesting options. Before deciding to build a fence around your backyard or garden, evaluate your choices, because a poor decision can detract from the style of your home.

A bamboo fence can evoke a Japanese-style, and it’s an appropriate improvement for a contemporary home but not a colonial design. Bamboo is a flexible material that can create an elegant effect around a garden or koi pond.  However, you will need to treat the posts with a coat of wax or waterproofing sealer.

A woven willow fence can be an enchanting touch to a cottage home. Once the willows grow along the willow sticks that you insert and weave together, you will have a screen that changes with the seasons. It’s best to start this project in early spring when the plant is still dormant.

A wattle is made from flexible saplings that are stabilized by a row of posts that are driven into the ground. This organic, natural look evokes the English countryside. A wattle can also be used as a border along a walkway.

Are you tired of eating the poor quality apples that are waxed to look pretty from the grocery store? Then it’s time to grow an apple tree of your own in the backyard. An apple tree has other functions than just producing delicious edible fruit.

If you need a border for your fence or wall, an espalier apple tree is a solution. With some continuous pruning and patience, you can help the tree grow in a single plane. First, you need apple trees that are spur-bearing, which means that their fruit grows close to the branches. They should also have M9 dwarfing roofstock, and you must have at least two trees on your property for cross-pollination.

To help the tree move up the wall or fence, purchase a whip (a young tree), because then you can guide the tree’s branches with twine. It’s also beneficial to make ¼ inch cuts above the buds at a 45-degree angle so that the water runs off and doesn’t sit where it can harbor diseases.

By following these tips, you will be able to enjoy blossoms, fruit and a beautiful border.

A garden gate has an aesthetic and practical quality. Most importantly is that they can make your garden more inviting, romantic and whimsical. Even if you don’t have room for a fence, you can still attach a metal gate to an arbor that is set in a hedge.

Gates have a presence about them, and they can make your home look more welcoming to visitors. A white wooden gate is an informal choice, which can also help support tall plants. For a more formal appearance, metalwork creates a distinctive-looking entrance. If you have a brick wall and decorative urns, a metal gate can connect these elements.

This vine garden gate is $349, and even though it’s metal, the design has a whimsical feeling. It weighs 40 pounds, its dimensions are 34.25’’ in width x 43’’ in height. A hand-crafted garden gate like this can give your yard personality and reinforce the mood you want to create.

Finding privacy outside your home when you have neighbors in close proximity to you on each side can seem close to impossible. If you or the other neighbors have pets, it can cause further distractions and disturbances. There are a couple different vinyl privacy fences you can install to make your home more secure and concealed.

The USA Vinyl Fence Company makes a variety of fences offering full privacy and semi privacy. The Savannah privacy fence can withstand wind gusts of up to 130 mph, so it’s strong and sturdy too. For a more attractive fence, lattice accents can be added to the top.

The semi privacy fences have a .6” space between the pickets as well as a unique visual screen, which allows for air flow. This is ideal for yards and pools, and it comes in white or tan.

These fences can enable you to live comfortably when you’re inside or outside of your home.

Whether we have kids or dogs we want to keep from roaming the neighborhood, or just desire privacy from the neighbors, a fence that goes all the way around the house isn’t that uncommon any more.

A solid wood or stone fence can be a little intimidating, though, and can offer a rather large monotonous expanse across the yard.  A designer fence gate can be just the thing to add interest or even a bit of whimsy.

These open air fence gates are from Titan Security, a company that specializes in creating decorative as well as secure gates and screen doors (the gates include deadbolt locks). Patterns and fun images such as hummingbirds and wild geckos can be incorporated in the design.

You can get a fence gate suitable for foot traffic, automobiles, or even RVs.  The designs are available in 21 colors, so you can find something to coordinate with your house.

Titan Security

Garden fencing can be decorative but it also makes sense for keeping the critters out (nature’s critters… or your own).

There are a lot of options out there, so you can probably find something that suits you (and your pocketbook) just right.

With garden fencing, you to get something that protects your beds from foot traffic, but you also want to allow sunlight to stream through and warm the plants. You’ll also want to take into consideration the kind of creatures you want to keep out. With dogs, deer, and large animals, a sturdy fence with larger opens can work (though you may want more height), but if you need to keep smaller pests out, then go for the smaller openings. If you can’t find a fencing frame you like with small enough openings, you can add chicken coup wire or something similar to the wood or vinyl in order to keep small pest animals out while still getting the look you want.

Okay, let’s take a look at some pictures to give you a few ideas of the types of garden fencing options out there:

Wooden Diamond Fencing from Howarth Timber

Wood is attractive and often ages well when weather-resistant species are used. It can be quite pricey but if your garden area isn’t large, it might just work for you.

Modular Trellis Screens Joined Together from Metro Fence

A modular fencing system makes it easy to expand your garden space in the future. If you get something like these trellis panels, make sure they can be secured together well, especially if you want to keep animals out.

Willow Flex Garden Fence from Master Garden Products

For an inexpensive garden fencing option, check into flex fences. This willow lattice-like fence system can be stretched to fit your space, and while it’s not nearly as sturdy as something with stakes or permanent posts in the ground, it may be enough of a fence for your purposes.

Deer Proof Garden Fencing from Garden Defender

If your primary goal is to keep deer out of your garden, you may need to choose practical fencing over the decorative stuff. This system may not be the prettiest thing on the block, but its height and sturdiness should be enough to ensure deer aren’t munching at your lettuce.

With houses built so close together these days, a privacy fence is often desirable so you can enjoy your yard without tripping over the neighbors. While six-foot (or taller) wooden fences can do the job, they can also block out a lot of natural light, and in some cases you don’t need something quite so dense to create the feeling privacy.

The trellis-top lattice on top of this bamboo fence gives this homeowner enough privacy to create a serene backyard oasis while still allowing through light.

Pre-built bamboo fence panels make installation fairly painless, and the fast-growing material is considered by many to be more eco-friendly than wood, especially if the bamboo is grown and harvested locally.

This particular fence is made from materials available at Master Garden Products.