Just like your interior accommodation, the outside room that is your garden needs to fulfill a number of functions, which means there is a strong risk that outdoor based clutter can sometimes be at odds with the desired stylish alfresco living setting.
The solution to this problem is to employ successful screening tactics combined with creative storage solutions. And whilst screening can be used to great effect to hide or disguise certain features, it also has an important role to play in defining key areas within the outdoor space.
Here’s our take on some of the best screening / storage ideas to keep your garden looking gorgeous this summer.
Wonder walls
Walls provide the ultimate in privacy and shielding and with the right choice of materials, complement Britain’s natural countryside. Authentic stone walling will not only add rustic charm to your outdoor space, it also ages beautifully. Walling is also a favoured choice for garden designers looking to introduce an individual stamp on an outdoor space and has many applications beyond just offering a secure perimeter boundary. It can be successfully used to create a more intimate and sheltered patio area; build eye catching (and low maintenance) raised beds and can also become the backdrop to a stunning water feature.
Living walls have been the talk of the landscaping community in recent years and offer an excellent opportunity to create a stunning visual screen, which blends perfectly with the garden landscape. A living wall is a self sufficient vertical ‘mini garden’ grown in a panel system that is attached to a free standing frame or to the exterior of a building. The plants contained within the wall receive water and nutrients from within the vertical support instead of from the ground. Visit the RHS website for more info: www.rhs.org.uk/advice
Designer fencing
A fence provides the perfect screening device as well as a useful boundary marker if you are looking to create distinct zones within the garden. Attractive woven panels or bold Venetian horizontal panels, not only represent excellent stylish screening solutions, they both also benefit from offering striking filtered light effects to deliver a visually stunning focal point within the garden.
Lattice Trellis panels complemented by beautifully scented climber flowers such as clematis can be used to establish a private area in the garden for dining or relaxing. They can also be combined with pergolas to establish a commanding structure that sections off a slice of the garden.
There are occasions where screening may be required for safety rather than aesthetic purposes, for example, screening off a swimming pool. Here it is important that the fence represents a strong and robust structure to maintain a secure boundary that cannot be easily scaled and which does not pose any risk of injury to young children as a result of entrapment of limbs.
Hedge your bets
There's a lot to be said for boundaries that consist of plants rather than solid materials. Hedges provide shelter and food for wildlife, as well as adding colour, texture and even fragrance across the seasons. And if you’re interested in planting a hedge, which can act as a burglar deterrent, planting options for the security conscious include barberry, firethorn, rose, holly, hawthorn and gorse.
Hedges are also frequently used to segment spaces within the garden, providing an entirely natural line of division between one area and another. Hedges used for this purpose also offer the additional benefit of boasting aesthetic appeal and can become a focal point in their right – mazes and topiary being good examples of this.
Bins be gone
Wheelie bins are a household necessity but do little to complement the garden scenery. Conjure up a classy disguise for your bins by storing them in a bespoke wheelie bin storage shed, crafted from smart tongue and groove effect boards supported by a strong galvanised steel frame.
Children’s ultimate play zone
Just as you may have a play room inside the home, where all the children’s toys are neatly contained, you can do the same in the garden by installing a dedicated Zone shelter which doubles up as a sun-safe getaway for the younger members of the family.So with a little forward planning and screening savvy, your garden can be clutter free! Tweet us @JacksonsFencing with your personal clever screening / storage solutions for the garden.
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