How to Hide an Ugly Fence

An unattractive fence can dominate the whole garden.

Even a well-designed patio, beautiful planting scheme or attractive lawn can be undermined by a boundary that feels:

• Cheap

• Too dominant

• Weathered

• Inconsistent

• Overly high

• Visually harsh.

The answer is not always to replace the fence.

In many gardens, it can be softened or largely concealed using:

• Trees

• Shrubs

• Climbers

• Trellis

• Slatted screens

• Deep planting

• Pergolas

• Better garden layout.

Kirman Design creates bespoke boundary and screening schemes throughout North West England, using planting and landscape design to turn unattractive fences into much less noticeable parts of the garden.

Start by Deciding Whether the Fence Needs Replacing

Before trying to hide a fence, ask:

• Is it structurally sound?

• Is it leaning?

• Is it rotten?

• Is it secure?

• Does it provide enough privacy?

• Is it simply unattractive?

If the fence is failing structurally, screening it may only delay the inevitable.

If it is sound but ugly, planting or a secondary screen may be the better solution.

Hiding Versus Replacing

There is a big difference between:

• Hiding a structurally sound fence

• Replacing a poor boundary.

If the existing fence still performs its basic job, it may be possible to retain it and improve the appearance of the garden around it.

This can be more sustainable and less disruptive than complete replacement.

Use Planting to Soften the Fence

Planting is one of the most effective ways to reduce the visual impact of fencing.

Our Garden Planting Ideas page explores how planting can create:

• Depth

• Structure

• Seasonal interest.

The strongest approach usually creates a border in front of the fence rather than placing one thin line of plants directly against it.

Create a Deep Border

A deeper border can help the fence disappear into the background.

Use layers of:

• Trees

• Shrubs

• Perennials

• Grasses.

This creates:

foreground → middle ground → softened boundary

rather than simply:

lawn → fence.

Trees in Front of a Fence

Trees can provide:

• Height

• Structure

• Shade

• Screening.

They are especially useful where the fence feels excessively dominant.

A canopy can help break the straight horizontal line of the boundary.

Multi-Stem Trees

Multi-stem trees can work particularly well because they:

• Break up the fence line

• Create filtered screening

• Add visual depth.

They are useful around:

• Seating

• Patios

• Larger planting borders.

Standard Trees

Standard-form trees can provide upper-level screening while keeping the lower planting area relatively open.

They can help soften:

• Tall fences

• Close neighbouring buildings.

Pleached Trees

Pleached trees can create a more formal solution.

They can sit above:

• Fence

• Wall

• Hedge

and provide structured upper-level screening.

Do Not Plant Trees Too Close to the Fence

Allow for:

• Mature canopy

• Trunk development

• Maintenance

• Access.

Planting too close may create future problems.

Shrubs for Fence Screening

Shrubs are particularly useful for hiding the lower and middle parts of a fence.

They can provide:

• Evergreen structure

• Flowers

• Texture

• Seasonal interest.

Use species that suit:

• Soil

• Light

• Exposure.

Evergreen Shrubs

Evergreen shrubs can provide year-round coverage.

They can be useful where the fence is visible throughout winter.

But a whole boundary of dense evergreen planting can feel heavy.

A mixed approach is often more attractive.

Deciduous Shrubs

Deciduous shrubs can provide:

• Flowers

• Autumn colour

• Seasonal change.

They can be combined with evergreen plants for balance.

Layered Shrub Planting

Use different heights.

For example:

Back of Border

Large shrubs

Middle

Medium shrubs and grasses

Front

Perennials and groundcover.

This creates much more depth than a single row.

Climbers for Hiding Fences

Climbers can transform a plain fence relatively quickly.

They can provide:

• Flowers

• Foliage

• Seasonal interest.

They are particularly useful where border depth is limited.

Trellis and Climbers

Adding trellis can provide additional support for climbing plants.

It can also increase visual interest.

A planted trellis often feels much softer than a bare fence.

Evergreen Climbers

Evergreen climbers may provide year-round cover.

But plant choice should reflect:

• Aspect

• Soil

• Available space.

Flowering Climbers

Flowering climbers can make the fence feel like part of the planting scheme.

They may be especially effective around:

• Seating

• Pergolas

• Courtyard gardens.

Avoid Overloading the Fence

Climbers can become heavy.

Make sure the fence is strong enough to support them.

Do not rely on a weak boundary to carry a large mature climber.

Slatted Screens in Front of a Fence

A secondary slatted screen can completely change the appearance of an existing boundary.

It can provide:

• Cleaner lines

• Contemporary character

• Support for planting.

Our Garden Screening Ideas page explores wider screening options.

Use Secondary Screens Selectively

You do not necessarily need to cover the entire fence.

A screen might be positioned behind:

• Seating

• Outdoor kitchen

• Main patio.

This can improve the most important view without excessive construction.

Paint the Fence

Sometimes the simplest improvement is colour.

A darker fence can visually recede behind planting.

This can allow:

• Green foliage

• Flowers

• Pale trunks

to stand out more strongly.

The colour should suit the wider design.

Dark Fences

Dark finishes can work particularly well behind:

• Green planting

• Architectural foliage

• Multi-stem trees.

They often make the boundary feel less prominent.

Pale Fences

Lighter colours can suit:

• Cottage gardens

• Coastal styles

• Smaller courtyards.

But they may also draw more attention to the boundary.

Avoid Too Many Boundary Materials

A garden may already contain:

• Timber fence

• Brick wall

• Trellis

• Render.

Adding another material can make the boundary visually busy.

Try to simplify rather than add more visual clutter.

Screening an Ugly Fence With Hedging

A hedge can gradually replace the fence visually.

It can provide:

• Privacy

• Wildlife value

• Softer character.

The fence may remain behind it purely as a secure boundary.

Evergreen Hedging

Evergreen hedging can provide year-round screening.

Consider:

• Mature width

• Growth rate

• Maintenance.

Fast growth may create privacy quickly but may also increase pruning.

Deciduous Hedging

Deciduous hedging can still soften the fence effectively.

Some species retain leaves through winter, giving a degree of year-round screening.

Mixed Hedging

Mixed hedging can create a softer and more natural boundary.

It can be particularly suitable for:

• Rural gardens

• Country properties

• Wildlife-friendly schemes.

Hide an Ugly Fence With Ornamental Grasses

Tall grasses can help break up the boundary.

They provide:

• Movement

• Texture

• Seasonal interest.

They work particularly well in:

• Contemporary gardens

• Prairie-style planting.

They are usually better as part of a layered border than used alone.

Hide an Ugly Fence With Bamboo

Bamboo is sometimes used to create quick screening.

It can be effective, but species selection matters.

Some forms can spread aggressively.

If bamboo is considered, long-term control should be part of the plan.

Pergolas and Fence Screening

A pergola can reduce the visual importance of a fence.

Our Pergola Ideas page explores how pergolas can create:

• Structure

• Shade

• Outdoor rooms.

A pergola can shift attention from the boundary into the garden.

Pergolas for Privacy

Where the fence also fails to provide enough privacy, a pergola may help.

Our Pergolas for Privacy page explores how overhead and vertical screening can be used.

Create an Internal Focal Point

The best way to hide an ugly fence may be to give people something better to look at.

This can include:

• Specimen tree

• Sculpture

• Water feature

• Fire feature.

Our How to Screen an Ugly View page explores the wider principle of redirecting attention.

Use a Water Feature

A strong water feature can draw attention away from the boundary.

Our Garden Water Feature Ideas page explores how water can provide:

• Sound

• Movement

• Reflection.

Use Sculpture

A well-positioned sculpture can make an unattractive fence almost irrelevant.

Frame it with:

• Trees

• Shrubs

• Grasses.

Garden Walls as Internal Screens

Sometimes a short internal wall can create a stronger visual backdrop than the fence itself.

Our Garden Wall Ideas page explores how walls can be used decoratively.

A wall can also support:

• Seating

• Planting

• Lighting.

Use a New Screen Rather Than Replace the Fence

If the existing fence is functional, a new internal screen may be easier to integrate.

This can:

• Improve appearance

• Create depth

• Avoid interfering with the boundary itself.

Hide the Fence From the Main Seating Area

You do not necessarily need to hide every part of the fence.

Focus on the views that matter most.

These may be from:

• Main patio

• Kitchen

• Dining table.

A localised screen may be enough.

Garden Seating Areas

Our Garden Seating Area Ideas page explores how seating can be positioned to enjoy better views.

Sometimes rotating or moving the seat can reduce how much of the fence is visible.

Outdoor Dining

Our Garden Design for Outdoor Dining page explores how dining areas can be framed with:

• Planting

• Trees

• Screens.

The fence can become a background rather than the main view.

Outdoor Living

Our Outdoor Living Garden Design page explores how:

• Seating

• Pergolas

• Planting

• Lighting

can create a stronger outdoor environment.

Outdoor Kitchens

An outdoor kitchen can sometimes be positioned along an unattractive boundary.

Our Garden Design Around an Outdoor Kitchen page explores how kitchens can be integrated.

This can transform the fence line into a useful part of the garden.

Screening Around a Hot Tub

A hot tub may need both:

• Privacy

• Attractive boundaries.

Our Garden Design Around a Hot Tub page explores how planting and screens can create a better setting.

Screening Around a Fire Pit

A fire-pit seating area may benefit from a more enclosed backdrop.

Our Garden Design Around a Fire Pit page explores how seating, planting and screening can work together.

Small Gardens With Ugly Fences

In a small garden, fencing often occupies a large proportion of the view.

Our Small Garden Design page explores how compact spaces can feel larger and more layered.

Avoid adding:

• Thick hedges

• Oversized screens

that reduce usable space unnecessarily.

Use Climbers in Small Gardens

Climbers are especially useful in restricted spaces because they provide vertical planting without taking up much ground.

Use One or Two Trees

A small garden may only need:

• One multi-stem tree

• One carefully positioned standard.

The right tree can break up a large area of fencing very effectively.

Medium-Sized Gardens

Medium gardens may allow enough depth for:

• Larger borders

• Layered planting

• Trees.

Our Medium Sized Garden Design page explores how these spaces can be organised.

Large Gardens

Large gardens can absorb fencing more easily.

Our Large Garden Design page explores how:

• Tree groups

• Hedging

• Deep planting

can make boundaries feel much less significant.

Long Narrow Gardens

Long narrow gardens can make fences feel especially dominant because both boundaries are constantly visible.

Our Long Narrow Garden Design page explores how:

• Internal screens

• Planting

• Garden rooms

can break up these long boundary lines.

Wide Gardens

Wide gardens may have long stretches of fencing.

Our Wide Garden Design page explores how different planting zones can interrupt the boundary.

Sloping Gardens

Changes in level can expose more of a fence.

Our Sloping Garden Ideas page explores how planting and terraces can manage boundary relationships.

Steep Gardens

Our Landscaping a Steep Garden page explores how banks and retaining levels can be planted.

Raised planting can sometimes conceal fencing more effectively.

Garden Retaining Walls

A retaining wall may create a raised border in front of a fence.

Our Garden Retaining Walls page explores how level changes can be structured.

New Build Gardens

New-build gardens often begin with long runs of standard close-board fencing.

Our Garden Design for New Build Homes page explores how these blank boundaries can be transformed.

Planting and trees can make a huge difference to an otherwise exposed new-build plot.

New Build Fence Screening

A useful strategy may combine:

• Immediate climbers

• Structural shrubs

• Trees for long-term height.

This allows the garden to improve as it matures.

Garden Design After an Extension

An extension can bring the main living space closer to the boundary.

Our Garden Design After House Extension page explores how new views from:

• Bifolds

• Sliding doors

• Kitchen spaces

can change the importance of garden boundaries.

A fence that was previously insignificant may suddenly become the main view from the house.

Landscaping After Building Work

Building work can damage:

• Fences

• Hedges

• Borders.

Our Landscaping After Building Work page explores how the boundary can be reconsidered as part of the new garden.

Period Properties

Standard modern fencing can sometimes feel particularly unsympathetic beside a period house.

Our Garden Design for Period Properties page explores how planting, walls and boundaries can better relate to historic architecture.

Listed Properties

Where boundary changes relate to listed structures or sensitive settings, additional consideration may be needed.

Our Garden Design for Listed Buildings page explores the wider heritage context.

Country Gardens

Rural gardens often benefit from softer boundaries.

Our Garden Design for Country Houses page explores how:

• Hedging

• Trees

• Woodland-style planting

can replace the visual dominance of domestic fencing.

Family Gardens

Family gardens often need secure fencing.

Our Family Garden Design page explores how security and attractive planting can coexist.

The fence may remain necessary even if it is visually hidden.

Dog-Friendly Gardens

Dogs often require secure boundaries.

Our Dog-Friendly Garden Design page explores how:

• Secure fencing

• Planting

• Screening

can work together.

Do not compromise boundary security purely for appearance.

Screening Trampolines Against a Fence

A trampoline placed near a boundary can make the fence feel even more visually dominant.

Our How to Hide a Trampoline in a Garden page explores how planting can integrate play equipment.

Accessible Gardens

Boundary planting should not reduce accessible circulation.

Our Accessible Garden Design page explores how planting and structures can remain compatible with wider movement.

Wheelchair Accessible Gardens

Our Wheelchair Accessible Garden Design page explores path widths and turning.

Avoid allowing shrubs or screens to create narrow pinch points.

Low Maintenance Fence Screening

A screening scheme should match the maintenance level you want.

Our Low Maintenance Garden Design page explores how mature plant size affects maintenance.

Do not plant a fast-growing hedge if you do not want frequent trimming.

Low Maintenance Garden Without a Lawn

Removing lawn can create more room for:

• Planting

• Raised beds

• Trees.

Our Low Maintenance Garden Without a Lawn page explores lawn-free garden design.

A deeper planted border can make the fence much less visible.

Fence Screening in North-Facing Gardens

North-facing boundaries may receive limited light.

Our North-Facing Gardens page explores shade-tolerant planting.

Choose plants for the actual conditions rather than simply selecting the fastest-growing screening species.

Fence Screening and Drainage

Deep borders may need improved drainage.

Our Garden Drainage Installation page explores wider water-management issues.

This is particularly relevant on heavy clay soils.

Fence Screening and Garden Lighting

Lighting can completely change how a boundary is perceived after dark.

Our Garden Lighting Ideas page explores how to highlight:

• Trees

• Climbers

• Planting.

Light the planting rather than the fence itself.

Avoid Floodlighting the Fence

Strong direct lighting may make the boundary more visually dominant.

Subtle lighting of:

• Trunks

• Foliage

• Feature plants

usually creates a softer effect.

Hide an Ugly Fence With a Better View

The most successful solution may not involve hiding every centimetre.

Create attractive layers in front.

The fence can then disappear visually into the background.

This principle is explored further in our How to Screen an Ugly View guide.

Fence Screening and Privacy

If the fence is also too low or visually open, privacy may be the primary issue.

Our Garden Privacy Ideas page explores:

• Trees

• Hedging

• Pergolas

• Screens.

The privacy solution can then also improve the fence visually.

Overlooking From Neighbours

If overlooking is the real problem, simply hiding the fence will not solve it.

Our How to Screen an Overlooking Window page explores upper-level privacy.

Neighbour's Extension Behind the Fence

A fence may appear especially unattractive when a large extension sits behind it.

Our How to Screen a Neighbour's Extension page explores how trees and planting can soften the whole view.

Do I Need a Garden Designer?

Professional design can be valuable where the fence forms a major part of the garden's visual structure.

Our Do I Need a Garden Designer? page explores when design input can add value.

A designer can look beyond the fence itself and consider:

• Planting depth

• Views

• Seating

• Trees

• Lighting

• Privacy.

Choosing a Garden Designer

A good designer should not immediately recommend:

• Replacing every fence panel

• Building a second fence.

They should first consider whether:

• Planting

• Trees

• Screens

• Better layout

can solve the problem.

Our How to Choose a Garden Designer page explores what to consider.

Questions to Ask a Garden Designer

Useful questions include:

• Does the fence actually need replacing?

• Could planting hide it?

• Would a darker colour help?

• Could one screen improve the main view?

• How will the planting look when mature?

Our Questions to Ask a Garden Designer page provides a wider checklist.

Preparing for a Garden Design Consultation

Photograph the fence from:

• Main living spaces

• Patio

• Key seating positions.

This helps identify which sections matter most.

Our How to Prepare for a Garden Design Consultation page provides a wider guide.

You can also read What Happens at a Garden Design Consultation?.

What Information Does a Garden Designer Need?

Useful information may include:

• Fence ownership

• Fence condition

• Boundary position

• Garden orientation

• Soil

• Existing planting.

Our What Information Does a Garden Designer Need? page explores the wider design brief.

Do I Need Drawings?

Where the solution involves:

• New screens

• Pergolas

• Deep borders

• Tree planting

drawings can help organise the boundary properly.

Our Do I Need Drawings for My Garden? page explains the wider role of garden drawings.

Professional Landscaping

New screens, tree planting and borders need good installation.

Our Professional Landscaping page explores why workmanship matters.

Landscape Construction

Our Landscape Construction page explores how:

• Screens

• Planting

• Paving

• Garden structures

can be coordinated during the build.

Garden Groundworks

Creating deep borders or new tree pits may require proper soil preparation.

Our Garden Groundworks page explores the hidden work behind landscape construction.

Choosing a Landscaping Company

Where the project includes:

• New fencing

• Screens

• Pergolas

• Large planting

contractor selection matters.

Our How to Choose a Landscaping Company page explores what to look for.

Complete Garden Design and Build

An ugly fence is often just one symptom of a garden that lacks enough:

• Planting

• Structure

• Depth

• Focal interest.

Our Complete Garden Design and Build page explains how the whole space can be reconsidered.

Rather than simply disguising the boundary, a complete design can change what you notice when you look into the garden.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in North West England

Fence screening in North West England needs to respond to:

• Rainfall

• Heavy soils

• Shade

• Wind

• Garden size.

Plant selection should be based on local conditions as well as appearance.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in Lancashire

Lancashire gardens may need planting suited to:

• Wet conditions

• Clay soil

• Exposure.

Robust shrubs and trees can provide long-term screening.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in Cheshire

Larger Cheshire gardens may have enough space for:

• Deep borders

• Pleached trees

• Specimen planting.

This can make even a substantial fence visually disappear into the landscape.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in Greater Manchester

Urban and suburban gardens often have long runs of close-board fencing.

Climbers, multi-stem trees and layered planting can dramatically soften these boundaries.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in Merseyside

Exposed sites may require:

• Wind-tolerant planting

• Robust structural screens.

Hiding an Ugly Fence in the Ribble Valley

Rural gardens may suit softer boundary treatments using:

• Hedging

• Trees

• Naturalistic planting.

This can reduce the suburban appearance of fencing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the easiest way to hide an ugly fence?

If the fence is structurally sound, planting, climbers or repainting may be enough. Larger gardens can also use trees and deeper borders.

Should I replace an ugly fence?

Not necessarily. If it is structurally sound and secure, it may be more practical to soften it visually.

What plants are best for hiding a fence?

The right plants depend on light, soil, exposure, available width and the height you need to screen.

Are climbers good for hiding fences?

Yes, particularly where ground space is limited.

Can I grow climbers directly on a fence?

Potentially, but the fence needs to be structurally capable of supporting the mature plant.

Can I plant trees in front of a fence?

Yes. Trees can be extremely effective at breaking up long fence lines.

Are pleached trees good for hiding fences?

They can provide attractive formal upper-level screening where a structured appearance is appropriate.

Can I put slatted screening in front of an existing fence?

Yes. A secondary screen can improve appearance without necessarily replacing the existing boundary.

What colour should I paint an ugly fence?

Darker colours often help boundaries visually recede behind planting, although the best colour depends on the garden style.

Can I hide a fence without losing too much garden space?

Yes. Climbers, standard trees and selective screens can provide vertical impact with a relatively small footprint.

Can I hide a fence in a small garden?

Yes. Use climbers, slender planting and carefully positioned trees rather than very wide hedges.

How can I hide a fence quickly?

Painting, screens and larger specimen planting can provide relatively immediate visual improvement while longer-term planting establishes.

Is bamboo good for hiding a fence?

It can be in some situations, but species selection and containment are important.

How can I hide a fence with planting?

Create layers using shrubs, trees, grasses and climbers rather than one narrow row of plants.

Can garden lighting help?

Yes. Lighting the planting in front of the fence can make the boundary much less noticeable after dark.

What if the fence is also too low for privacy?

You may need a wider privacy strategy using trees, pergolas or screening. See Garden Privacy Ideas.

What if the problem is a building behind the fence?

See How to Screen an Ugly View or How to Screen a Neighbour's Extension.

Can I keep a secure fence for dogs but hide it with planting?

Yes. See Dog-Friendly Garden Design for wider boundary and planting considerations.

Does Kirman Design design fence screening schemes?

Yes. Kirman Design creates bespoke boundary and screening schemes throughout North West England using trees, shrubs, climbers, hedging, screens and landscape design.

The Fence Does Not Have to Be the View

An unattractive fence often becomes dominant because there is nothing between it and the viewer.

The strongest solution is rarely just:

“Put something in front of the fence.”

Instead ask:

Does the fence actually need replacing?

Which sections are most visible?

Could planting create more depth?

Would a darker finish help?

Could trees break the fence line?

Would a pergola or internal screen improve the view?

Could the seating face something better?

And what will the boundary look like once the planting matures?

The strongest solutions balance:

security + softness

boundary + planting

screening + garden depth

immediate improvement + long-term growth

practicality + landscape design.

The objective is not necessarily to make every fence panel disappear.

It is to create a garden where the boundary becomes background rather than the feature your eye notices first.

If an unattractive garden fence is dominating your garden in Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, the Ribble Valley or elsewhere in North West England, contact Kirman Design to discuss a bespoke garden screening, planting and landscape design solution.