Get creative tips for dressing up a bare fence with plants. Discover some of the best plants to grow against a fence or wall in your backyard.
The Best Plants to Grow Against a Fence
Updated on Mar. 18, 2021
Is the view out your window looking rather barren to you? Dress up your bare wall or fence with beautiful plants! This old, brick wall gorgeous with these roses climbing on it. Unfortunately, not all garden fences or walls are attractive to look at. This is why it good for gardeners to know the best plants to grow against a fence.
Maybe you have a bare wall that you view from your window. Or maybe your garden is surrounded by a wooden fence. Whether you have a wall or fence, you don’t have to settle for viewing a rather boring expanse. It is quite simple to dress up these bare spaces using plants planted in the ground or in containers. Painting a fence or wall is also great way to add color to your garden.
Best Plants to Grow Against a Fence
This simple ‘tipsy pot plant tower‘, located at the University of South Carolina is filled with herbs. Next to it is an artichoke plant, which not only produces delicious artichokes—it is also often grown as an ornamental plant.
Perennials are a great way to beautify a bare fence, like this garden in Flagstaff, Arizona. Select perennials that do well in your area and pair with ornamental grass and plants that will provide fall color.
Tall-growing biennials like hollyhocks provide a colorful screen against a fence all summer long.
This colorful planting against a bare wall creates a colorful spring display in Berea, Kentucky. Include tulips, violas and pansies.
Espaliered fruit trees, like this apple tree, not only look great growing against a fence—they also produce delicious fruit!
Vines to Grow Against a Fence
Flowering vines are a great choice for bare walls such as this Queen’s Wreath Vine (Antigonon leptopus) at Arizona State University. There are many different types of flowering vines and you are sure to find one that will grow in your climate.
Vines are also a great choice for narrow spots like these star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) growing up on decorative trellises made up of rebar.
Shrubs to Grow Against a Fence
Side yards are often used for storage and utility. This can be quite a depressing view from a window that faces out into this area. An easy solution is to plant a flowering shrub, centered across from each window, like the bougainvillea, above.
Shrubs with colorful foliage are also a great choice for covering bare walls or fences, like this one at the University of South Carolina.
Container Plants to Place Against a Fence
Don’t have soil in which to add plants? Then containers are your best choice. Select a variety of pots and plants for added texture and interest.
Containers mask an unsightly item or block a view. A group of stout containers can hide low-lying items like utilities and hose reels, while taller containers will cover even larger items. Check out 10 dwarf flowering shrubs for containers.
A plant shelf is a wonderful way to decorate a bare wall, like this one filled with potted herbs at Disneyland.
You can grow shrubs against a bare wall, even without soil to plant it in – just use a container instead.
Edible Plants to Grow Against a Fence
Dress up a bare fence with whiskey barrels and fill with edible plants such as herbs and vegetables.
Never underestimate the ability of a single rose bush to dress up a bare corner. Plant a climbing rose to beautify a fence. Or lean a trellis against a structure to create a wall of blooms. Learn how to choose the best roses for your garden.
