Garden Fence Ideas: Beautiful Boundaries For Your Garden

white painted fence around swimming pool
(Image credit: Lights4fun)

The best garden fence ideas are not only crucial in ensuring your outdoor spaces are sheltered from the elements and prying eyes, but they can also add so much to the look and feel of a landscaping scheme.

Although garden fences are traditionally thought of as serving a purely practical function as a means of marking out the boundaries of a garden, increasingly they are being used to enhance the aesthetics of spaces and as feature in their own right. From contemporary designs topainting a fencein a bold hue, we're finding ways to enhance our boundaries.

Our collection of garden fence ideas offers something for everyone, whether you favour traditional landscaping schemes or are after something a little more innovative and original.

Garden Fence Ideas For Every Landscaping Style

Before perusing our garden fence round up, take a minute to think about what you want from yourgarden design. If it is a tranquil oasis with a very natural feel you are after, you may well be after a fence that works with climbing plants, while those after a very cohesive look in their garden might consider choosing a colour to ensure it ties in with the shades used elsewhere in their scheme.

You should also think beyond using your fence as a boundary alone — fences can be useful places to hang other garden features, such as pots, lighting and mirrors too.

1. Opt For An Aged Look For Character

aged painted garden fence

(Image credit: Annie Sloan)

New wooden fences can have a tendency to stand out for the wrong reasons; their harsh, rather bright new colour making it hard for them to blend in. Likewise, the silvery grey they often weather to over time is not suitable for every garden style.

Painting a fence is great idea if this is a concern to you, and a good news is some of thebest fence paintsare now available in a range of colours — long gone are the days when brown or green were the only choices. Here, chalk paint in Athenian Black, from Annie Sloan, has been used in conjunction with UV lacquer.

2. Ensure Privacy With Hit and Miss Fencing

contemporary seating space in garden with grey sofa

(Image credit: B&Q)

Seating areas in the garden should feel cosseted and protected from the elements — and hit and miss fencing is ideal for both requirements.

Hit and miss fencing, such as this fromB&Q, features boards that are mounted alternately to the back and front of vertical battens.

3. Choose a Slatted Fence For Contemporary Spaces

contemporary double slatted fence

(Image credit: B&Q)

When considering variousfence typesfor your garden, you should be aware that some are more suitable than others for contemporary garden schemes.

Single and double slatted, or Venetian fencing, are particularly well suited to modern gardens, as can be seen in this crisp and clean example with a double slatted fence fromB&Q.

4. Create a Focal Point With Decorative Fence Panels

decorative garden fence in black

B&Q's GoodHome Neva Decorative 12 Fence panel (W179mxH088m) costs £185. (Image credit: B&Q)

As well as marking out the boundary of your garden and for zoning the various spaces within it, garden fences can also be used to create interest, becoming features in their own rights.

Decorative fence panels, such asB&Q'sNeva Decorative Fence Panel, are ideal for this.

5. Consider a Planted Fence Wall For a Lush Feel

planted fence in outdoor kitchen

(Image credit: CENA)

Living wallsare hugely fashionable at present, allowing for instant character and interest. For those who want a quick solution to creating the living wall look, then creating a planting scheme using your garden fence is a brilliant idea — and perfect for breaking up large expanses of fencing and making a new space feel established.

They are a particularly good choice for anyone looking foroutdoor kitchen ideas, as can be seen in this example fromCENA Outdoor Kitchens. Integrating a few herbs in easy reach of the BBQ could be another fine idea.

6. Break Up a Large Area With Brick and Timber Boundaries

wooden fence with half brick wall

(Image credit: B&Q)

Stuck trying to decide between a garden wall or fence? Great news — you don't have to. Large garden walls can feel a little overwhelming in smaller spaces and expanses of wooden fencing can feel a bit bland — combining the two is a great idea.

在这里, a characterful brick wall has been topped withB&Q'sGood Home Neva Timber Fence.

7. Create a Calm Oasis With Neutral Fence Paints

neutral painted fence in contemporary garden

(Image credit: Coat Paints)

A light-coloured fence is a great way to instantly transform the look of a garden, and can work particularly well in small garden — creating the illusion of space.

This pretty courtyard garden has been given a sense of tranquility thanks to the shade chosen for the simple slatted fence that surrounds it — Well Grounded fromCOAT Paintsx Luke Arthur Wells.

8. Enhance a Small Space With Lattice Patterns

lattice garden fence with large chimnea

在这里, lattice fence panels fromB&Qprovide an eye-catching backdrop. (Image credit: B&Q)

If you are after moresmall garden design ideasthen this one is for you. It can be tempting to think that you will be limited to using very plain, simple finishes in compact spaces but actually pattern and interest is a great way of distracting the eye from the proportions of a small area.

9. Fix a Water Feature To Your Fence For Tranquility

wooden fence with stone lion water feature

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

Water features add visual interest while introducing the calming sound of running water — plus they come in all shapes and sizes making them ideal for any style of garden.

If building your own water feature seems a little too much like hard work, then why not consider investing in a ready-to-use design such as this Lion Wall-mounted Water Feature fromCox & Coxand attach it to a simple garden fence?

10.使用组合击剑以打造出更加柔和的妆容

brick wall topped with timber slatted fence

(Image credit: B&Q)

Combination fencing, such as this fromB&Q, is made up of a panel fence topped with trellis. It is a great way to break up fence styles and is also ideal for those wishing to grow climbing plants up their boundaries. It is perfect for town gardens where green surroundings can sometimes be lacking.

This type of fencing can add also privacy, whilst allowing natural light to filter through.

11. Use a Single Fence Panel To Zone a Dining Space

wooden fence with fairy lights on patio with grey outdoor furniture

(Image credit: Danetti)

以及加强隐私和划线空间s, fencing has other, additional, uses. A single fence panel can be the ideal way of marking out a space as having a particular function, or provide somewhere to hang plants or lighting.

This is a great solution for those after greatgarden decking ideas— here, a cosy dining spot has been created on a raised deck with the addition of a single fence panel adorned with fairy lights.

12. Pick Double Slatted Fencing For Modern Appeal

contemporary garden with slatted fence and fire pit

(Image credit: Jacksons Fencing)

Double slatted fencing is the perfect choice for contemporary garden schemes, offering privacy with a minimalist look. It has slats mounted to both the back and front.

This fence is fromJacksons Fencingand has been used to mark out a smart, modern patio space.

13. Match Your Fence To Your Decking For Uniformity

wooden decking with matching fence

(Image credit: Go Modern Furniture)

For a modern, cohesive aesthetic in your garden, aim to use your fencing to pick up on materials used elsewhere in the space.

在这里, the same shade and style of timber has been used for the fencing and the decking, with the soft brown shade being mirrored in the choice of patio furniture.

14. Paint Your Fence White For a New England Feel

white painted fence around swimming pool

(Image credit: Lights4fun)

You can't beat a lick of fresh white paint when it comes to creating a garden with a light and airy New England feel.

在这里, a simple slatted fence, surrounding the enviable swimming pool, has been painted pure white and paired with a lush surrounding border. Festoon lights fromLights4funadd a playful finish to the look that stop it from looking austere.

15. Affix Decorative Lighting To Your Fencing

night shot of garden with fairy lights and black fence

(Image credit: Iconic Lights)

Fencing can provide the perfect spot to attach all manner of garden features. If you are aftergarden lighting ideasthen why not think about injecting a sparkly touch of magic with the addition of a slew of fairy lights — they look particularly effective against dark-stained timber.

The Took Regular Colour Changing Outdoor Ball Lights shown here are fromIconic Lights.

pictures hanging on garden fence

(Image credit: Yardart UK)

There is so much talk about 'bringing the outside in' but how about bringing the inside out instead?

Mirrors and artwork, designed specifically for outdoor use, are a great way to inject fun and interest in the garden —Yardart'swonderful range of abstract garden art is digitally printed using UV protected weatherproof colourfast inks and applied to high quality outdoor grade acrylic.

17. Create Interest With Curved Fences

combination fencing with curved trellis

(Image credit: Wickes)

Curves create visual interest and can even make gardens feel more spacious — from curved flower beds and pathways to circular patios.

TheseWickes'Forest Garden Pressure Treated Bristol Fence Panels add privacy but also have a softer look than those with straight edges.

18. Consider Natural Screening For a Rustic Look

natural willow screening

This willow garden screening is fromWickes. (Image credit: Wickes)

Natural screening such as hazel and willow hurdle panels are woven from coppiced hazel and willow and, despite their soft and mellow appearance, are surprisingly robust.

They are great for creating a pretty country garden feel and offer great privacy levels.

Natasha Brinsmead

Natasha is Homebuilding & Renovating’s Associate Editor and has been a member of the team for over two decades. An experienced journalist and renovation expert, she has written for a number of homes titles. She has renovated a terrace and is at the end of the DIY renovation and extension of her Edwardian cottage. She is now looking for her next project.