Fence Design Ideas

Garden fence design is influenced in large part by the choice of materials to be used. Wrought iron fencing will suggest something more ornamental, while chain like fencing tends to be more utilitarian. Each materials has its own texture and aesthetic. We'll examine a few different types of garden fence materials and designs.

Wooden fences include hardwood and softwood, but sometimes the term "wooden" can stand for material that simply has the look and feel of wood - namely vinyl. Vinyl fencing should seriously be considered. While it's a little more expensive up front, its maintenance costs are negligible, since it doesn't chip, fade, rot, or become infested with bugs. It has a similar appearance and grain pattern to wood, but doesn't need to be replaced.

There are two main types of wooden garden fencing: stockade and picket fences. A stockade fence lacks any spacing between the slats, since they're connected at the edges with joinery. This gives the garden a more exclusive appearance. Bamboo garden fences are another type of privacy fencing. Bamboo is quite affordable and weathers in a manner that adds rather than detracts from the character of the wood. Homeowners less concerned with privacy usually choose the more, traditional, popular, classic white picket fence, which using spacing between the slats to admit a view of the garden from the other side.

Metal fences for gardens are usually aluminum or iron in nature. The two materials aren't mutually exclusive. Many fences that might look like wrought iron are actually made of aluminum finished with a powder coating that gives them additional rust and weather resistance, while being cheaper to boot. Wrought iron fencing is heavily in demand, but it's often out of the range of a homeowner's budget; but steel or aluminum can be substituted in most cases.

The cheapest metal garden fencing is the standard chain link fence. While some people resist considering chain link fences, since the can look fairly sterile surrounding something like a living garden, add vine in and around the links can make them blend in quite well. There's almost always a clever garden fence design that can be used for even the most utilitarian fences.