Roses on a picket fence make a pretty picture.
Fences provide privacy, security and walls for outdoor living spaces. They may be designed to keep livestock out or pets and children in. Whether they're split rail, solid wood, picket or iron railing, fences needn't be merely utilitarian. Planting foliage and flowers along a fence softens hard lines, provides visual interest, contributes to privacy and personalizes the fence to complete outdoor living areas. Select plants according to your U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone. Does this Spark an idea?
Roses
A trumpet vine on a wrought iron fence.
Climbing roses are natural for planting along a fence. Vigorous, fragrant pink climbers include bright pink Lavender Lassie, dark pink and thornless Zepherine Droughin and light pink New Dawn, all of which will tolerate some shade. Eden has peony-like pink blossoms. Cecil Brunner has small pink blossoms. Red climbers include Red Eden, brilliant red Blaze and the fragrant Don Juan. Peach colored climbers include the fragrant Abraham Darby and Compassion. Lady Banks roses in white or yellow are vigorous growers in warmer climates, and are nearly thornless. Climbing America is a deep, bright salmon colored rose with a spicy fragrance. Training climber canes horizontally along the fence will allow lateral shoots to produce the most blossoms.
Vines
Grazing livestock are kept from the garden by a simple, attractive fence.
Clematis, woodbine, honeysuckle, jasmine and trumpet vine will grow beautifully along a fence. For solid fences, provide trellises or other means of supporting vines. A mature Silver Lace vine can grow up to 20 feet in one season; you may cut it back to the ground in fall. Prune clematis vines according to individual cultivar requirements. Keep dead wood pruned away from any established vines to avoid fire hazards. Silver lace vine and honeysuckle may be considered invasive in some climates. Consult your local nursery for guidance.
Foliage and Shrubs
Foliage creates privacy along with a rail fence.
Planting foliage shrubs on the outside of pickets or rails creates privacy while retaining the charm of the fence design from within the yard. Varieties of evergreen Thuja, Italian cypress, boxwood, Euonymus or juniper provide yearlong interest. Berberis have maroon fall foliage. Deciduous shrubs such as lilacs, viburnum and rhododendron begin flowering in early spring, sporting full summer foliage during the outdoor activity season. Some varieties of hydrangeas will bloom through the summer. Large shrubs may be very slow growing. Consider your USDA climate zone when selecting foliage plants and flowering shrubs.
Colorful Borders
A colorful border in front of a split-rail fence is charming.
A fence of any style creates a backdrop for borders that may be composed of perennials, annuals, shrubs, roses and vines in combination. Consider the orientation of the fence for sunlight exposure and choose plants that will succeed. Rhododendrons and azaleas prefer shade, such as that created by a solid fence planted on the north side. Some climbing roses such as Lavender Lassie will tolerate some shade. Plants that require full sun, such as lilacs and most roses, will thrive in a southern exposure. Hydrangeas prefer morning sun and afternoon shade. In cooler climates, some plants will tolerate more sun. Colorful alliums, lilies, butterfly bushes, garden chrysanthemums and Shasta daisies, combined with bright annuals such as petunias and coreopsis, combine to create an effective display.
Tags: along fence, climbers include, will tolerate, creates privacy, Lavender Lassie
