Decorating Your Fence can be a FUN and EASY alternative to expensive landscaping! 

DYF Projects and Ideas 

 Nine squares were measured and painted with metallic craft paints.  Wrought iron garden fencing was used for the outer frame. Two wall plaques with the centers removed were nailed to the fence; then two wrought iron candle holders were placed along the top of the squares so the candles hang near the middle.

A plant bracket with hanging basket was placed near the middle of the "frame," and two container pots sit on the ground with bouganvillas so they can be trained to climb through the outside frame.  Click on photo for additional instructions.

Kathy's Fence Project: If you don't want to paint your fence, do what Kathy does: place small hanging pots directly against the fence with plants (air plants) that don't require a lot of soil, like Rabbit's Foot Fern; just remember to consider the amount of light hitting the fence because most ferns are shade-loving plants. Decorative grasses would work well, too and remember that you can use larger pots with sun-loving flowers that would really make your fence area pop with COLOR! See Kathy's Backyard.

Tim's Fence Project: If you like all things fishing then take a look at what Tim has done with his fence. A beautiful wood fence, just like Tim's, looks amazing with the artful play of sharks and crabs caught in a fisherman's net.  His "Gone Fishing" theme for the entire backyard is brought to life by placing the salt-water fish and sea critters at eye-level.  Inexpensive art signs can be purchased then given a coat of varnish or polyurethane to weatherproof them for hanging on the fence.  It's obvious Tim knows what a "spiced-up" view means.  After seeing his fence decorated with outdoor metal art and other fishing and ocean-life, its hard to imagine it bare. 
See, Tim's "Gone Fishing" fence. 

DYF Idea: Place six trellises on a fence to create a focal point, then add a low profile redwood planter directly underneath the trellises with dozens of Sunflowers planted in them.  Or choose any vining plants that will climb the trellises; however, Sunflowers would be perfect for this fence project.

If you live in the colder states, take time during the summer to stain your fence with a redwood-type stain or even better, paint it a buttery yellow color, or a light slate blue and place several of these Sunflower trellises along the fence line.  When the weather is rainy and gray, your view from the window will be sunny and bright.  More trellises... or click on photo for pricing information for the Sunflower Trellis.

DYF Idea:  The fastest and easiest way to spice-up a fence is to use decorative wrought iron hanging baskets with your favorite plants all along the fence. A Southwest or Fiesta themed backyard easily incorporates wrought iron hanging baskets filled with a variety of cactus plants that flow downward like a Christmas Cactus or Rat Tail Cactus.  Both are easy to maintain and look really good.  

Hanging baskets can be relatively inexpensive to change-out if maintaining them doesn't fit into your schedule.  If the plant dies-off and it hasn't been transferred to the garden, look for another one specific to your weather zone and simply replace it. Hanging baskets filled with bouganvilleas placed along the fence adds so much color and life, you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.  It really is easy!

DYF Idea: A simple but dramatic look with a red faux-painted wall with lanterns ramdomly placed. The black scrolled wrought iron hardware holding the lanterns that gives it a unique and romantic old world charm. This decorating scheme could easily be incorporated on a small enclosed patio fence.

Find old metal outdoor light fixtures at flea markets or garage sales. Give them a little sanding, a coat of black matte spray paint, and place them on the fence with candle votives or tea lights inside glass holders for a soft night glow. Or, make it a centerpeice, painted right in the middle of the fence, with a black frame surrounding it and then put hooks on each side with hanging baskets on each end for a one-of-a-kind backyard art piece.