Need help/ideas with fenced in garden area

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

hi everyone! my husband and i have been working hard this past month to build our raised bed vegetable garden. we finally have a fence up around the space as well, and we chose to fence in a larger area than the veggie area itself (veggie area is about 25x30', we fenced in about an extra 15' of grass). Our thinking was this way, if we choose to expand the raised bed area a few years down the line we will have room to do so without having to redo the fence. For now, the grassy area can also provide us with a little area to relax and have coffee in the morning or a glass of wine in the evening. The trouble is right now, it just looks like a sad, boring, grassy rectangle. There is also a very slight slope, it's a bit higher elevation on the right (nothing too drastic, but any furniture would probably need to be set on the left side...) Any ideas on what to add, how to create some visual interest and make it more inviting? Any special kind of outdoor furniture? We'd like to bring in some florals as well to attract pollinators - i had thought maybe some petunia baskets hanging from fence posts?

I'm also interested in any ideas on how to soften up the harsh lines of the fencing - we are considering a hedge along the outer perimeter but we are looking for something very low maintenance (we already have sooo many gardens) and perhaps something that won't get too tall, so that it won't shade any of the veggies...we're open to ideas!

some photos: (taken a few days ago, before the fence was finally complete - there is a gate now, and the post holes have been filled back in!)

overall view:

view of grassy area:

looking back toward gate:

Thanks for all your help!

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Comments (5)

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
The Vegetable forum might be able to help you with pollinators. I'm not sure what grows in your zone, but as far as your seating question, I'm a huge fan of Adirondack Chairs! We have a couple and love to sit out at night with a glass of wine and look at our fire pit and the city light views. They make them in all colors and many with wine holders. Ours are not wood, but they look like it and they weather just fine!

Another thing you could add is a fire pit. Ours is propane. We got it for $99 through Hayneedle.com. We hide the propane behind a shrub, and the little pit puts out a lot of heat! We loved it so much, we now have two fire pits! One is in a pine grove by our picnic table. We love the propane. No sparks! No wild fires!!

Re your view: Is that a driveway with cars? I'd definitely put a hedge there, but your slope seems like you'll just see those cars anyway. You could try planting vining veggies on your fence, but it might provide too much shade for the boxes.
katemartha (z5/6 nj) thanked Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
7 years ago
Can you get a lawnmower to that grass? Several years ago, my DH had the same idea. After spending a summer looking at an unmowed, and unmowable, he moved the fence back so it only enclosed the garden.
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katemartha (z5/6 nj)
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks Suzi! I'm going to look into the Adirondack chairs now - love that idea! That is our driveway - we are thinking of possibly adding a small pergola and trellis to the gate area and planting some kind of flowering vine - possibly clematis. I think after that matures, it would eventually help to hide the driveway a bit - plus maybe a small hedge on either side of the gate, outside the fence as well. What do you think of a large potting table area? There is actually enough space to do something like that nearer to the gate on the graveled area, so perhaps it makes more sense on that side of the garden...

mad_gallica - that crossed my mind before we built the fence, thankfully! we measured everything and made sure all our pathways and gate were at least 3.5 feet wide to ensure we could use our wheelbarrow and lawnmower easily and move some furniture inside there too.
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
You can plant taller plants such as clematis and/or shrubs along the north side, but keep things low along the east, west and south sides, less than 3' or so.

You could add hanging baskets of flowers (though they will need daily or more frequent watering) or colorful toppers on your fence posts. Once your veggies really start growing and as the fence weathers, the veggies will make the fence fade into the background to some degree.

I choose furniture for comfort, so be sure you sit in whatever you are considering so that you will actually want to use them. Having a table is nice as well.

If you do a search for the term potager you may get some ideas as to how to make the garden more ornamental.
kitasei
7 years ago
Yes, potager. Maybe the grassy area is where you'd want fruit trees, or a grape arbor?

Need help/ideas with fenced in garden area

Comments (5)

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

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katemartha (z5/6 nj)
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Need help/ideas with fenced in garden area

Comments (5)

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b

mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

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katemartha (z5/6 nj)Original Author

NHBabs z4b-5a NH

kitasei

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CONNECT WITH US

katemartha (z5/6 nj)
Original Author