Gallery: Banish Boring Garden Walls and Fences

Morrison comments on a wall by a garden designer she admires, "Baylor Chapman of Lila B. Designs tucks succulents into repurposed shutters in her contemporary, urban garden." City chic indeed.

We use them all the time for expanding views inside our homes. Why not in the garden too? On this San Jose, California fence Morrison points out, "The mirror gives the illusion of a hidden entrance into another part of the garden." The grille topping the mirror gives extra depth and mystery.

In their famed Napa garden, designers Freeland and Sabrina Tanner hung antique watering cans on a fence they covered with yellow, variegated ivy. Not invasive like English ivy (Hedera helix), the variegated colors of the yellow ivy light up the charming composition. Morrison said this was one of the most popular images in the Garden Up! book.

Is it old or is it vintage? Morrison pointed out, "When a garden fence becomes old and worn, the first instinct is to cover it with vines. But a weathered look becomes an asset when it’s used as the canvas for a focal point wall with old-world refinement." This vignette is from Sweet's Los Altos, California garden where succulents are happy year-round. Other touches, such as the faux-bois planter would work in any climate.