Garden fence ideas for difficult gardens

Seabrook is a small village on the Kent coast. Due to the chalky ground and hilly landscape, it can make gardens difficult to work with.

For one couple living there, the garden was set across several levels, including a particularly steep slope. They also had bin storage and general garden storage areas that required improvement, along with a need for new boundary fencing around the entire garden. In addition, the property sits on the Kent coast, so the garden is frequently exposed to strong winds.

The customers contacted Living Landscapes, one of our Kent based Approved Installers working in Hythe and surrounding areas. They specialise in garden landscaping, using Jacksons’ products as part of their portfolio.

Build retaining walls to support sloping gardens

Before the garden renovation could begin, the Approved Installers had to build retaining walls to give support to the sloping banks of earth. The installers used block work for this particular project, but Jakwall used as a timber retaining wall can also be used for this purpose, as it has been pressure treated and manufactured from class 4 timber, which is selected specially for use in direct contact with the ground or fresh water, much like our decking joists, gravel boards and fence posts.

Blockwork, landscape timbers and sleepers are all effective ways to build retaining walls and remove slopes from gardens. Blockwork is often chosen when the structure will not be visible or when appearance is not a priority. It can be rendered, but this is expensive, time consuming and requires ongoing maintenance. Timber sleepers or landscape timbers are excellent alternatives, but it is important to choose products with long guarantees such as the Jacksons twenty five year guarantee. Without a long guarantee, replacing a timber retaining wall after only five or ten years is something no one wants to face, so it is worth investing in materials that will last. Landscape timbers are often selected for their modern appearance. Read our blog on Retaining walls with Sleepers

Choose Traditional Featherboard fencing for use on hills

Along the side of the garden, running to the lowest point, the customer has opted for Traditional Featherboard fencing. Featherboard, (also know as closeboard fencing) is great for application on hills, because it comes in kit form and is constructed from posts, rails and pales on site.

Each pale can be cut and set at a certain height to achieve a level top that doesn’t awkwardly step downwards. They have opted here to have the rails facing inwards, as this fence can be seen from the front of their property, so it offers an attractive view to neighbours and visitors. Traditional Featherboard fencing has also been used for the bottom of the garden, with the rails facing outwards so that the customer gets the ‘good’ side of the fence.

When a fence needs to be installed on a slope, there are a couple of effective approaches. If you are using fence panels with slotted posts, the fence will need to be stepped. In some situations this will require heavy duty posts to achieve the depth needed for secure installation. The alternative is to use traditional kit form fencing, where the rails follow the line of the slope and create a smooth, continuous finish. For more detailed guidance, you can read our blog on installing a fence on a slope.

Use slatted fence panels in windy areas

As their house is situated on a hill, the couple have the benefit that adjoining houses don’t overlook their property therefore privacy isn’t much of an issue, so they took advantage of this, and opted for slatted fence panels to run along the back of the garden. They chose our 1.5m high Venetian slatted fence panels, which allow light and air to travel through with less wind resistance due to the gaps, which is important in high areas. Venetian slatted fence panels have a contemporary design, with horizontal slats that create a simple and elegant screen. They have also installed a 1.5m high square trellis fence panel, which already has some beautiful plants climbing up it; adding a splash of colour.

Slatted fence panels are a popular choice in locations that experience strong winds. Their open design allows wind to pass through the panel, which reduces pressure on the posts and helps prevent damage. Alongside using slatted panels, there are several other tactics that help protect a fence in windy conditions. These include using larger posts for additional strength and securing the panels to the posts with screws to improve stability. You can read more about how to protect your fence from strong winds in our dedicated advice. Slatted fence panels do not have to be see through either. We offer a wide selection of semi solid designs that provide privacy while still allowing light and airflow through the garden.

Use slatted fence panels to create bin and hidden storage areas

Before entering the garden from the side entrance, there is a large storage area for bins and other garden equipment. Originally it was enclosed by blue featherboard fencing, but the couple wanted to change it for something more contemporary and stylish. They chose Venetian Hit and Miss fence panels to surround the storage area and extend along the front of the garden. These premium slatted fence panels combine our Venetian fence panels with a Hit and Miss design. This means that you still get the appearance of a slatted fence panel, but with extra privacy due to the additional pales on the opposite side. Now the bins are hidden from view and there is increased privacy around the front of the garden, with the slatted fence panels blending with the Venetian fencing at the back of the garden. They have installed two access points using Canterbury Combi gates, which have a solid panel for the lower two thirds, and a decorative slatted top, so they match both solid and semi-solid styles of fencing.

Use timber sleepers to create flowerbeds

To add the finishing touch to the garden, Living Landscapes created some flowerbeds out of timber sleepers. Creating flowerbeds from timber sleepers is an effective way to increase growing space, particularly in a sloping garden where planting can be difficult. Like all our products, our timber sleepers are guaranteed for 25 years.

If you want more insight into how different customers have tackled unmanageable landscapes or unforgiving winds, read a few of our blogs below:

Fence Panels

A fence exposed to strong winds

What makes a good fence

Triangular garden transformed