Creative Ways To Hide Garden Eyesores

Guest post by Holly Dodd

Gardens are places for connecting with nature, pursuing hobbies, and relaxing. However, gardens are also the perfect place for utilities and storage. Sometimes, avoiding these practical eye sores is impossible. This doesn’t mean you have to get rid of them to make your garden appealing, it just means you must use a bit of creativity and do a bit of planning.

Let’s dive into ways to hide these necessities.

Wheelie Bins

Having wheelie bins is unavoidable. And since they need to be moved regularly, disguising them must be practical. Trellis fencing can be used to create a wall around the bins without hindering the movement when it comes to putting the bins out.

Wooden bin storage

If you fancy something a bit more structured, wooden bin storage is the perfect option. They create a classy, yet practical hide out for your bins. And if you want to include some greenery, put some planters on top. Bin storage with a “living roof” has become a popular option. By adding a door or leaving a gap in the wood you will be able to get your bins in and out with ease. If you don’t fancy taking on the DIY task you can buy these wooden storage units premade, for 1, 2, or 3 bins.

Oil and Water Tanks

If you’re one of the people that has tanks in their garden, you’re probably aware they aren’t the prettiest things to look at, or small. Usually located in more rural properties, these tanks can be incredibly useful, and you might not want (or be able to) connect your house to the national grid. So, let’s go over a couple of solutions.

Trellis fencing

Creating a barrier made up of trellis and climbers, is a gorgeous way to disguise your tank whilst also keeping it safe and maintainable. A couple of climbers we’d recommend are ivy. Native to the UK, this plant grows effortlessly on fences and is easy to look after. Another great climber is Euonymus fortunei, commonly known as winter spindle. It’s a beautiful choice for year round coverage, and this plant can grow well in full sun and shade.

Underground option

Something that might be worth considering is getting your oil tank put underground. These tanks are usually larger so require less refilling. With the tank being underground it can open up your garden and make it seem larger – and hide the eye sore.

Drain Covers and Manholes

Drain covers and manholes can disrupt the look of a garden, and sometimes you may have unfortunate placement of these covers, for example directly in the middle of your grass, or in your front garden. Fortunately, these are one of the easiest eyesores to hide on the list.

Planters

One of the simplest ways to hide them are potted plants or planters. This also means water will still be able to flow freely into the drain and make the garden look pretty.  As for manholes, planters can be moved to the side for easy access.

Artificial grass covers

Another option is to use manhole covers that are topped with artificial grass. This is a good idea for if your garden has the manhole placed inconveniently in the middle of your garden.

Note: Covering these manholes must be temporary, meaning you can remove the cover if it needs to be accessed.

Tiled drain covers

If you have a patio that’s disrupted by a drain cover, one option to disguise it would be a tiled drain cover. These drain covers have a shallow recess to add patio slabs or tiles which blend in with the rest of the patio.

Water Butts

Water butts have always been a favourite for people interested in sustainability, not to mention the water from the rain is far superior to plants than tap water.  Unfortunately, water butts don’t have the reputation for being very decorative.

Wooden box

Similar to wheelie bins you can box water butts in without compromising the utility of it. By building a wooden box around it with either trellis or just regular wood you can hide water butts as well as adding character to your garden.

Plants as a distraction

More planters. By putting planters next to your water butt you can take the attention away. Opting for brightly colour plants is a perfect distraction.

Gas and Electric Readers

One of the smallest utilities on this list but can sometimes be placed quite awkwardly. Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to make these look nicer. There are a couple ways to do this.

Premade covers

You can buy custom made covers from websites like etsy, just to be sure that they remain accessible. You’ve just got to make sure the box remains weatherproof.

Painting

Why not give the box a fresh coat of paint. You could make it stand out with bright colours and patterns, or hide it with more neutral, smart colours like black or white. When it comes to choosing the paint, make sure it is weatherproof to ensure it lasts.

With all these garden utilities playing a large part in practical day to day life, it’s important to keep them accessible. By choosing any of the upgrades on this list your garden will look more beautiful whilst keeping them safe and practical.