I think white is the best backdrop for gardens. But it all depends on what your house looks like and will a white fence go well with it?

My vote is for a simple, classic white. :)

I have a white picket fence around my couryard garden and I love it in all seasons. The white always looks good no matter what color the garden is turning. I especially like it in winter with the white snow.

Stain is much less upkeep though so that might be something you might want to consider.

Although my fence is dark brown, I agree with white. I would not paint though. Buy white stain (can you stain over stain?) I stain my front porch railing and spindles (white) and only have to touch up about every 3 years. Even then, it does not peel only looks a bit drab and needs a brightening.

JR

I have the white picket fence and also a 6 ft privacy fence. I would not do the privacy fence in a light color. You want it to disappear not be a focal point at least I think so. I had mine light and hated it. I then went to the darkest Charleston green that BM has...also Behr has one and it look so much better as a backdrop to all the plants. I have mostly purple and lavender and pink also and the darkest green looks wonderful with it. A 6 ft tall fence is a LOT of fence and I wanted to not "see" it. I have posted other pics but my camera is broken. When I get it back if you still want to see I can take new pics. c

I have four kinds of fences, lol! Take your pick...

I have a picket fence, gate, and arbor all on the east side of my house. I painted them white too. Don't get me wrong, I like the look of a classic white picket fence, but it does look a bit glaring considering the house is also white. Because of that I am letting the paint chip and weather a little to soften the look. If I were to do it over I might just leave the wood natural and fade to a nice grey color. Not that this is a big deal if your house is a a color other than white.

I also have a white vinyl fence along the west side of the back yard (put up only because of a nasty neighbor). It looks pretty good, but it too is rather harsh. I have mature shrubs along my side to break it up the glaring white. Also a few vines.

You certainly don't have to go with plain white though. I think various shades of green compliment plants a lot. A soft, earth-toned lentil-green would look nice. My shed is painted that color and I really like it.

I think someone here on the forums (GGG?) has a lavender colored picket fence that is neat. I have even seen pics of fences with square 'frames' painted on to create framed pictures with plants as the subjects. You can get very creative with a bucket of paint!
CMK

Like trailrunner, I didn't want my fence--of wide pickets--to stand out so I painted it (using solid hide stain) a dark gray, which also makes a good neutral background for whatever's planted against it.

I have a short section of privacy fence in my back yard that no one sees from the street. That's painted deep plum, and I love it! It only looks purple when the sun hits it.

Our wood fences ... the privacy and parking apron picket ... are weathered wood. I would've loved to stain the privacy, but redoing it down the road would've been a nightmare. If you don't have anything growing near the fence, that's one thing, but if you grow vines on them or have beds that butt against them just think of the logistics.

I like that Treelover!! Plus if it is grey and it weathers a bit, it would look fine.
I love a white picket fence, but mine is purple, simply because our house is purple. I had a lot of purple and pink flowers in the garden but it's not showing. I've changed to hot pinks, yellows and oranges and put the purples farthest away from the fence. It's working.

GGG: Actually it was your purple fence that inspired me to do mine that color. I got a bad case of purple-fence envy when you posted some photos a few years ago!

Under the influence... umm, rules... of an HOA, our fence is bronze aluminum. No white allowed. We got our fence approved as part of our house design, rather than the landscape, otherwise, it would have been required 3 board pasture fence that weathers naturally. The bronze was allowed because our light fixtures, door handles, etc. are bronze. The corners are stone, like the chimney.

Cameron

Oh treelover...I have serious fence envy !! My head is spinning at the possibilities...now you have done it LOL.

I hate my white pickets. I restained them last year and you would never know it .The dirt shows on them all the time, even with mulch and the "aged" look makes them just look dingy. They get clay colored stain at the bottoms too as well as the flecks of black dirt and don't even ask about the mildew in the shaded areas. So nope , no white anymore.

I have had to wait to get all the arbors done and the pergolas. They are getting primer and paint, no more stain and the pergolas will match the house trim but the arbors...now I don't know, thanks to treelover...will see what I come up with :)

We have a 6'plain cedar board fence around are back yard/garden. It has faded to a nice silver grey which is a nice backdrop. I could never keep up with the maintenance if I had stained it.
Treelover I love what you have done with your fences I think grey is the perfect backdrop for plants, shrubs and vines. I been doing some constructive staring again, I've got this thing I must have something purple somewhere just don't know what yet.

Annette

Trailrunner, I would love to see your dark green fence when you can get a picture. I also love the idea of a purple fence. we have a six-foot privacy fence (darn border collie mixes can jump anything!) that I would love to see disappear! Thanks for the ideas!!!! Cynthia

Thanks everybody! I love the purple fence, so cute! I think i going to go for the white fence look, though the upkeep will be hard i need my plants to stand out. I sat by it today and tried to imagine it a few different colors. I do have a row of arborvitae that is short now but should cover the fence, and i can do trellis's with clematis behind them until they fill out. I just cant leave that bed alone, always changing something!

Treelover, that dark gray fence is just beautiful. I don't think I would have ever thought to paint a fence that color. I just love it!

Cyn, for some reason she started a new thread with the picture.

Here is a link that might be useful: Trailrunner's fence

Gee, thanks y'all. I didn't think my old gray fence was anything special . . . though this color is definitely a step up from the dog-poo brown that it was before I painted it.

Thanks for watching out for me, natal. I just never got a chance to read the forum yesterday (see my post to trailrunner in her new thread).

Treelover, as I was scrolling through again, I noticed the cat in your chair. I was so busy focusing on the fence, although I noticed the chair (looks great in the garden, btw),I completely missed the cat! Too cute.

finch, you hit my sore spot. The neighbors have a hurricane fence--gray metal wire. Of course, everyone who moves there has pets which I love, but then the ugly fence stays.
Let's see, I have lots of red and pink flowers, so wouldn't want that, quite a few lav too. Leaves would be camo'd against greens, don't like that much orange and yellow--too garish. That leaves the possibility of browns, soft blue or turquoise pastel fence for a cottage look, but I'd like gray or white better. Nothing like them to show off your flowers.
gramma jan

Treelover, if paint my privacy fence deep plum, will a beautiful kitty on a chair magically appear? How wonderful.

Haha . . . other than my having to cart the chair home from an antique store, that's pretty much how it happened.

lynnencfan: I agree that natural is best, unless you're prepared for a lot of work every few years or so. Your fenced in garden is so pretty!

Oh if I could have lynn's garden...what a treat it ALWAYS is to see that pic. I forget where your blog is...do you have new pics Lynn ? I just love your story and your garden. c

Hi all~

I would not paint anything outdoors, as it will eventually peel and be a real mess (ask me how I know!). I'm for a stain, for sure!!! A good stain will very slowly fade, but it will never peel.

Our 5 ft. privacy fence fence is stained with two coats of Behr's top of the line custom mixed outdoor stain (an off white neutral color).

My DH did all the work himself when we moved in 8 yrs. ago, including the huge job of sanding and then pressure washing the fence (it had an original peeling paint on it, which was a real nightmare ot clean up what with paint flakes all over the yard!). So far so good, no touch ups have been necessary and it looks perfect 8 yrs. later.

Becky