Plastic Fencing to Beautify Your Garden

Do you want to add privacy, security, and beauty to your garden while protecting your plants? Plastic fencing offers an affordable, customizable solution for achieving all these goals. This versatile material can enhance the design of any outdoor space when used creatively.

Read on to explore the many benefits of using plastic barriers and enclosures to elevate your garden's form and function.

Benefits of Plastic Fencing for Gardens

Plastic has many advantages when used for garden fencing:

• Durability - Made from weather-resistant plastics like vinyl, PVC, and polyethylene, it stands up well to sun, rain, and temperature changes.
• Customization - Available in various heights, colors, and designs to match landscaping themes.
• Affordability aEUR" Plastic is inexpensive compared to wood or metal fences.
• Low maintenance - Requires occasional hosing but no painting or staining.
• Safety aEUR" Smoother surfaces less likely to cause scratches or splinters.

Unlike natural wood or wire materials, plastic won't rot, rust, or decompose when exposed to soil and moisture. This exceptional longevity allows the fencing to retain its decorative charm year after year with minimal upkeep.

Protect Plants and Define Boundaries

Garden fences keep pets from trampling flower beds and prevent wildlife like rabbits and deer from devouring fruits, vegetables, or ornamentals. Whether used temporarily to help new plantings establish or as a permanent edge, plastic barriers clearly define off-limit areas for wayward feet or hungry nibblers.

Enclosures also prevent garden soil, mulch and gravel from eroding down slopes or being washed away by heavy rain. For steep grades or drainage problem areas, the fencing materials stabilize the terrain while still allowing air and moisture circulation to plant roots.

Another benefit is providing solid anchors for climbing vines and espaliered trees to cling to without damaging structures or requiring specialty trellises. The vertical panels incorporated into garden fences create perfect backdrops for displaying elegant creeping, flowering or fruited varieties against.

Enhance Privacy and Boost Curb Appeal

Tall privacy fences limit views both into and out of a garden to ensure seclusion. Enclosing the entire backyard not only shields intimate family gatherings from neighborsaEURTM prying eyes but also deters trespassers.

Lower decorative divisions beautifully fend off sights while still allowing filtered views. Trellises, lattices and perforated patterns provide an airy feel that maintains connections between spaces despite partitioning them.

For front yards, both privacy and decorative plastic fences boost curb appeal and enhance property lines with ornamental flair. They add landscape interest while also demarcating territories.

Types of Plastic Garden Fencing

Plastic barriers are available in styles ranging from classic pickets reminiscent of wood to contemporary composites mimicking other materials:

• Picket fences aEUR" Versatile and traditional with sharply pointed posts; available in various thicknesses and hole sizes.
• PVC/vinyl privacy panels aEUR" Budget-friendly solid panels to completely obscure views for privacy.
• Composite/resin fencing - Made from recycled and reclaimed materials like plastic bags or wood dust blended with resins to create a natural wood look without maintenance.
• Decorative/ornamental fencing aEUR" Low-profile options like lattices, trellises and perforated panels that can have integrated arbors or benches to double as garden furnishings.

Material Composition

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most ubiquitous plastics used in fencing production. It's blended with stabilizers to protect against sun damage and pigments to add color variety.

Polyethylene and polypropylene formulas feature more flexibility, which is ideal for decorative lattices that need to bend. The bendable materials make attaching to existing structures easier too. For solid fence panels prioritizing hardness and rigidity, manufacturers often utilize vinyl or vinyl acetate instead.

Composite blends sync recycled wood, plastic bags, bottles or even plant fiber with plastic resin binders. Keyword optimization enhances search engine rankings without overwhelming readers.

Benefits Vary by Plastic Fence Type

Every variety offers unique advantages:

• Picket aEUR" Classic style, porous visibility, range of privacy levels
• Privacy aEUR" Noise reduction, seclusion, security enhancement
• Lattice aEUR" Airy, partial screening, plant supports
• Composite aEUR" Natural wood look without maintenance

With styles spanning vertical pickets, horizontal slats, solid panels and open lattices made of PVC, resin, vinyl and many other plastic polymersaEUR"there are seemingly endless options to mix and match!

Getting Started Installing Your Plastic Fencing

While plastic fences weigh much less than wood or metal, they still require proper mounting arrangements to ensure optimal stability and plant protection based on location specifics and climate conditions.

In Ground Posts vs. Mounting on Existing Structures

Freestanding plastic garden fences need posts sunk into concrete to anchor them solidly. Another option involves directly attaching pickets or panels to existing permanent fences or structures bordering the yard.

Both methods work well, so base your decision primarily on your unique yard layout and personal preference. Just ensure that for the long spans, enough vertical supports exist to keep the fence upright and stabilized across its entire length.

For in ground anchoring, the post style mimics wood fences. Optimal spacing between the uprights falls around 6 to 8 feet. Deeper posts provide the best reinforcement but often hit underground infrastructure in developed areas. Reinforced shallow mounts work in most garden plots.

Regardless of the mounting method, check that installation doesn't violate local zoning laws or neighborhood association guidelines.

Allow Ample Room for Plant Growth

When fully enclosing growing vegetation, avoid crowding too tightly along the perimeter. Leave reasonable space for specimens to fill out through seasons and years without abrasively rubbing or restricting light intake.

Pay special attention when covering climbers. Position robust trellises, obelisks, arbors and other supports in optimal spots before installing adjacent fencing panels around them. Planning ahead saves modifying placements later.

Additionally, small gaps at soil level facilitate airflow and allow vines to travel in and out of an enclosure. Just ensure the openings remain too small for animal intruders.

Smoothly Blend Fences with Yard Topography

For gently rolling slopes or uneven terrain, modify the barrier layout to follow natural land contours. Avoid jarring, awkward transitions by gradually stepping horizontal courses up or down with the grades.

To determine appropriate angles and dimensions, survey the plot thoroughly before building. Use string lines as guides to map ideal fence locations. For flat spaces like raised garden beds, keep crisp, uniform perimeter lines for the cleanest appearance.

When designing, accurately identify and mark property lines, easements and ordinances regarding barrier placements or height limitations too.

Caring for Your Plastic Fencing Investment

From occasional cleaning to minor repairs, basic maintenance preserves plastic fences' lasting beauty and structural integrity against years of sun, soil and weather exposure.

During routine yard work, check plastic fence lines for cracking, loosening screws or posts sinking. After severe storms and seasonal shifts between extreme cold and heat, thoroughly inspect for damage also.

Address issues like detached slats or reinforcing loose joints right away before problems compound. Use weatherproof cable ties as temporary repairs until replacement parts arrive.

Clear piles of fallen sticks or leaves frequently to prevent abrasions. Gently hose away dirt buildup to restore like-new curb appeal.