Quickly make your aluminum fence into a private art sculpture barrier with the clever use of decorative vines.
A fence provides a lot of benefits to your home including providing privacy and improving the safety and security of your property and family. One benefit that is less commonly discussed is how a fence can improve curb appeal, especially when it is the platform for beautiful gardening projects. There are lots of decorative vines that love to grow up fences, for better or for worse – for example, wrought iron covered in roses may be an iconic look but a wood fence being destroyed by ivy is not. Luckily, if you have an aluminum fence (or you’re planning to have one installed), you have chosen a very sturdy and durable material. There is plenty of aluminum fence-friendly decorative vines out there that you can safely plant and allow to grow, as long as you follow these steps.
Planning to Decorate the Aluminum Fence
There are many climbing vines that can be a good choice for training along an aluminum fence since you don’t have to worry about the vines encouraging rot or insect infestation. Some vine plants, like grape or wisteria, have a very hardy, woody stem once it is established. Other vines, like Virginia creeper, grow in very thick and leafy and make a great choice for privacy. Whatever you choose, ask a professional at a nursery for help – you don’t want to accidentally plant an invasive species that is going to take over your whole yard.
Preparation
Make sure you have everything you need before you rush out to buy plants. While most nurseries will offer vines that are already staked and started, you will still need tools such as gloves, a small shovel, ties, and fertilizer. Plan to plant the vines as close to the fence as possible and use the ties to teach the vines where you want them to go. Plant the vines about a foot apart and make sure to keep them well away from any areas where you don’t want them to grow (like your gate).
Care
Once you have the appropriate plants in the ground and they’ve started growing up your aluminum fence, you will need to do some care and maintenance. If your goal is complete coverage of your fence, keep in mind that it could take years. In the meantime, you should take time to fertilize and prune the vines each season (especially if there are some areas of the fence where you don’t want them to grow), and you should check under them for signs of insect activity or other damage. Aluminum fencing is less susceptible to this than other fencing materials, but it is important to keep an eye out for it anyway. Finally, don’t let the growth of vines keep you from doing your normal fence maintenance, like checking for damage and cleaning the surface.
HAVE QUESTIONS? ASK HERCULES CUSTOM IRON
If you are ready to install your heavy-duty iron fence and add iron railings or you still have some more questions, we here at Hercules Custom Iron are here to help. We have many years of experience and will ensure that your chain link fence will serve you and your family for years. Visit us online or call us at 1-800-331-2590. For advice, updates, and to see what we are up to, be sure to follow us on social media on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest.