If you’ve got a bare fence line or row of fence panels in your garden, you will know just how depressing and frustrating the view can be. Let’s discuss one of the most overlooked opportunities in garden design: the humble fence line. I see it time and time again in my design consultations, gardeners treating their boundaries like afterthoughts, leaving them stark and bare when they could be transformed into some of the most spectacular features in the entire garden. Today, I’m going to share my secrets for creating fence line magic using herbaceous perennials and low-fuss plants that will have your neighbours green with envy (in the best possible way, naturally).
Before we dive into specific plant recommendations, let’s talk about why herbaceous perennials are absolutely perfect for fence line plantings. Unlike their woody shrub cousins, herbaceous perennials offer something truly special: they come back year after year, providing a softer feel to fence line borders compared to more rigid, blocky shrubs. These herbaceous perennials provide reliable structure whilst offering seasonal drama that keeps your garden interesting throughout the growing season.
The beauty of herbaceous perennials lies in their ability to create what I call “living architecture” against your fence. They provide height, texture, and colour while being relatively low-maintenance once established. Most importantly, they allow you to create layers of interest that draw the eye inward to your garden rather than outward over those boundary lines. As herbaceous plants change colour throughout the season, it helps add some interest to otherwise boring garden fences.
In my own Exploding Atom Garden, I’ve discovered that herbaceous perennials are particularly brilliant at creating what garden designers call “succession planting” – meaning something is always happening throughout the growing season. Spring bulbs emerge first, followed by early perennials, then your summer showstoppers, and finally those autumn champions that carry you through to winter.
That’s not to say that shrubs are not an essential part of the fence line planting plan, but they shouldn’;t be the only plants used as youy just end up with another boundary made of boring evergreen blobs!
Here’s where most gardeners go wrong, and it’s a mistake I see repeatedly in my consultations: creating fence line borders that are far too narrow to make any real impact. If you take away just one thing from this article, let it be this: you need at least one metre of depth for your fence line border to create a proper impact.
This is because skinny borders will make your garden feel even smaller and make maintenance a nightmare. When one plant goes over or finishes, you’re left with a dreaded gap exposing more of the fence line you’re trying to disguise!
Firstly, proportion is everything in garden design. A skinny 30cm strip of plants against a 1.8m fence looks apologetic and underwhelming, like you’re not quite sure whether you want to commit to the idea. It’s the gardening equivalent of mumbling when you should be speaking with confidence.
Secondly, deep borders allow you to create proper plant communities. You can have your tall structural plants at the back (think Miscanthus grasses or towering Angelica gigas), mid-height flowering perennials in the middle (your Echinaceas and Heleniums), and lower ground-covering plants at the front (perhaps some Geums or Heucheras). This layered approach creates visual depth and prevents that flat, one-dimensional look that narrow borders inevitably produce.
Thirdly, and this is crucial from a practical standpoint, deeper borders give your plants room to establish properly. Many herbaceous perennials have extensive root systems that need space to spread. Cramming them into a narrow strip means they’ll compete for resources and never reach their full potential.
Finally, deep borders help create microclimates. The plants at the back create shelter and shade for those in front, whilst the varied heights trap moisture and create pockets of different growing conditions. This diversity means you can grow a wider range of plants and create more interesting combinations.
I’m going to show you the different height layers of plants that enable you, even as a beginner, to put together amazing planting plans for fence lines or garden fences. Choose plants from all the groups below to create layered and interesting planting plans, taking into account the need for a depth of 1m or more, as required for the flower bed. Then you’ll be gardening like a Ninja!
This ornamental grass is an absolute fence line champion. Growing to around 1.5m tall, it provides elegant, arching foliage throughout the growing season and spectacular feathery plumes in autumn. What I love about Miscanthus is how it moves – there’s something almost hypnotic about watching it sway in the breeze. It’s also virtually indestructible once established and provides year-round structure.
Now here’s a plant that knows how to make an entrance. This architectural beast can reach 2m in height and produces the most extraordinary dark purple, almost black flower heads that look like something from a Gothic fairy tale. It’s perfect for creating focal points along your fence line and pairs beautifully with lighter coloured companions. The only catch? It’s typically a biennial, but it self-seeds readily if you let some flowers go to seed.
The silver mullein is like having a piece of sculpture in your border. Those enormous, fuzzy silver leaves create a stunning backdrop for other plants, and when the tall flower spikes emerge (sometimes reaching 2m), they’re absolutely spectacular. Another biennial that self-seeds, so you’ll have a continuous supply of these beauties.
Nothing quite matches the sheer vertical drama of a well-grown delphinium. These towering spires of blue, purple, pink or white flowers can reach 2.5m in height and create an absolutely breathtaking backdrop against any fence. Yes, they’re a bit fussy and need staking, but the impact is worth every bit of effort. In my experience, they’re particularly stunning when planted in groups of three or five for maximum theatrical effect.
Here’s a plant that absolutely thrives in those tricky, damp spots that many fence line borders suffer from. This golden-leaved form of meadowsweet is spectacular, with bright chartreuse foliage that positively glows in partial shade and creamy white, frothy flower heads that appear in midsummer. Growing to around 1.5m tall, it’s perfect for adding height and luminous colour to shadier fence areas. The bonus? It’s virtually maintenance-free once established and will naturalise beautifully, creating substantial clumps over time. Just ensure it has consistent moisture this isn’t a plant for dry conditions, it loves wet boggy or clay soil.
The next layer is at the knee-to-hip level, which will catch your immediate eye when looking out at the garden. This is the layer of plants most people recognise. However, many beginners stick to this one layer, resulting in a one-hit wonder flower bed. Make sure you mix this mid-layer with height from the list above and some fantastic ground cover specimens in the next section for high-impact flower beds
If I had to choose just one perennial for fence line planting, this might be it. Echinaceas are bulletproof once established; they flower for months, are magnets for pollinators, and look good even when not in flower, thanks to their sturdy, architectural seed heads. The purple varieties are classic, but don’t overlook newer cultivars in white, orange, and yellow.
Black-eyed Susan is pure sunshine in plant form. These cheerful golden daisies bloom from midsummer right through to the first hard frosts, and they’re virtually maintenance-free. They spread slowly to form substantial clumps, which means excellent value for money and impact that improves year on year. This is my all-time favourite herbaceous perennial, and you will see it as a staple in nearly all of my planting schemes at Garden Ninja HQ and design studio.
Persicaria or knotweed (not to be confused with Japanese Knotweed) is criminally underused in British gardens, which is gardening madness as far as I’m concerned. This plant produces clouds of tiny flowers in shades of pink, red, or white from June right through to November. It’s tough as old boots, happy in sun or partial shade, and creates wonderful textural contrast against more structured plants.
This succulent perennial is like having a reliable friend in your border – it never lets you down. The fleshy, grey-green foliage looks good all season, and come autumn, the flat-topped flower heads transform from pale green through pink to deep russet red. Bees absolutely adore it, and the dried seed heads provide winter structure. It’s drought-tolerant once established and virtually pest-free.
Bergamot is an absolute powerhouse for wildlife, with its scarlet, spiky flowers acting like magnets for bees and butterflies. The aromatic foliage releases a delicious minty scent when brushed against, and the plant spreads to form substantial clumps over time. It’s particularly useful for adding mid-season colour and creating a cottage garden feel along your fence line.
Sneezeweed (terrible name, gorgeous plant) is like having fireworks in your border. The daisy-like flowers, in shades of orange, red, and yellow, absolutely glow in the late summer sunshine. They’re excellent for extending the season when many other perennials are starting to flag. Children love these in the garden, as do beekeepers, as they provide late-season nectar for honey bees and other insects. They like wet roots in the winter and full sun in the summer, ideal for new build soil types!
This is my secret weapon for shady fence lines. Most fence borders suffer from at least partial shade, and astilbes thrive in these conditions. The feathery plumes of purple flowers are spectacular, and the ferny foliage provides excellent texture throughout the growing season.
Nothing says summer drama quite like Crocosmia. Those arching stems of fiery orange-red flowers are pure theatre, and the sword-like foliage provides excellent structural contrast. They multiply readily, so you’ll soon have impressive drifts. You can easily lift and divide them to propagate crocosmia quickly after the second year 2 of establishment. If you’re designing a garden on a budget, buy them as corms and plant them in autumn, where you can pick them up super cheap!
These South African beauties are like having exotic globes of blue or white flowers floating above strap-like foliage. They’re hardier than many people realise and create stunning architectural statements in late summer when many other plants are flagging. The seed heads are almost as beautiful as the flowers and provide fantastic winter structure. They love to be squashed into a packed border and treated meanly, don’t feed or pamper them and they will flower profusely!
Garden phlox brings that essential cottage garden romance to fence line borders. ‘David’ produces massive white flower heads that seem to glow in evening light and release the most incredible sweet fragrance. It’s also one of the most mildew-resistant varieties, which is crucial for the sometimes stagnant air conditions near fences.
Ground cover plants help blend the front of the border with either the path, lawn or other feature directly in front of the flower bed. Without this hardy group of plants, you end up with a flower bed that suddenly rushes up to hip height, which can feel awkward and like a barrier. Adding ground cover plants like the ones below you can create much more immersive garden designs and allow the flower bed to graduate in height.
This is possibly the most useful perennial ever bred. It flowers continuously from May to October, is completely hardy, and forms excellent ground cover while never becoming thuggish whilst also being pretty much slug proof. The blue flowers are the perfect complement to almost any colour scheme. Lastly you can divide it easily by splitting it in either autumn or spring with a sharp spade making it great to multiply without breaking the bank!
For year-round foliage interest, you can’t beat heucheras. The purple-bronze leaves of this variety provide excellent contrast to green foliage, and the delicate flower spikes in summer are a bonus. They’re particularly useful for the front of borders where you need something that looks good all year.
Lady’s mantle is pure cottage garden charm. Those soft, scalloped leaves catch morning dew like tiny pearls, and the frothy lime-green flowers are the perfect foil for more dramatic blooms. It’s also incredibly useful for softening hard edges and creating seamless transitions between different areas of the border. Once you have Alchemilla it will never leave you as a it profusely sets seed everywhere!
This is one of my favourite plants for bringing light to shady fence line borders. The heart-shaped leaves are dramatically marked with silver, creating an almost ethereal effect in low light conditions. The tiny blue flowers in spring are a bonus, but it’s really all about that stunning foliage that lasts from spring through to hard frosts.
Another unsung hero for shady conditions, this Pacific Northwest native produces rosettes of maple-like leaves that often take on bronze and red tints in autumn. The tall spikes of green-white fringed flowers are quietly beautiful, and the plant forms excellent weed-suppressing ground cover whilst never becoming invasive.
One of the most effective ways to transform your fence line from a functional boundary to a garden feature is by embracing the vertical dimension. Climbers not only soften hard fence lines but also dramatically increase your planting space without sacrificing precious ground area. In my own garden designs, I often use what I call the “living wall” approach – combining herbaceous perennials with climbing plants to create layers of interest from ground to sky.
No fence line border is complete without some vertical interest, and climbers are absolutely essential for maximising your growing space whilst creating that lush, layered look that transforms ordinary boundaries into garden magic.
This vigorous beauty is like having a waterfall of pale pink, vanilla-scented flowers cascading down your fence in late spring. It’s incredibly hardy, tolerates a wide range of conditions, and once established, requires virtually no maintenance beyond the occasional prune after flowering. The bronze-tinted young foliage is gorgeous too, and it’s vigorous enough to cover substantial areas quickly.
This evergreen climber is pure sophistication in plant form. The glossy, dark green foliage looks good all year round, and in summer, it produces the most incredible white, star-shaped flowers with an intoxicating fragrance that fills the evening air. It’s perfect for creating privacy whilst adding luxury to your fence line, and it’s much harder than people often assume. We use this all the time on BBC1’s Garden Rescue as it’s such a low-fuss climber, which in sunny gardens will flower profusely whilst giving winter structure with its evergreen leaves.
Nothing quite captures the essence of an English cottage garden like honeysuckle scrambling over a fence. This variety produces creamy white flowers flushed with pink from May through to October, and the evening fragrance is absolutely divine. It’s also brilliant for wildlife, attracting moths and providing berries for birds in autumn. Just be prepared to keep it in check – honeysuckle has enthusiastic spreading habits!
The secret to successful fence line planting isn’t just choosing the right individual plants – it’s about creating harmonious communities that work together. Think of it like casting a play: you need your leading stars, your supporting cast, and your chorus line.
The Three-Layer Approach:
I’m a firm believer in having a colour story for your fence line border. It doesn’t have to be rigid, but having a thread of colour that runs through the planting creates cohesion and prevents that “pick and mix” look that screams amateur hour.
For a hot colour scheme, consider orange Heleniums paired with red Crocosmia and yellow Rudbeckias, softened by bronze Heucheras and purple grasses. For a cooler palette, try purple Echinaceas with blue Agapanthus and white Astilbes, unified with silver foliage plants.
Now that you’ve picked your impressive selection of mixed-height herbaceous perennials and climbing plants, it’s time to have a look at a few key gardening factors. The soil type, how far to plant space and what kind of maintenance your new herbaceous perennials’ fence line border will need.
Fence lines are notorious for having challenging growing conditions. The soil is often compacted from construction work, there may be builder’s rubble lurking beneath the surface, and the area is frequently in a rain shadow, meaning it stays drier than the rest of the garden.
Before you plant anything, invest time in proper soil preparation. Dig out any rubble, add plenty of well-rotted organic matter (I aim for at least one-third by volume), and consider installing irrigation if the area is particularly dry.
When planting herbaceous perennials, think about their mature size and plant accordingly. It’s tempting to pack plants in tightly for instant impact, but overcrowded plants never reach their full potential and are more susceptible to disease.
As a general rule, space plants so that they’ll just touch when fully mature. Yes, this means your border will look a bit sparse initially, but trust me, patience pays off in garden design.
One of the beauties of a well-designed herbaceous border is that maintenance becomes simpler over time. Established perennials suppress weeds naturally, and many of the plants I’ve recommended are virtually maintenance-free once settled in.
The main tasks are:
The Apologetic Border: As I mentioned earlier, skimping on width is the biggest mistake I see. If you’re going to plant along your fence line, commit to it properly. A half-hearted, narrow strip looks worse than leaving it bare.
The Pick and Mix Approac:h Buying one of everything at the garden centre might seem like a good idea, but it creates a confused, chaotic look. Instead, buy multiples of fewer varieties and plant them in drifts or groups.
Ignoring the Seasons: Many gardeners plan for summer colour and forget about the rest of the year. Make sure you have structure for winter (evergreen shrubs or ornamental grasses), early colour for spring (bulbs and early perennials), and late season interest for autumn.
Not everyone has room for a 3m deep border, and that’s perfectly fine. Even in a 1m strip, you can create impact by following these principles:
One of the unexpected joys of herbaceous fence line planting is how it transforms your garden into a wildlife haven. The plants I’ve recommended are magnets for pollinators – your Echinaceas and Rudbeckias will be buzzing with bees and butterflies throughout the summer.
The varied heights and density of planting also create a perfect habitat for birds, whilst the seed heads you leave through winter provide valuable food when natural sources are scarce. It’s garden design that gives back to nature –something we should all be thinking about in our planning.
The beauty of herbaceous perennial borders lies in their improvement with age. Unlike annual bedding that needs complete replanting each year, your fence line border will become more spectacular as the plants mature and fill their allocated space.
Year One: Focus on establishment. Water regularly, mulch thoroughly, and be patient as plants establish themselves.
Year Two: You’ll start to see the vision coming together as plants reach maturity and begin to knit together.
Year Three and Beyond: This is when the magic happens. Established plants will be at their peak, self-seeding will fill any gaps, and the whole border will have that settled, naturalistic look that’s impossible to achieve instantly.
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Your fence line doesn’t have to be a boring boundary – it can be the most spectacular feature in your entire garden. By selecting the right herbaceous perennials, creating adequate depth, and considering plant communities rather than individual specimens, you can transform those utilitarian barriers into living works of art.
Remember, gardening is about creating outdoor spaces that bring you joy every single day. A well-planted fence line border will provide you with year-round interest, attract wildlife, and give you a sense of privacy and enclosure that no amount of hard landscaping can match.
So grab your spade, measure out that generous border, and start planning your fence line transformation. Your garden (and your neighbours) will thank you for it!
Happy gardening, garden ninjas!
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