Garden Wall Screens are an excellent way to modernise your garden, create some privacy or direct the eye to a desired focal point or view. Although it can come as surprise, they work equally well when used in both larger or smaller gardens provided they are positioned correctly. This article aims to give some inspiration on how to use Garden Wall Screens and to help you in deciding which material would suit your outdoor space best.
What is a Garden Wall Screen?
A Garden Wall Screen is a large, hollow, rectangular structure with a mounting strip on the base that can be placed at different points in a garden depending on the desired effect. They differ from retaining walls in that they are larger, closed structures that aren’t used to support a raised bed. Garden Wall Screens can be used both as stand alone pieces or in sets of multiples to create a striking garden feature. In the past, they have been limited to stone or brick which has its place in more traditional, cottage-style gardens but Flora Select is changing this old-fashioned perception of Garden Wall Screens with three modern materials: Aluminium, Corten Steel and Fibreglass.
Privacy Barriers
Perhaps the most common (though not sole) use of Garden Wall Screens are as privacy barriers. For those who want to create a personal haven and for those whose gardens are overlooked by neighbours, this is the perfect way to reclaim your own space By placing tall wall segments in the correct position to block out any unwanted eye-lines, you will feel instantly more relaxed knowing that your garden space is once again your own.
Corten Steel privacy barrier planted with deep greens to maximise colour contrast
Dividing Walls
Garden Wall Screens can be placed perpendicular to the edge of you garden to create a divide between different garden sections. This unlocks endless possibilities as it allows you to develop definitive garden segments dedicated to purpose without having them distract from one another. For example, they can be placed perhaps between a classic lawn and flower bed set-up at the front of a garden and a vegetable plot behind. Or, by using multiple Walls, you can create an area dedicated to relaxation housing a matching water feature, comfortable chairs and perhaps some calming outdoor lighting. This will create a haven to escape to right in your own back garden. Additionally, they can be used to mask areas of the garden you wish to keep separate such as a shed or sewage set-up.
Fibreglass dividing wall adding structure to a lawn area
Highlighting a Focal Point
In larger gardens, parks or commercial settings, Garden Wall Screens can be use to channel the eye onto a particular view or focal point. By placing the appropriate sized Walls at the correct angle it is possible to create a funnel which may look onto a fantastic sculpture or idyllic view. Using the Garden Wall Screens in this way is suited to larger areas that lack distinct form because they can narrow the view and so would not suit smaller areas. If there is space for this type of set-up however, they can be transformative and will completely overhaul the design style of the garden with relatively little effort and so should definitely be considered when investing in larger outdoor spaces.
Looking out from the house the viewers eye-line will be channeled to the desired focal point
Aluminium, Corten Steel or Fibreglass?
With three fantastic materials to choose from in a huge array of sizes, FloraSelect’s range of Garden Wall Screens will cover all of your design ideas. There are also bespoke size and colour options available if you would like something really special and unique. Choosing the right material for your garden can seem challenging because a Garden Wall is a large feature to add. There are pros and cons to each material and they all bring a different fell to an outdoor space. Aluminium is an incredibly lightweight yet strong metal, perfect for this type of application. It is long-lasting and durable and can be coated in any RAL colour you desire making it a versatile material for outdoor applications. However, as a result of its myriad brilliant properties, it is expensive compared to other options. Corten Steel has in recent years become an incredibly popular choice for garden design features and it is easy to see why. Developing a self-protecting rust coating over time which provides both weather-resistance and colour it is perfectly suited to life outside. The unique corten orange is absolutely stunning and incredibly eye-catching making it the perfect choice if you want to add a jet of colour and a bold statement to your outdoor space. Again, it is lightweight and strong but it is very strongly coloured meaning it may not be to everyone’s taste. If however you love the amber glow of Corten Steel then it is a perfect choice for a Garden Wall Screen because it is also cheaper than its aluminium equivalent. Fibreglass is the cheapest option because it is non-metallic. This means that you can get fantastic value for money considering the large size of Garden Wall Screens. It is also available in a variety of colours to suit any design scheme and is incredibly lightweight. All of these factors mean that fibreglass is a brilliant material for this purpose, the only downside being that it will never give a metallic look and if that is something important to your design scheme then a different material will be more appropriate.
Stunning Corten Steel Garden Wall Structure bringing colour and sophistication into the garden
Garden Wall Screen Structure
The structure of every Garden Wall Screen is roughly the same regardless of its size or the material it is fabricated from. They are all large, hollow and rectangular three-dimensional pieces. The inside cavity provides several benefits. Firstly, it is easy to drill through the Wall to add light fixtures and electrical features if you wish to do so. Secondly, this makes the Walls lightweight for ease of transport and assembly. The final benefit of this is that the Garden Wall Screens are obviously far cheaper than a fully solid equivalent. Another important structural feature is the mounting strip. Each Wall comes with a mounting strip on its base which can be easily fixed to any solid ground structure allowing for each placement and assembly.
Example technical drawing of the typical structure of a Garden Wall Screen
Overall, used correctly Garden Wall Screens can be a fantastic addition to any garden no matter what the size. They are contemporary and stylish and can help to quickly modernise any outdoor space. Available in a huge range of colours, sizes and material with bespoke options available, it is easy to find the perfect Wall for your outdoor space. Contact us now on 01245 422 353 or email us on [email protected] to discuss details.