Top Tips and How To

Why should I paint or stain my fence? 

Any high-quality wooden fence you buy will carry a guarantee against rot and fungal decay. That’s because, prior to your purchase, the wood will have undergone one of two types of protective treatment: dip treatment or pressure treatment. 

Dip treated wood will need re-treating annually for the preservative to remain effective. Pressure treated wood, although not for a considerable amount of time, will eventually need re-treating too. There’s no escaping it; at some point or another, all wood needs protecting from rot, insects, wear and tear if it is to remain healthy and main

When was the last time you inspected your garden fence for signs of rot and fungal decay?

Oh, you can’t tell me? Tut-tut, that just won’t do.

Unbeknownst to many, the greatest threat to any innocent run of garden fencing isn’t powerful, gale-force winds - extreme weather of this nature is so unlikely in this country - nor a swift, slat-splitting kick from a hooligan idly destroying every panel within a two-mile radius.

No, the true arch-nemesis of your fence panels and posts is far more banal. Slowly it creeps, until your entire fencing run is consumed, rendering it useless, and your pockets empty. Rot, is the most perilous hazard facing your fence panels and posts.

When you read ‘bedding’ and think of fitted sheets, pillow cases and duvet covers then perhaps you need to check out the haberdashery department. But if bedding conjures up images of containers stuffed with plants in a colour scheme reminiscent of an explosion in a paint factory, then read on. 

Bare walls, fencing and obelisks are just waiting for a climber or two. Or maybe three. This little lot will clothe your naked vertical surfaces in no time at all. And that can only be good news.

What sets a good garden apart from a great one? This simple question will doubtless receive countless answers, all of which could be right. But one answer that will crop up more often than most is trellis, often referred to as lattice. This criss-cross patterned frame is an incredibly simple idea, yet both remarkably elegant and wonderfully diverse too, allowing you to display truly beautiful plants in areas of the garden that might otherwise be out of bounds.  

At Buy Fencing Direct, we love garden trellis so, understandably, stock a superb range of trellis panels and products,

Sure, a stuffed-out, summer-flowering hanging basket in full flow is a joy when hanging from a secure bracket on a well-maintained fence. But once autumn arrives, the plants fade and are consigned to the compost bin, what happens then? Of course, you can replace it with a winter basket. And that will last until spring, then begin to look a little tatty before summer bursts back on the scene. Or...you can plant up one basket to last the whole year round.

A good-sized basket is best. The compost doesn’t dry out as quickly and you can get more in there! Then a little bit of planning and planting and a 12-month-of-the-year display is possible:

Everyone likes the idea of a bit of GIY (grow it yourself) but some are put off by lack of space. And a shortage of time. After all, allotment waiting lists can be long and a dedicated two days a week to keeping a plot ship-shape unfeasible. Never fear - if you have a fence panel you can be a top GIY-er. Honest.

A sturdy fence panel is the perfect support for runner beans. Planted in the ground or into large pots, plants will scramble and twirl in and out of slats and sections of a fence panel. Same thing goes for climbing French beans. Oh, and cucumbers, pumpkins and indeed anything that either climbs or usually flops on the floor.

You’ve done it, I’ve done it - everyone’s done it. I’m on about buying a plant when you know that your garden is full. The plant is delivered and then you have to find a home for it. Or you may have a patio garden. All concrete and paving slabs. No greenery to be seen within the confines of your brick enclosure. Someone buys you a plant as a gift. Help! The answer to both these scenarios is, of course, containers. Any plant will grow in a container given a few principles.

• Match the size of the container to your plant. Not the size it is when you plant it but research (read the label!) the eventual size. Plan acco

Fences are the backdrop for our gardens. Like a canvas, our plants, trees and other garden features create a picture – all framed by our garden fence.

There are lots of fence styles to choose from – from traditional overlap fencing to decorative garden fencing styles, such as our Paloma fence panels. Why not take a look at our decorative fencing? Just click here to view our full range. But for some, the usual choices aren’t enough to satisfy their creative vision.

If you want to make a bolder statement with your fence line, we’ve gathered lots of creative fencing ideas for how to use your fence to add something extra special to your garden.

Decorative fencing ideas:

Colour

A simple way to spice up your garden fence

During winter, there aren’t as many gardening jobs to be done. The ground - frozen solid. The flowers? Long gone. If you can brave the cold, what better time to get outside and give your tired, old fence panels a new lease of life?

The all-important preparation:

Firstly, check your panels thoroughly, especially if they’ve been around for a few years. Wicked winter winds could have caused damage: loosening fixings, snapping battens and cracking slats of wood. In a particularly bad storm this could cause your panel to go cartwheeling across the garden – no one wants that! A little bit of sprucing also doesn’t hurt: remove those pesky cobwebs, lichen and weeds.

Choosing your treatment:

Try and calculate how much treatment you’ll need. This will vary from product to product, and we’d also recommend sticking to reputable, established brand names. Picking the best colour for your panels f