Ornamental Fence Uses for Sloped Yards

Privacy

• In cases of highly sloped yards, the sightlines between properties sometimes become more complex. What serves as a tall privacy fence at one edge of the property may offer little protection at the other end, where the land dips downward. It's still possible to erect an effective privacy fence around a sloping yard. To begin your planning, walk around the entire yard, noting at which points you can directly see your neighbors' windows or doors. Working with a partner, have the other person stand along the edge of your property, where you would erect the fence. Use the other person to gauge how high the fence must be to provide complete privacy. Once you've finished your exercise, you can determine whether you can use a fence that stair-steps up and down with the contours of the land, or whether the top of your fence needs to be level.

Color

• Ornamental fences don't only lend an interesting form to the yard; they can also infuse some much-needed color. If your sloping yard is covered with a lawn, a fence will help break up the large expanse of green. Building a wooden fence with lumber that has a red or yellow hue will provide rich contrast to the green grass. If you have lots of flowering plants, painting your fence in the traditional white will make the colorful flowers "pop" against the blank canvas of a background. On a hilly or sloped yard, painting your fence in a striking color will provide an interesting diagonal element to contrast with the vertical shapes of tree trunks and the horizontal lines of low-growing ground cover.

Architectural Detail

• Whether you opt for prim pickets or a rustic ranch-style fence, made of split rails, any ornamental fence will add considerable personality to your yard and home. When deciding on a style, keep in mind that you can use the fence's smallest details to pick up on architectural details of your home. Carved finials and pickets come in a wide range of styles; find one that matches any exterior trim on your home. When installing a fence along a sloped yard, increasing the fence's spacing and visibility will mitigate its diagonal lines, sometimes necessary to avoid overpowering the lines of the house itself.