Ideas for Picket Fences

Scalloped Wood

• A low, scalloped, wood picket fence has a concave top line that makes it ideal for containing a flower garden on hilly terrain. The scalloping follows the curve of the hill for visual interest, and the pickets provide a sturdy structure around which to train climbing roses or vine flowers such as morning glories. White-painted pickets give the fence a clean, neat appearance. Staining the wood with dark stain can make the fence appear more weathered.

Picketed Vinyl

• Tall, picketed vinyl fences make picket fence assembly easy, with assembled panels that lock into finial posts. Tall vinyl pickets set close together with square or pyramid-shaped finials provide privacy and resistance to strong wind. Vinyl picket fences can be purchased with a shiny, high-gloss finish for a more showy appearance, or a matte finish that emphasizes the neatness and simplicity of the picket fence line as it stretches across your property.

Gates

• A picket fence gate acts as a transitional fencing piece, indicating that your yard is a private area with limited public access. Simple, black wrought-iron hardware such as hinges and a latch provide a neat contrast to the white pickets of the gate. Hang the picketed gate across a path to your house or garden between two sections of picket fencing. The gate should swing inward, out of the public pathway.

Archways

• A built-in archway for a picket fence frames the gate as well as a view of your landscaped lawn or garden. It provides a sturdy frame from which to hang the gate, and prevents it from sagging and scraping the ground over time. You can also use the archway to train climbing roses and vines with foliage that will provide shade and privacy during the spring and summer months.