Q: I'm hoping some of your readers can help a girl out with sprucing up her outdoor space. I love the yards and gardens that have been featured so far, but I've noticed that none of them feature the lovely cinder block walls that are so pervasive in newer homes…
...We plan to use a wire trellis system in areas where vines can be planted, but do you have any suggestions on how to disguise or pretty up a cinder block wall where there is no access to garden dirt (like around a patio area)? We researched painting the grey a lighter color, but it would reflect too much heat and cook the rest of the yard, so we are at a loss. Help!
Sent by Holly
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You can do a cement "plaster" over the cinder block. It will look much better and be a prettier background for whichever plants you put in front.
A couple of ideas - my Aunt had a similar wall and painted it with blackboard paint and we all drew a gorgeous chalk mural on it, which she then varnished using an exterior varnish - it looked fantastic! Or you could varnish just parts or none and have a HUGE chalk board :)
Idea 2 - http://fthats.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/tincangarden.jpg
Not the best illustration of something I saw in a book on container gardening but still.. you can cut down the back of old tin cans and turn them into a half moon shape which attaches straight to the wall with plants in - it actually looks really nice if you arrange them well.
Let us know how you get on!
-Tara
Cute dog! :) The coolest use I've seen for an unsightly wall is an outdoor theater! Paint a large white rectangle "screen", complete with a "frame" in any style that suits you. Add a projector, comfy yard chairs and friends for the coolest spot in the neighborhood. Cheers!
Cinder blocks are actually the foundations for rock walls. Builders create the wall from cinder block and then use mortar and rocks to decorate it. It's time consuming but could be really lovely.
Continue the vine theme... by attaching the horizontal post to the house (there are brackets for this) or by using more of your wiring, with eye bolts anchoring them to the house and to a very sturdy vertical post. (VERY sturdy--because the house isn't going to move, so you don't want the weight of the vines to pull the post toward the house and away from being straight up vertical.) The vine would be planted on the vertical post right at the end of the patio, where the other end of each wire would be attached.
Alternatively, do a series of large planter boxes with trellising, and plant vines in them to grow upward. Granted, you'd be sacrificing some patio space for this, but the look would be lovely.
I saw an article in Sunset magazine recently where a designer used reed/bamboo fencing to warm up a cinder-block wall. It looked relatively easy and inexpensive to install. I'll try to find the article later (quick search isn't yielding anything now)...I'm pretty sure it was from Sunset but it could also have been from Real Simple.
This page has the best idea for covering cinder block I have ever seen. Creating a facade of wood and screwing it to the cinder block wall.
It could easily be adapted for different material. Painted wood, patchwork, uniform shape and sizes? I think all squares would look so cool.
http://www.billb.name/diy/retainingWall.asp
Two ideas; we stained ours with cement stain. At least it gave it some character and got away from the boring, grey cement color. Another idea would be to actually continue with a cinder block theme and build a small planter in front of it and plant something tall and thin such as bamboo, which would spread faster than most plants.
Covering it up with a bamboo or other natural material trellis would seem to be the easiest option. I would add box planters in front of the wall as well, bottomless ones preferably. This would give more depth to the garden by breaking up the straight wall, give you more room for plants and even veg, and keep the dog (cute by the way!) from digging things up and still leave him room enough to run around. Part of it could be made into a seating and storage area as well.
I can't advise on plants as I don't know where you are...
Mosaic! Large space, colorful tiles, excellent decor. Waves of colors.
Could you add a planter like this? http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/look/the-diy-modern-outdoor-succulent-planter-2-094477
Thank you for the ideas everyone!
To those suggesting planters with more vining plants, I love that idea and it would be my first choice to help cover up the cinder block but we live in Arizona so keeping planters can be...problematic. The dirt dries out *very* quickly, and even my drought-tolerant potted plants need to be watered at least every other day or they toast. We are going to look into extending our drip system and see if we can't jimmy-rig up a watering system that would make planters work without busting our water bill budget.
I was also considering using the wire-trellis method to mount a line of wire to hang outdoor curtains from. I think even if we could literally hide the block it would soften the patio's look for entertaining, and if we used drop cloths it could be done affordably...anyone know how dropcloths hold up outdoors?
I like the idea of adding a texture to the surface - making it a stucco-like surface will make an immediate improvement over cinder block. I think a deep gray color would be really pretty and would be a nice contrast for any plants you put in. I also really liked the idea of the half-moon planters attached to the wall in the non-patio areas - adding them at different heights/distances and using native plants (succulents and other drought-hardy varieties) will give you accents without the gardening challenges.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyondramen/4264891716/
I don't know what you have planned for the patio area, but have you given any thought to a pergola-type structure? I'm thinking you could start the pergola shape along that back wall and carry it up and over the patio. The vertical piece in front of the wall (two posts on either end with evenly-spaced horizontal boards) would transition into the elevated horizontal portion (traditional pergola). It would draw the eye away from the wall and give you some nice shade! If the wall is a dark gray, a redwood-colored material would really pop. Then you could add some crisp white outdoor curtains at the corners (like the photo below). Just be sure to either get waterproof materials (like Sunbrella) or add waterproofing.
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/outdoor/before-after-jennas-patio-oasis-my-great-outdoors-119322
Fill up some earth bags and arrange them along the wall, sculpting some seating areas and maybe a couple or three planters, maybe one for a small spreading tree for a little shade. Then cover the wall and earthbags in cement/adobe/whatever, coloring it a light brown so it looks like an old adobe wall, softening the lines of the cinderblock.
I thought you might live in AZ! My aunt in Phoenix has a cinderblock wall and she just painted it white. I think it looks fresh and southeastern, especially with an orange and grapefruit tree hanging over it.
She also had her house number painted in oversize, seventies-era numbers on the wall in the front, which looks very cool.
bamboo