10 Alternatives To Fencing (Updated 2023)

 

Having some kind of a barrier around your property can help to ensure that your home stays safe.

In addition, you can use a barrier simply to let neighbors know where the property line is.

If you want your kids and pets to stay on your lawn and keep away from the neighbors, the barriers will help protect them.

There are many reasons that you may want to put a barrier around your property, but sometimes, a fence is not an option.

Some communities will tell you that a fence is against their homeowner’s association policies.

Sometimes, the actual cost of a fence is too much.

Other times, there is the concept that a fence is just not the look that someone wants on their property.

Whatever your reasoning is to skip the fence, rest assured that there are alternatives out there.

Regardless of your budget and style, we have put together ten alternatives to fencing to help you get your property looking great.

 

10 Alternatives To Fencing

 

1. Bamboo

 

Bamboo is one of the best natural barriers that you can find.

One of the great things about bamboo is that you do not need to pay for full-grown plants to be put in.

Bamboo grows rather fast, and you could start with some small shoots to begin creating your bamboo hedge.

The Bamboo plant tends to get really tall, and it will continue to spread through the years.

Those who have a very narrow area where they want to place a fence or a border may want to consider a different option or alternative.

Bamboo shoots will pop up almost overnight, and they will continue to spread in the area around your yard.

If you don’t want the spreading, it takes a bit of work to keep dealing with the new shoots.

However, if you can establish this bamboo fence, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by the look of the finished product.

Bamboo has such a natural rainforest look to it.

If you want your yard to have more of a tropical feel, then this is certainly going to do it.

The combination of the wood-like stalk with the pretty leaves can turn your yard into a backyard oasis.

When Bamboo grows, it can grow very tightly.

This means that once your bamboo fence has properly grown up, it will be complicated to get through.

Of course, this won’t keep small animals from getting in and out of your property, but you may have less trouble with people as they will likely choose a different route to get around.

Overall, Bamboo is an excellent alternative to fencing, and you can start working on the project soon and let it grow into what you need it to be through the years.

 

2. Stone Wall

 

A stone wall is another great option for an alternative to fencing.

Of course, before you set out on this stone wall project, you should know that if you are going to purchase all of the stone for this, the pricing will get pretty expensive.

If you have natural stone on your property or have access to stone from some other source, then this type of barrier or fencing is a great option.

One of the best things about a stone wall is the ability to turn it into any look that you want.

You can do a high or a low stone wall, and you can purposely stack the stones to uniquely fit your personal style.

When you are building a stone wall, make sure that you are careful about how the stones are stacked, and you will want to use the correct type of mortar to make sure that the wall stays together as well.

Leaving a stone wall with nothing to properly hold it together can be a real hazard to have around your property.

With a stone wall, ensure that you are very careful about how you build it so that you don’t have to be concerned about safety through the years.

Most people who do a stone wall around the property do it for the look and not for the actual security.

Most of the time, the stone wall will not be much taller than waist high.

The thing about a wall like this is that it will look very natural.

If you are tired of having a stockade fence look around the house and are ready for something that brings nature and beauty back into the property, the stone wall could be a perfect alternative to consider.

If you do this project yourself, you will also get a really great workout!

Stone walls can take some time to put together, but it is a fencing alternative that will last for years to come.

 

3. Hedge

 

A hedge is a group of bushes or plants that will make their way around the home to provide a barrier to the property.

There are lots of different plants that you can use to create a hedge.

Once your hedge is in place, you can trim it so that it looks like a box or fence going around the property.

One of the plants that you will often see used for this is a boxwood.

With a boxwood plant, the height and the sides can all be controlled by trimming.

Something like this will create a more formal look, and it will also require a lot of yard work and maintenance.

If the hedge becomes unruly, there will be a lot of trimming to do, and to keep it in good shape, you may have to add some hedge maintenance into your weekly lawn work.

In addition, if you are not careful about the plants that you choose, you could end up having a hedge that grows too high for you, and you won’t be able to trim the top without a ladder or, even worse, a truck with a boom.

The most important part of putting a hedge in place is to ensure you choose the right plant and properly space those plants.

If the plants are not spaced as recommended, you will end up having small gaps in between each plant.

Although this can still provide some kind of a barrier, it is certainly not going to look the same as a complete hedge.

Sometimes people will use a less manicured plant in a hedge.

This can be a good choice for those who don’t have the time to put into the hedge maintenance.

You can simply plant the hedge and then only worry about cutting it back maybe once or twice a year.

This is certainly a bit different than a weekly trim or maintenance.

 

4. Vertical Gardens

 

Vertical gardens are becoming more and more popular.

People like the ability to grow things for their consumption without taking over the entire property.

For so many years, it was assumed that if you wanted to grow plants, you would need a large area in your lawn to get the plants started and then continue to keep your garden thriving.

Some properties don’t have this amount of space, and they don’t have the necessary sunlight either.

With the development of a vertical garden, you can start growing plants anywhere around your yard.

Vertical gardens work up and down as opposed to along the ground.

One great alternative to fencing is to place vertical gardens around the edges of your property.

The great thing about these is that, in addition to creating some kind of a barrier around your home, you are also going to find that the vertical garden can be productive.

If you plan this out correctly, you could have a constant source of herbs and food all year long with the development of your vertical garden.

It’s a good idea to remember that, depending on where you live and the way you develop your vertical garden, there may be times during the year when the garden doesn’t look quite as strong.

If you want a natural look that also serves a purpose and a function, look into vertical gardens as an alternative to fencing.

 

5. Vines/Ivy On Rope

 

Sticking with the more natural look, there is the idea of vines or ivy on a rope that you can place around your yard.

The best way to do this is to put in a few fence posts.

(We know you didn’t want a fence, but this will be worth it!)

Between the fence posts, you will put two or three horizontal lines of rope.

The rope is going to be used to guide the ivy that will grow up along the fence.

This process is going to be a bit time-consuming, and it can take a few years to really establish, but when it is finished, you will have a unique and beautiful alternative to fencing.

Once you have the posts and the rope in place, you can start to plant the ivy and then train it to grow along the ropes.

The ivy will spread quickly once it is established, and you can eventually get this to be a wall of green around your entire yard.

The finished look of a property barrier like this is unique and will stand out from anything that may be offered in your neighborhood.

The ivy on the rope does a great job of adequately protecting the barrier, but there are a few issues with it.

If for some reason, the ivy does not do well on the fence, you could be looking at a browned-out mess.

In addition, if the kids kick a ball through the fence, it will likely still go and then could put a hole in the ivy that will need time to grow back in.

If you have a green thumb and you enjoy working on something that you have done completely on your own, this is a great project to start thinking about adding to your property.

 

6. Metal Panels

 

Metal panels can work as a great barrier to your yard as well.

With metal panels, you are going to really end up with a complete fence look and barrier to your home without really using a fence.

Metal panels can be purchased in a variety of different styles, and you can hang them at any height.

Depending on the metal panels that you purchase, you will likely have this fencing alternative in place for a very long time.

Metal is a very stable and sturdy material, and this can give you more of an industrial look.

In addition, since the metal will create a complete barrier, this can work as a great option to keep pets or kids in the yard.

You can also ensure that other creatures or pests are not getting in your yard.

It is very easy to see if there has been a breach in the metal fence that may need your attention.

The only thing you really want to watch out for with the metal panels is the fact that some will rust over time.

The clean silvery look of mental will be much different if your panels start to rust away.

By purchasing great panels to begin with, and then correctly installing them, you shouldn’t have too many issues that you need to deal with when it comes to this alternative for fencing.

 

7. Logs/Stumps

 

Did you have a large tree that came down in your yard?

The great thing about this tree is that it probably had quite a few branches as part of it.

You can cut those branches into logs or stumps and use them to create an alternative to a fence around your property.

The process of stacking the logs or stumps up to create the fence is actually relatively easy, and it is a project that most people can handle entirely on their own.

Think about what it looks like when you stack firewood in a firewood holder, and you will realize this is a similar look to what you will get around your yard.

You will not want to place this type of fence too close to your home.

When pests start to move in, they will transfer to your house if you are not careful.

It’s a good idea to think about treating the logs with some kind of pest control to ensure that the bugs don’t eat away your barrier over time.

This is a very easy alternative to fencing to work on by yourself and a great way to use parts of the yard that are naturally presenting themselves to you.

If you eventually decide that you want a different type of fence, you may be able to sell this one as firewood or use it yourself to get through a cold winter.

 

8. Trees

 

Trees planted around the barrier of your property can make a beautiful alternative to fencing.

For the most part, the trees are not going to provide a complete wall around the property, but they will create enough of a barrier to indicate the property line.

When planting trees for this purpose, make sure that you are very particular about the type of tree that you are planting.

Some trees are going to get quite tall and could interfere with the home in some way.

Trees are also going to provide a lot of shade which can be a good and bad thing.

If the property gets a bit too shady, you will notice that the turf sometimes has a hard time growing.

Grass needs sun in order to thrive, so ensure you are not blocking out all of the necessary sunlight.

Trees are a great long-term solution to consider if you need some kind of a barrier or line around your property.

With any of these alternatives to fencing, always make sure that you have a very clear understanding of the property line, so you are not left having to deal with an issue on the neighbor’s side.

You may have to trim your trees away from their property once or twice a year, but that is fine as long as you are putting something in that creates a proper barrier on the correct property line.

 

9. Potted Plants

 

Potted plants can be placed around the yard to create an alternative to fencing.

Typically, these barriers will start with large pots that are about waist high, and then they have taller plants coming out of the top of that.

The pots don’t have to be ceramic, but instead, this barrier could be built with wooden planter boxes around the edge of the property.

Although this can create a unique look around the home, the pots that you plant in are going to add to the initial cost of the project.

If you are able to build these pots or acquire them, you will find that the project is quite a bit more affordable.

However, if you go to the local garden shop and price out what it would cost to put pots around your entire property, you will likely realize that the fencing could be a much cheaper alternative.

Potted plants look beautiful, and you can use various plants to make the barrier around your property look different depending on the season.

We like this concept when it comes to color and a unique look.

Depending on the plants you put in, you can still reach that five-, six-, or seven-foot total height to ensure that the fence still provides some level of privacy for your home.

 

10. Brushwood Fence

 

Last but not least is a brushwood fence.

Brushwood is a type of plant material that you can find in certain areas of the world, but the brushwood fence has really been a way of developing a barrier around a property with natural yard material.

If you do this right, your brushwood fence can last for quite a long time.

The idea is to put up a basic barrier and then use the brushwood to weave in and out and create the fence look.

For many years, people would do this with a chain-link fence to help hide the overall harsh look of the chain-link fence.

However, it is not essential to have the chain link fence in place.

Instead, you can work with the natural material to build the fence and sometimes work it in and out of a rope almost the way you did the ivy rope fence.

The concept here is that you can make a barrier around your property using lots of natural materials.

You don’t have to purchase something shiny, new, and expensive to create a property that looks impressive and stands out from the others on your block.

There are lots of different reasons for wanting to install a fence.

With the ten options on this list, you should have every reason adequately covered.