I think it looks fine in the existing colour too, but it would be difficult to match exactly as the other side will will have weathered a little. I vote for the silvery grey suggested which will be a bit softer and against which white flowers will still show up. Also painting the fence posts the same colour as they jump out at you more than the fence.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
We made the mistake of a lightish colour ... we're letting them weather and fade at the moment. If we paint them again it'll be a dark colour, probably a sort of charcoal ... I've seen it work really well, fading into the background, making the garden look bigger and setting off the greenery. Accentuating the green foliage shows the flowers off better. A coloured fence just competes.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Thanks everyone for your help, really appreciate it!
@LG_ you are absolutely correct - up close it IS more of a blue-y grey and that's part of the reason why I'm not keen on it (it is Cuprinol Silver Copse).
@Plantminded those photos are SO helpful, thank you! The first photo is the idea I had in mind and have seen on Pinterest etc, but I can completely see what you mean about a feature vs receding, because in the second photo it took me a couple of seconds to work out where the fence had gone . I agree with everyone about the upkeep too, I imagine it would be very difficult.
I completely agree @Loxley that the posts need to be painted - on my side particularly (the left) they are old and awful looking. So that will definitely happen, whatever I go for.
It sounds like I'd be best off as most people suggest going for a slightly different grey - something more silvery or charcoal than the blue-grey of the existing ones. Although having seen @Plantminded 's photos I am now tempted by black!! But suspect it would look too much in my garden. A compromise would be a charcoal colour though. Now I just need to find it
Thanks again everyone - I live on my own so really appreciate other people's feedback on my garden as no one except me sees it
Be careful not to let the paint drip through to the other side, particularly if you go for something very dark or very light - the drips will look awful if the neighbours' sides are natural or a different colour.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Thank you @gilla.walmsley, I have total sympathy with your dilemma! It took me a couple of years to pluck up the courage to paint my fence black but I'm glad I did. Another possibility for you is Cuprinol Garden Shades Urban Slate which one of my neighbours has used. I recommend getting some tester pots of whatever you like and trying them out on your new and existing fence first - they always look different when applied vertically on unpainted and previously painted wood than they do looking at the surface of the paint in the pot! Also you often need to apply a second coat within a limited timescale so include that in your planning!
@JennyJ yes this happened to my sister's fence! Luckily the neighbour has painted theirs the same colour but I'll be very careful.
@Plantminded thanks for the tips! Will definitely get some testers included Urban Slate. I stained my pergola with Protek and really liked their products and customer service so I might see what they have too.
Hopefully will all be done within the next 3 months ready in time for buying climbers for the spring - I'll share pics when done!
I must admit, going against the flow, that I slightly regret painting my new fence black. It does look good and does recede and I was pleased with it at first. However, it’s going to be some years before it’s better hidden. Also rain splashes up from my clay soil and leaves it splattered in light brown. I really wanted a dark charcoal grey but couldn’t get it at the time. I have now found some of that colour and have started repainting it and it is better, but I think next time I will just leave it unpainted and let it fade and silver naturally. Or use a grey wood stain so it still looks like wood rather than a solid block.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
I 100% wish I could just have a natural weathered down fence - especially with the cottage look I'm aiming for. Unfortunately I didn't get that choice when I moved in and I don't think I can cope with the two sides being different! Hopefully once there are more shrubs and climbers (I agree it will take time...) it won't look like such a dominant feature in the garden!
The problem with painted fences is that they need re-doing fairly often if they're going to keep the colour. Always one for less work, I would leave the new panels natural and paint the other side a more neutral squirrel-grey so that they're more similar to what the natural ones will weather down to. The difference won't be so obvious when your climbers and shrubs fill out.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
Posts
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
@LG_ you are absolutely correct - up close it IS more of a blue-y grey and that's part of the reason why I'm not keen on it (it is Cuprinol Silver Copse).
@Plantminded those photos are SO helpful, thank you! The first photo is the idea I had in mind and have seen on Pinterest etc, but I can completely see what you mean about a feature vs receding, because in the second photo it took me a couple of seconds to work out where the fence had gone
I completely agree @Loxley that the posts need to be painted - on my side particularly (the left) they are old and awful looking. So that will definitely happen, whatever I go for.
It sounds like I'd be best off as most people suggest going for a slightly different grey - something more silvery or charcoal than the blue-grey of the existing ones. Although having seen @Plantminded 's photos I am now tempted by black!! But suspect it would look too much in my garden. A compromise would be a charcoal colour though. Now I just need to find it
Thanks again everyone - I live on my own so really appreciate other people's feedback on my garden as no one except me sees it
@Plantminded thanks for the tips! Will definitely get some testers included Urban Slate. I stained my pergola with Protek and really liked their products and customer service so I might see what they have too.
Hopefully will all be done within the next 3 months ready in time for buying climbers for the spring - I'll share pics when done!