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Ground rules: the art of disguise (Filed: 23/06/2001)

Not all is sitting pretty in the garden, says John Cushnie

EQUIPMENT for composting lurks in dark corners, and oil or gas tanks sit in clear view. In some cases, the boiler itself lives in the garden. As a consequence, camouflaging the less presentable accoutrements of house and home is an important aspect of garden design.

Choosing a site

It is not wise to "stick" everything under a tree in the far corner of the garden. (That area is better kept as a quiet, sheltered spot, or for growing shade-loving plants.)

Oil and gas tanks need to be readily accessible and in easy reach of the delivery lorry (some truck drivers seem to be programmed to trail pipes over plants).

Storage for other fuels, such as firewood and coal, can be provided by a coal bunker. There are some fairly attractive designs available, but they still tend to stand out wherever they are positioned.

Refuse bins are not pleasing to the eye, either. Unfortunately they need to be close to the kitchen door - though far enough away to keep unpleasant odours at bay.

Composting on a grand scale is common in gardens, with bins, tumblers and purpose-built compost heaps taking up considerable space. The composting site needs to be central, to ease the collection of debris and the eventual return of the lovely, crumbly, peat-like compost to the borders and beds. A path leading to the site is essential for transporting the raw ingredients.

Objects that are not only unsightly and difficult to camouflage but also fixed in place are the bane of many a garden. With a new house, the siting of manhole covers, electricity and telephone poles - and, in rural gardens, the septic tank - needs to be discussed with the architect at an early stage. If manhole covers can be placed in shrub beds, they will be accessible but hidden from view.

Concealed sites

A blind spot in the garden can be a great asset. Many houses have an area behind the garage that is hidden from all the windows. Make this your glory hole, your landfill site. Screen it from the garden and make it a no-go area for all but your nearest and dearest.

If you don't make compost and don't have oil or gas tanks, this area can be reserved for the nuts and bolts of gardening: bales of peat, bags of grit and compost, wire netting, bamboo canes and all the other essentials that are banned from the garage.

Camouflage

If you spread unsightly objects about the garden and screen them properly, most will escape the notice of non-gardeners (though a good gardener will still spot the oil tank under the clematis).

Plants give the most natural-looking camouflage, but also useful are timber fences, lattice screens and walls of brick or stone. Screens made of these materials will benefit from a covering layer of plants.

A living screen

A hedge is the ideal way to hide anything in the garden. Formal hedges, such as privet and yew, need regular clipping to keep them tidy and under control, but informal shrub hedges require only a little pruning and tend to form broader hedges.

You'll need a gap wide enough for a wheelbarrow, ideally positioned at one end of the hedge so that anyone looking through the gap sees only more hedge. Alternatively, plant one side of the hedge about 4ft in front of the other side so that it overlaps and conceals the gap.

Evergreen shrubs that don't require regular pruning make an effective permanent screen. It is amazing what can be hidden behind a mature, large, hybrid rhododendron or a bushy camellia.

Making timber screens

Panel fences, trellis fences and vertical-board fences can be used to screen refuse bins and storage areas. And don't just leave a gap in the fence for access; add a gate, to keep the mess hidden. Always choose timber that has been pressure-treated with preservative.

To make a panel fence, use 4in by 4in treated timber fence posts and either mount them in proprietary metal fence spikes driven into the ground, or dig postholes and concrete the posts in, checking with a spirit level that they are plumb. Secure the fence panels to the posts using galvanised nails.

For vertical-board fencing, the boards - each 5-6ft high, 6in wide and 1in thick - are nailed top and bottom to two parallel, 3in-by-2in runners fixed between the upright posts. The boards are spaced 1in apart to allow air through.

Timber screens can be stained to help them blend in with their surroundings. Use them as support for climbers and plant freestanding shrubs in front.

Training plants over tanks

Use galvanised netting wire to cover plastic or metal fuel tanks. Staple 1in-by-1in timber batons to the netting, roughly 2ft apart, then drape the wire mesh over the tank with the batons between the wire and the tank; this leaves space for climbing plants to scramble through the wire.

Place timber pegs in the ground and secure the netting to the pegs. Before driving the pegs in firmly, be sure to mark the position of the outlet fuel pipe.

Manholes and septic tanks

It is likely that at some stage they will become blocked and it will be necessary to open manholes. If they are hidden too well you may forget their location and end up digging most of the garden to find them.

In patio areas, fit a recessed manhole lid flush with the surrounding surface, and simply put a large wooden barrel or a planted container on top to disguise it. For instant access, simply move the container.

Gravelling the surface of the septic tank or manhole is an effective camouflage, and the gravel is easily removed for access. When you need to find the manhole cover again, just stamp your foot on the gravel and listen for a hollow sound.

Making a compost container

Aeration is essential when making compost, so the container needs to have holes in the sides and in the base to ensure adequate movement of air. A strong, well-built container will last for years.

An area 6ft by 6ft is about the right size, and the container should be roughly 5ft high.

Make a wooden container by driving four 4in square corner posts into the ground (use pressure-treated timber that will not rot). To make up three sides of the container, fix 6in-by-1in planks with a 1in gap between them for air to flow. The fourth side should be removable, for access to the compost.

To make slots in which the removable side will run, use galvanised nails to attach a pair of 1in by 1in battens down the inside faces of the posts, leaving a 2in gap between the battens. Then simply slide 6in by 1in boards down the grooves made by the battens.

Raising the base on bricks lets air penetrate under the heap. The waterproof lid may be made from carpet nailed on a wooden frame and covered with polythene. Corrugated plastic sheets are light for lifting when filling.

The simplest sort of compost container consists of four round timber corner posts, each 6.5ft long, 3in in diameter, and pointed at one end. Drive the posts 18in into the ground, leaving 5ft of post above ground. Staple on 1in mesh wire netting to make the four sides. The mesh will let air enter the heap and keep the compost from spilling out.

Five tips for successful compost

Build the materials in layers no more than 9in deep. Don't try to compost the roots of perennial weeds. Add a nitrogen-rich activator such as poultry manure. Turn the compost regularly, moving material from the sides into the centre. Never let the material dry out.

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001

Answers

Great Article, git, and I have used many of these ideas...they work...but one must be careful and on the look out for places where bees and wasps make their homes! Like under the top of the propane tank!

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2001