How to Hide Undesirable Utility Equipment With Landscape Design
Hide eyesores with attractive landscaping elements.
Sure, you can’t imagine life without electricity. Air conditioning is great during those steamy summer months. Having water from the tap every time you need it is so convenient. And your trash bins are key for collecting your waste and safely disposing of it.
These are a necessary part of a comfortable life.
But why do they require bulky, gray boxes and meters that are such eyesores in your yard?
Luckily, there are a lot of great custom ideas to help you hide these unsightly, yet essential, pieces in your home landscape.
Design a special garden bed
A gorgeous garden can be designed to hide your utility box in your yard, but also give it enough room to operate properly.
There are just some important rules you have to follow:
- Be mindful of underground wires when planting.
- Don’t plant trees to hide your utility box. Their root systems can potentially damage underground wiring and cables.
- Plant shrubs and ornamental grasses since they have shallow root systems. They also grow tall enough during the growing season to hide your utility box and look stunning in your yard at the same time.
Incorporate screening
A wood lattice screen or trellis can be a great way to hide your utility box.
If these next level landscape structures are permanent, make sure they are a safe distance back from the box and that any footing doesn’t impact underground wires or cables.
You can even have flowering vines grow up the sides to add wonderful color and scent.
Use creatively placed containers
Another screen option is to put containers overflowing with seasonal color creations in front of electrical boxes, transformer boxes or water meters.
That way, you can update your containers whenever you want a new look. You can also easily move the containers in case any repair work needs to be done to any of the units.
Try trash can hideaways
Maybe your garage is packed with other items and you don’t want to store your garbage bins inside, so you keep them outside.
But garbage bins are fairly large, so they don’t easily tuck away.
Transform your trash can hiding place into a decorative structure. Work with your landscape professional to create a wooden lattice, cedar or other creative wooden or vinyl structure the size of your garbage cans so they can hide inside. Include a door or removable panel for easy access.
Add a top on the trash can enclosure that’s deep enough to fill with planting soil so you can install a creative seasonal color display. You can even change the flowers with the seasons to vary your look.
Cover air-conditioning units
Air conditioning makes humid, muggy summer days much more enjoyable when you can come inside to cool off. But they aren’t the most attractive units. They’re bulky and require space so they can work well.
A lattice, louvered or slatted wood screen can provide a great visual element in your landscape and provide the airflow your units need. For a touch of greenery, add hanging pots and plants to the screen.
Looking for creative, custom ways to hide the utility boxes in your yard? We’d love to help you achieve a space that looks great and hides those less attractive elements in your landscape. Learn more about gardens we’ve designed here or contact us for a consultation about how we can bring your dream landscape to life.
