Paved garden with metal table and chairs in front of a tall conifer hedge — Tall conifer hedge and shrubs behind the paved patio before the fence went in.

New close-board fence at the back of a garden with cleared border and paving in front — New close-board fence along the back of the garden with the border cleared in front.

This Stourport-on-Severn garden has a stone-coloured patio, pots of planting and a high boundary at the back. The first photo shows a tall conifer hedge and shrubs behind the paving before work, and the second shows a new fence fitted along the back, with the planting cut back beside it. The two photos give a clear before and after view of the same boundary.

Fitting a fence behind mature planting

When a fence runs behind mature shrubs and a conifer hedge, the planting usually needs cutting back first so there is room to dig post holes and fit panels. Conifers do not regrow from old bare wood, so they are trimmed carefully rather than cut hard. Once there is clearance, posts are set, panels fitted, and the ground along the boundary tidied.

What changed

In the first photo, a thick wall of conifer hedge towers over the garden, with a table and chairs on the paving. In the second, the new panels show in warm timber with concrete posts, and the border in front has been cleared and left mostly bare, apart from some shrubs and a red-leaved maple. With a new fence in place it is easier to plan the border in front of it, so think about what you would like to plant.