Decorative Options to Beautify Bare Block Walls

Transforming Your Bare Block Wall: Exploring Decorative Options

Enhancing Your Outdoor Space

Do you need decorative block wall options for a bare block wall surrounding your backyard?

If your residence is located in California or the Southwest, the chances are high that you have encountered this common architectural feature. Although these walls are known for their durability, they often lack aesthetic charm, leaving much to be desired in terms of their appearance.

Thankfully, there are things you can do to make them look better without spending a lot of money to do so.

Here are my top 3:

1. Planting Large Shrubs

Plant large shrubs along the wall. Look for shrubs that grow at least 5 feet tall and wide. Be sure to allow enough room for the shrubs to grow to their mature size – no ‘poodle-pruning.’ The shrubs will look great while adding texture and color like the ‘Sparky’ Tecoma shrub above. Note: Many people get this wrong by either spacing shrubs too closely together or excessively pruning them.

2. Painting Your Wall for Decorative Block Options

Paint your wall a colorful shade of blue, purple, red, or even yellow. This is a common design style in the Southwest and several of my clients have employed this design strategy. You can add plants like shrubs or cacti along the painted wall for added interest. Garden art also looks great on painted walls and is a useful option when there isn’t enough room for plants to grow.

3. Using Wood Planks

Cover the wall with pine wood planks, arranged horizontally, and stain them an attractive color. The planks of wood can be attached to metal stakes along the back. This creates a very modern look with an organic element. A welcome bonus is a wood decreases the radiated heat that comes off of block walls in summer.

So, if you are tired of looking at a bare block wall, I hope you will explore one of these options. 

Noelle Johnson, aka, 'AZ Plant Lady' is a author, horticulturist, and landscape consultant who helps people learn how to create, grow, and maintain beautiful desert gardens that thrive in a hot, dry climate. She does this through her consulting services, her online class Desert Gardening 101, and her monthly membership club, Through the Garden Gate. As she likes to tell desert-dwellers, "Gardening in the desert isn't hard, but it is different."