How to Hide a Storage Building

Hiding a storage building.

Storage buildings help gardeners and do-it-yourself home repair enthusiasts store equipment and tools. Because many of the products that are necessary for maintaining a garden contain toxic chemicals, it is important to store them in a storage building rather than inside the home. Unfortunately, storage buildings can ruin the aesthetics of the landscaping as they can draw attention away from the rest of the yard. Hide the storage building on your property to maintain the aesthetic appeal of the landscaping.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Paper
• Tape Measure
• Wall stud sensor
• Trellis
• Drill
• Screws
• Shovel
• Nylon strings
• Netting

Instructions

1. Draw a diagram of the yard and indicate the measurements of the storage building so you can start planning garden beds. Likewise, indicate on the diagram how much sunlight the area receives to help you choose plants that can help hide the storage building.

2. Attach trellises to the outside of the storage building. Use a wall stud sensor for finding the wall studs for drilling. Drill holes into the storage building and attach the trellises using screws. You can cut the trellises with a saw, so that they match the wall area of the building.

3. Plant climbing vegetables, herbs, ivy, fruit, roses or other ornamental plants next to the trellis. You can use string beans, grapes, moonflowers, tomatoes or bougainvillea. Dig a hole next to the trellis that is twice the diameter and at the same depth as the part of the plant that is being planted. Place that part in the hole and pack soil around the base.

4. Tie the canes to the trellis using soft nylon strings. Train (attach) the canes horizontally when planting roses. Water the plants thoroughly.

5. Throw netting on top of the roof of the building. Plant a hardy vine like English ivy in the ground next to the building. Train the vines to cover the netting on the roof, so that the building becomes a garden and blends in with the rest of the landscape.

Tips & Warnings

• Plant tall plants like corn or wheat around your building to hide the outdoor structure.

• Avoid tying canes too tightly to the trellis, because you can stunt their growth.

References

• Fine Gardening: Plants for Trellis
• Pioneer Thinking: Do It Yourself Trellis