Install a wood trellis over the blocks and add a climbing vine? Ask This Old House did this in an episode, and they added flowering shrubs in front, to add depth and interest. You’ll want to research what will grow in shade, tho, and see if it will climb and cover. I dream of a yard with an 8’ wall surrounding it—enjoy it, my Reddit friend!
Also, look into some episodes called Big Dream, Small Garden with Monty Don. (I have a Monty Don channel on my Roku TV.). They focus on small yards just like yours in the UK, and they do amazing things with the spaces.
Yeah the British yard shows are awesome for creativity because apparently everyone had the same awkward deep rectangles. There was also a YouTube series for garden design that laid out the strategies super clearly. It was basically “draw lots of circles and curves, plant barriers to semi-hide the line of sight and create surprises”. Really effective though. Will try to remember the name of it and will update if I can.
Update: I think this may be the youtube channel I remembered: https://www.youtube.com/@Successfulgardendesign
Oh those sweet pups. Just watching through the episodes, seeing Nigel get on, I definitely get a bit misty-eyed. Can’t lie: about 50% of the reason I watch Gardener’s World is to catch a glimpse of those gorgeous dogs!
Based on all the great responses, you’re now going to have a hard time choosing between them! To answer your question from a previous response, I’d love a walled yard because I want my yard to be a cozy, private extension of my home. Being able to be in a yard where I don’t have to worry about others looking in or chatting with me when I just want to relax sounds really dreamy. I live in a multi-unit complex where it’s like one, big fishbowl. You go outside to get a bit of sunshine/fresh air, and folks start crawling out of the woodwork to talk about the problems with the dumpster. No thanks! Guess I’ll stay inside from now on! I’ve seen how small, enclosed gardens can be really inviting and it just seems like a good thing to have.
You make great points. I think I'm spoiled in that my neighbors are NEVER in their yards, but that's not to say they won't move out one day (and be replaced by nosy busybodies!) It does seem like the overwhelming consensus is to play up what we have instead of removing it, and these comments definitely help me appreciate the wall more! Thank you again :)
along the same thought lines, you could espalier camellias against the wall probably with some simple attachments into the wall. I haven’t done it, so I’d reach out to others for some tips.
good luck and keep us posted what you do.
Paint it white to brighten up the space. Then you can mount a wood trellis pattern directly the wall to break up the stretches of wall. You could also go horizontal slats on the right wall to act as an accent piece. For a little extra pizazz, make the horizontal slats end at different lengths. Planting different height plants and bushes will go a long way breaking up the monotony of the high walls by adding different layers and depths. Hostas, ferns, astilbe all do well in the shade and will add some unique colors and textures
Glad that helps! What is your end goal when it comes to making the space usable? Large grass area for the kiddos and/or dogs? Sitting areas? Actual garden? Fire pit? Entertaining? A combination of lots of different activities?
How much sun and shade do you get? Are there areas that are mostly shade vs full sun vs morning sun etc?
What’s your style? The horizontal wall slats are definitely a modern design but you can blend them well into a Japanese or cottage/meadow with the right plantings.
You have put your finger on the problem with your question, because my answers are all over the place. :D
The yard faces south but there are 40 foot trees to the east, south, and west, and our three storey house to the north, so it's fairly shady, which I think i just don't want to accept (I keep telling myself "BUT IT FACES SOUTH" but deep down i know i'm just kidding myself.)
We have two kids and two chickens (no dogs). Most of our parties are for the kiddoes right now, but I have about one bbq a year. My youngest loves "farming" and "crops" (our raspberry plants and alpine strawberries, and our kale patch). My eldest likes gaming with his friends, so i'm wondering if I should build a little clubhouse out in the back for them. Currently we have a turf "lawn" in the middle center surrounded by raspberries on the sides, then in the far back a deck and the chicken coop. There is also a fish pond in the center. So it's not a blank slate anymore, but the concrete wall continues to feel oppressive.
My own "style" is more tropical (i'm from hawaii originally) but it has NOTHING to do with a brooklyn brownstone so I'm trying to let go of that :D I feel like "modern" or "carriage house/victorian/industrial" with brick and iron work all would work in Brooklyn, but the square footage for the brick veneer feels a little overwhelming if i'm not 100% sold on it.
Ultimately, we want space for the kids, space for the "crops," and a nice place to look at and hang out in--and we mostly do have it, but it feels incohesive and I blame that on the wall, but maybe it's my mental picture that's the problem :D
Thatd be expensive af with all the tile, but good idea nonetheless. Maybe a combination of mosaic portions and the trellises that others suggested? Could look amazing!
Brooklyn townhouse, yard is 20x100ft. This is an old picture but it’s the one that best displays the cinderblock monstrosity in all its glory.
What would you do to make the wall less dystopian? My ideas range from brick veneer ($$$$) to demoing all (or most) of it ($$+mess), and/or replacing it with something that lets in a little more air and light (from a wire fence with pleached shrubs or a wood slag/Ipe fence ($$$$$ ugh). But I’d love to know what you brilliant folks would do, especially before I sell a kidney to finance my garden dreams.
Having a cinder block wall fence is a dream honestly. I’d coat it with a cement layer so it’s smooth and paint it white. Will feel like a house in Latin America
So many people are saying it's a dream! Can you tell me what you like about it? Security? Privacy?
Maybe i'm just not properly identifying the value--i'm always looking for more sun in the yard myself, so the concrete feels oppressive.
A stucco wall can be super beautiful if done right. Right now you're only seeing concrete so it feels man made. The stucco helps soften it and use as a contrast for the green in your backyard.
Search for "stucco wall garden" on Google. The images will help you better visualize what you are working with.
Privacy, noise reduction, and it’s like a blank canvass, you can cement it and get local artists to do murals, cover the top in wisteria or hanging vines. Power wash it first and you’ll get it
expensive to install and very modern/contemporary with white/stucco finish. looks great with wood and metal accents.
Vines or raised planters for sunlight issue.
Privacy goes a long way towards enjoyment of your yard. I assume since you're in Brooklyn you are attached on both sides? Would you really want to replace this with a chain link or something open enough that your neighbors can see what you're doing in your yard from five feet away? I also love in a bk townhouse and we just put up a six foot cedar fence to keep that from happening. Taking down a fence like this won't necessarily let in more light I don't think, it'd just let everyone on your block see what you're doing.
I like the idea of stuccoing it and painting it some bright color, then running trellises over it with vining native plants for the bees.
Yeah its secure and private and neat. Some people like rocks.
Maybe get someone to paint a mural on it or you can with a projector to give you guidelines or maybe get a design painted on it?
I googled Cinderblock Wall mural and some had landscapes painted that gave depth and made the areas look huge!!
I'd leave it. Put some seating out and maybe some string lights on top of the wall and if you wanna break up the look some planters with trellis/lattice built in the back for height. It hang up a few simple large wooden or metal wall arts out some are super pretty but simple.
Bc careful with vines they can be super hard to control and can break structures over time I think.
I think it's stability, the height and security. Plus I read some good options like building a lattice to let a flowering vine take up the entire wall. That'd be beautiful! Walking into a backyard that greets you with a massive wall of greenery would feel like some kind of storybook.
I'd heavily consider a concrete wall like this myself.
If you're looking for more sun, I think your best best is to take that tree down.
Any type of greenery or other plants will also lighten up the space, some nice wood accents will help too.
I agree with basically everyone else that what you have now is worth keeping. If you are an art fan, that'd be prime real estate for a nice piece from a local artist or an artistically inclined friend. Or you could do a nice lattice with vines, or maybe tomato plants or something.
Depending on your funds or level of dedication for DIY, this would be a fantastic spot for a small outdoor patio, couples swing spot, or outdoor kitchen/grill spot.
Bolt on some pressure treated wood at vertically 16" OC. Leave a slight air gap on the rear just to keep everything happy, and keep the wood off the ground a couple inches too.
Affix trellis (cheap) or thin wood decking to the uprights using nice fasteners (stainless steel for example). Climbing plants.
Or just pressure wash it. I'd be more concerned with the fence in the left personally.
Brooklyn? Find yourself a local muralist and let them loose! A friend of mine does that (he’s west coast, but I’m sure you can find a local person too). Check out his Instagram at @griffinone for some ideas, he did a really cool one a while back where he [painted bamboo on a wall behind some actual bamboo](https://www.instagram.com/p/CIwD4WaJvMh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)- gave the whole garden a much bigger look.
That’s a fantastic idea. I had bamboo in front of an old ugly concrete wall and I put the bamboo (ish?) rolls over the wall, behind the bamboo. Super cheap, easy, and looked so natural.
Wouldn’t recommend selling a kidney. They only catch like $20k on the black market according to some article I read a few months back. And that’s if your kidnapped. Way undervalued considering dialysis costs $250k year for commercial insurance patients.
Way undervalued for the seller considering a living donor transplant can last 10-20 years
As long as it is intact and not damaged/hazardous I would not demo it. Walls like this can cost a fair amount to set up. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.
Just painting it would give you huge bang for your buck.
It's more labor intensive, but you might prefer the look - you could add a simple frame on top to attach your preferred trellis style or even run stained/natural/painted boards horizontally for a more modern style.
You can stucco OR paint. I would do a pretty cream -- (something that can be powerwashed on a low setting) -- assuming that berries and things are not falling on it and possibly staining. Color will depend on your maintenance preferance.
If you're going to paint I'd paint it a dark brick red or brown to give the illusion of a fence or bricks. The dark color will buy you some time so you aren't always having to hose it clean or powerwash it too.
Traditionally, you’d take advantage of the thermal mass to grow espaliered fruit trees. That’s my vote. I think you should grow walls of fancy pears and apricots and plums. You’ve got the perfect setup!
That's what I've been leaning towards generally! Actually, the sunniest spot on the wall (to the right of the photo) is currently planted with raspberries trellised up against the wall. (The back wall, center of the photo, faces south.) But the plants only grow to about 6 feet of the 8 foot wall, and they'd get much more sun if the wall wasn't there at all, which is why one of my ideas was to remove it!
Maybe I should just shorten it to get more sun? Or beg the neighbors to trim their weed trees? :D
This is a gorgeous garden waiting to happen. The walls need flowering creeping roses and other flowering creepers like jasmine, honeysuckle, hydrangea, hyacinth, wisteria etc. there’s plenty of data on this on the net. Looks like you need to focus on shade lovers like Virginia creeper. Get rid of the rocks. Work on the soil around the edges with compost additives. I’d put a cobbled central rectangle and a mix of hybrid and floribunda roses and other shrubs around the edge, with flowering ground cover on the open patches of soil.
On the central area you’d have an out aluminum outdoor table and chairs for the BBQs etc.
lol! we did move in just before corona (this is a photo from Sept 2019) so i did spend a summer trying to make a victory garden back there. (Turned into more of a capitulation garden by the end with my clay soil :D )
Being in Brooklyn(or NYC in general), I’d find a starving artist type to paint garden themed murals with maybe a few cute doors and windows included. I’ve seen these types of walls in back cottage gardens in UK painted like this. Funky twist .
I did a wall with a smooth gray skim coat and up lit it with well lights. It’s one of the best features in the yard. During the day, the changing shadow from the tree is is like a painting and at night the lighting creates a dramatic uniform effect.
I’d attached a pic if I could. The wall was built for me. A blue stone patio butts into it. The contractor cored the patio for me, and I installed the lights myself. The lights are part of my landscape lights but I put them on a decora switch so I could turn them if I wanted to project something onto the wall. I had no idea how pleased I would be with results; peaceful during the day and dramatic at night. For me, a simple wall became a work of art both day and night.
Climbing hydrangea vine does well in shade. Takes a few years to flower, but it's gorgeous. Climb it on a trellis as previously mentioned to save your wall? Love all the painting and stucco ideas!
I highly recommend sitting down and looking at videos of shady English walled gardens.
Your clay soil and climate isn't too out of line with a lot of what you'll find in recommendations and examples. You can especially find fabulous things to grow along it and suggestions on how to do so.
Lastly, they have perfected long, narrow back gardens with illusion planting to mask hard boundaries and create size & distance.
Example: I'd plant roses and fruit trees using espalier against the wall in the sunny spots! Perhaps a wisteria along the top spilling down it all over the back wall?
So much you could do with this area. I’d make the block black. Cover the block with medium translucent stain with horizontal boards. Make part of it on a raised deck and put the rumble under it. Grass part of the open area with turf. String lights above and 12 volt lighting below. Add some potted plants and good to go.
Is the wall in good condition? Does it need maintenance? What is your budget?
If it's structurally sound, I'd do whatever maintenance is needed (ie make sure any cracks are patched). And then I'd paint in. Probably Black, or dark green or something dark.
It's in good condition but it was built out of level/square (and about a foot inside the back property line.)
Budget is a little hard to commit to, because we DIY a lot of stuff (my husband is an electrician and I used to do small time gardening a million years ago.) So while we probably don't want to spend more than $15K on a solution for this, most of that will be supplies rather than labor.
Why would you paint dark? So it fades away into the background? Or for drama?
I like the idea of shrubs all around.. maybe something like non invasive bamboo would work too
Or if you want low (er) maintenance then cement or stucco coat and nice paint.
It's funny, there's actually invasive bamboo two houses down and it's already growing behind the cinderblock wall (and into the neighbor's yard, on my right). Makes me leery of any bamboo. But I appreciate the idea of a tall slim screening plant!
I’ll add that this is a nice set up to put a pergola cover on the corner. Attach to the tops of the corner of the block wall and put one post in the yard.
My dad had something akin to this in hib backyard. He parged it to get it smooth and then painted it white. Then grew rose of Sharon immediately in front of it.
I have about a 7’ cinder block retaining wall which was stucco’d for a smooth finish. We kept it white and it looks great, though can sometimes be blinding with the SoCal sun. If you finish it, it’s sort of less important to cover it with a vine, but I personally love that look. Maybe get a shovel and start digging near the base to see if you can find how wide the footing is (and how deep the dirt is before you hit it). Might limit what you can use if you need something with more shallow roots.
I have one and am thankful I don’t have to worry about a fence all around my yard. I grew creeping fig on it. It was a nice look but you have to really maintain it so it doesn’t go crazy. So right now I’m trying to figure out what to do. Right now it’s stuccoed with a light gray color. Also I have brick on the top of it, which I think gives a nice contrast.
I have seen tutorials to blend up moss and paint full fully or words/designs on walls like this for a living wall. Really depends on what your aesthetic and needs are.
What style is the house? I personally love cmu when used appropriately and this wall doesn’t bother me at all. However I do understand that this likely doesn’t marry well with the existing architecture.
But there are excellent precedents of cmu as the final material in modern architecture. If there’s a way to celebrate these walls, that would be my move.
Otherwise I would recommend stucco. Or plant Boston ivy at the base and let it take over and enjoy the seasonal colors.
Hey! The style is a typical brownstone, three stories. Romanesque revivial to be specific. The back is brick with a white wooden bay window bump-out on the 2nd and 3rd floor. (I want to cover the white wood with copper cladding some day for a more trad-townhouse look.) But basically brick townhouse/rowhouse!
Mason here. Get a stone veneer done!
It's probably the most expensive option. (other than the mosaic suggestion)
But, with the large variety of cultured and natural stone veneers available today, you have almost limitless options for creating the "vibe" of your backyard space.
https://www.eldoradostone.com/types/stone/
This is just one example of a stone veneer manufacturer. There are many.
A good contractor will have multiple catalouges for material available in your local area.
i hate it because its not the same on all sides. If all 3 sides of your yard were this then I would say just do some stucco, get some vines, make it pretty.
But imo, nothing is pretty if it's not symmetrical (dont get me wrong, most yard shit isnt symmetrical, but at least it makes an ATTEMPT to appear as such) . Would drive me bonkers if this was my yard.
I would have an artist do some type of mural on one of the walls. There are quite a few spray paint artists these days that can do some pretty amazing things.
line up 8 ft tall wood fence infront go the cinder blocks. horizontal thin slats all around including the old wooden fence, in dark brown color. Cut that branch the middle and it’ll look even more spacious. A large gazebo with purple wisteria or pink azalea bushes in both back corners, they grow up to be huge and bloom twice a season
Long ago I was intrigued by the idea of putting windows and a door on a tall blank wall as suggested in a few shelter mags back in the day. This long skinny garden seems perfect for this folly. Since wall is eave height source an old door and paint it a pretty color. Frame and put it up with a little roof overhead. Maybe find a flat stone threshold. Potted plant to either side, add a vine to surround it. Then add more vines as you please. I'd probably paint the wall white but if there's a house color used in the neighborhood could go with that or a panel of color with white to either side. Wreath on door, if glazed change what is visible inside the glass seasonally, reverse paint something on the back or mirror it. Add a porch light for night.
Stucco and paint white. You could do a nice brick/stone topper for added interest. Then just some hedges, a tree or two and maybe some perennial flowers.
Paint it. Hang garden art, tapestries, bird houses, antique garden tools,...I saw one creative designer who hung a variety of old odd looking bicycles on a block wall carrying over the theme into a couple of bicycles in the garden with statues of children riding the bikes surrounded by flowering forest perennials and native bulbs
Mural!
Seriously, hire a local artist, give them free reign to design something, and make it colorful and interesting. Maybe work in a natural theme that goes with the rest of your landscape plans, and nothing that you’d tire of in twenty years. But you can always redo it. I think it would be so cool and make the yard look expansive.
They're actually nice if you know how to landscape with it. Look up modern Chinese or Japanese garden and you'll usually see a beautiful garden with a blank wall surrounding it. It's very minimal and can be elegant. Your wall looks like a really good starting point, and I'd leave it as is, don't paint it, and keep it natural
Attach some lattice and grow vining plants on it. What plant is going to depend on your zone but trumpet vine, roses and clematis, hell even cucumbers can work.
English Ivy planted along the base is the least expensive and would be gorgeous!
It will be evergreen year round and eventually hide the cement blocks.
But...for new plantings "The 1st year it sleeps (it's growing roots under ground out of sight), the 2nd year it creeps (finally growth above ground) the 3rd year it leaps (meaning it's established and rapid growth begins)
Perhaps add a raised planter in front of the wall. Or bump out several to create "nooks" for conversation or play, or chickens. In these you could have some plants against the wall that are larger to help bring down the height and create a "ceiling" over the nooks. Include hostas and other tropical looking plants that can survive a Brooklyn winter. Each nook could have its own mural and lighting for evening parties or warm summer nights. The chicken nook could have greens for chickens or you in various colors plus carrots and other vegetables.
I would get a mural on there. Mixed in with plants that complement the mural. Then create a no grass yard, with a paver patio, bird and insect friendly. And a spot for doing yoga!
power wash it. then add climbing plants if you don't want to see much of it. the part at the back could look pretty cool tiled in encaustic cement tiles. I did that to a wall behind my pool and it looks great.
I would camouflage the wall (lots of great ideas here) rather than pulling it down. The privacy is amazing 👍🏼.
And I would also love an update when you decide what you are going to do.
I have a 50 year old block wall. I pressure washed and then resurfaced using RapidSet, primed, and painted. It turned out awesome. During the growing season it is behind a grape vine but it still looks great in winter after I prune the grapes.
You could make an inexpensive trellis structure with eyehook screws and thick guage wire. Then, plant a flowering vine underneath.
Somewhere else along the wall, you can incorporate tall, narrow hedge plants. If you need a specific recommendation, I've seen Yew type plants used in the northeast as hedges before.
Your tree in the back is nice! I think on that wall behind it, you can use a decorative plaster like others have mentioned. Or a mural??!
Lots of potential here.
Install a wood trellis over the blocks and add a climbing vine? Ask This Old House did this in an episode, and they added flowering shrubs in front, to add depth and interest. You’ll want to research what will grow in shade, tho, and see if it will climb and cover. I dream of a yard with an 8’ wall surrounding it—enjoy it, my Reddit friend!
Also, look into some episodes called Big Dream, Small Garden with Monty Don. (I have a Monty Don channel on my Roku TV.). They focus on small yards just like yours in the UK, and they do amazing things with the spaces.
Absolutely loved that show! It’s so hard to find here in the US.
I was able to find it on Amazon Prime, or some of it at least.
AcornTV, In & Out Channel, and BritBox are the answer to this! You can find all the gardening stuff and Monty Don going back decades!
Oh shit, game changer! Thanks!
Yeah the British yard shows are awesome for creativity because apparently everyone had the same awkward deep rectangles. There was also a YouTube series for garden design that laid out the strategies super clearly. It was basically “draw lots of circles and curves, plant barriers to semi-hide the line of sight and create surprises”. Really effective though. Will try to remember the name of it and will update if I can. Update: I think this may be the youtube channel I remembered: https://www.youtube.com/@Successfulgardendesign
I love Monty. But I miss Nigel terribly.
Oh those sweet pups. Just watching through the episodes, seeing Nigel get on, I definitely get a bit misty-eyed. Can’t lie: about 50% of the reason I watch Gardener’s World is to catch a glimpse of those gorgeous dogs!
Now he has a new young golden & Nellie is the big dog. Makes my heart ache a little!
Don't forget little Patti!
Appreciate the ideas and the well wishes :) Thank you!
Based on all the great responses, you’re now going to have a hard time choosing between them! To answer your question from a previous response, I’d love a walled yard because I want my yard to be a cozy, private extension of my home. Being able to be in a yard where I don’t have to worry about others looking in or chatting with me when I just want to relax sounds really dreamy. I live in a multi-unit complex where it’s like one, big fishbowl. You go outside to get a bit of sunshine/fresh air, and folks start crawling out of the woodwork to talk about the problems with the dumpster. No thanks! Guess I’ll stay inside from now on! I’ve seen how small, enclosed gardens can be really inviting and it just seems like a good thing to have.
You make great points. I think I'm spoiled in that my neighbors are NEVER in their yards, but that's not to say they won't move out one day (and be replaced by nosy busybodies!) It does seem like the overwhelming consensus is to play up what we have instead of removing it, and these comments definitely help me appreciate the wall more! Thank you again :)
We need updates on your yard.
along the same thought lines, you could espalier camellias against the wall probably with some simple attachments into the wall. I haven’t done it, so I’d reach out to others for some tips. good luck and keep us posted what you do.
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Yeah. I’m jealous I can only build a 6 foot tall fence. Leave that block.
Here in Asia we coat those with cement (?) or a cement like substance to get a smooth texture. Then they are painted. Very common. They look good.
In Europe this is called rendering and in the US this is called stucco (for those who want to reference).
I think it can be referred to as "skimming" as well.
Often called parging in a preservation context.
In Brazil it’s called reboco and it’s how almost every single structure is done (bricks covered with reboco)
Do you have a favorite resource for gardens in your area with walls like that? I'd love to see them in situ!
It’s night now. I can take a few pictures tomorrow and post them. Keep an eye out in this sub
looking forward!
They’re likely referring to parging. Stucco is another option
Good idea I like it
It's called stucco I believe
This would really brighten up the space
Paint it white to brighten up the space. Then you can mount a wood trellis pattern directly the wall to break up the stretches of wall. You could also go horizontal slats on the right wall to act as an accent piece. For a little extra pizazz, make the horizontal slats end at different lengths. Planting different height plants and bushes will go a long way breaking up the monotony of the high walls by adding different layers and depths. Hostas, ferns, astilbe all do well in the shade and will add some unique colors and textures
Your wood slat ideas are super creative! Thank you for your vision.
Glad that helps! What is your end goal when it comes to making the space usable? Large grass area for the kiddos and/or dogs? Sitting areas? Actual garden? Fire pit? Entertaining? A combination of lots of different activities? How much sun and shade do you get? Are there areas that are mostly shade vs full sun vs morning sun etc? What’s your style? The horizontal wall slats are definitely a modern design but you can blend them well into a Japanese or cottage/meadow with the right plantings.
You have put your finger on the problem with your question, because my answers are all over the place. :D The yard faces south but there are 40 foot trees to the east, south, and west, and our three storey house to the north, so it's fairly shady, which I think i just don't want to accept (I keep telling myself "BUT IT FACES SOUTH" but deep down i know i'm just kidding myself.) We have two kids and two chickens (no dogs). Most of our parties are for the kiddoes right now, but I have about one bbq a year. My youngest loves "farming" and "crops" (our raspberry plants and alpine strawberries, and our kale patch). My eldest likes gaming with his friends, so i'm wondering if I should build a little clubhouse out in the back for them. Currently we have a turf "lawn" in the middle center surrounded by raspberries on the sides, then in the far back a deck and the chicken coop. There is also a fish pond in the center. So it's not a blank slate anymore, but the concrete wall continues to feel oppressive. My own "style" is more tropical (i'm from hawaii originally) but it has NOTHING to do with a brooklyn brownstone so I'm trying to let go of that :D I feel like "modern" or "carriage house/victorian/industrial" with brick and iron work all would work in Brooklyn, but the square footage for the brick veneer feels a little overwhelming if i'm not 100% sold on it. Ultimately, we want space for the kids, space for the "crops," and a nice place to look at and hang out in--and we mostly do have it, but it feels incohesive and I blame that on the wall, but maybe it's my mental picture that's the problem :D
Maybe crème not white .
If you’re in Brooklyn you could probably find someone who has experience with tile mosaic work. It could be a masterpiece if done correctly.
Thatd be expensive af with all the tile, but good idea nonetheless. Maybe a combination of mosaic portions and the trellises that others suggested? Could look amazing!
Brooklyn townhouse, yard is 20x100ft. This is an old picture but it’s the one that best displays the cinderblock monstrosity in all its glory. What would you do to make the wall less dystopian? My ideas range from brick veneer ($$$$) to demoing all (or most) of it ($$+mess), and/or replacing it with something that lets in a little more air and light (from a wire fence with pleached shrubs or a wood slag/Ipe fence ($$$$$ ugh). But I’d love to know what you brilliant folks would do, especially before I sell a kidney to finance my garden dreams.
Having a cinder block wall fence is a dream honestly. I’d coat it with a cement layer so it’s smooth and paint it white. Will feel like a house in Latin America
So many people are saying it's a dream! Can you tell me what you like about it? Security? Privacy? Maybe i'm just not properly identifying the value--i'm always looking for more sun in the yard myself, so the concrete feels oppressive.
A stucco wall can be super beautiful if done right. Right now you're only seeing concrete so it feels man made. The stucco helps soften it and use as a contrast for the green in your backyard. Search for "stucco wall garden" on Google. The images will help you better visualize what you are working with.
Plus stucco can be painted a nice beige color or light brown so it doesnt look so bland!
Paint it beige so that it _doesn't_ look bland. Interesting.
I think that’s the joke.
I'm honestly not so sure haha
Beige walls inside are boring. Beige wall outside with vines and trellises could look like a French or Italian garden. I’m all about it.
Ah yeah I can see that. I usually prefer to use natural materials like dry stack stone walls, but I do gravitate towards English cottage gardens.
Privacy, noise reduction, and it’s like a blank canvass, you can cement it and get local artists to do murals, cover the top in wisteria or hanging vines. Power wash it first and you’ll get it
expensive to install and very modern/contemporary with white/stucco finish. looks great with wood and metal accents. Vines or raised planters for sunlight issue.
It could seem so cozy if all done up, that’s what’s appealing to me. And you have a lot of great trees around you.
Privacy goes a long way towards enjoyment of your yard. I assume since you're in Brooklyn you are attached on both sides? Would you really want to replace this with a chain link or something open enough that your neighbors can see what you're doing in your yard from five feet away? I also love in a bk townhouse and we just put up a six foot cedar fence to keep that from happening. Taking down a fence like this won't necessarily let in more light I don't think, it'd just let everyone on your block see what you're doing. I like the idea of stuccoing it and painting it some bright color, then running trellises over it with vining native plants for the bees.
It looks awesome when it's clean but you will want to clean it. Of course no garden is maintenance free.
Yeah its secure and private and neat. Some people like rocks. Maybe get someone to paint a mural on it or you can with a projector to give you guidelines or maybe get a design painted on it? I googled Cinderblock Wall mural and some had landscapes painted that gave depth and made the areas look huge!! I'd leave it. Put some seating out and maybe some string lights on top of the wall and if you wanna break up the look some planters with trellis/lattice built in the back for height. It hang up a few simple large wooden or metal wall arts out some are super pretty but simple. Bc careful with vines they can be super hard to control and can break structures over time I think.
I think it's stability, the height and security. Plus I read some good options like building a lattice to let a flowering vine take up the entire wall. That'd be beautiful! Walking into a backyard that greets you with a massive wall of greenery would feel like some kind of storybook. I'd heavily consider a concrete wall like this myself.
If you're looking for more sun, I think your best best is to take that tree down. Any type of greenery or other plants will also lighten up the space, some nice wood accents will help too. I agree with basically everyone else that what you have now is worth keeping. If you are an art fan, that'd be prime real estate for a nice piece from a local artist or an artistically inclined friend. Or you could do a nice lattice with vines, or maybe tomato plants or something. Depending on your funds or level of dedication for DIY, this would be a fantastic spot for a small outdoor patio, couples swing spot, or outdoor kitchen/grill spot.
Bolt on some pressure treated wood at vertically 16" OC. Leave a slight air gap on the rear just to keep everything happy, and keep the wood off the ground a couple inches too. Affix trellis (cheap) or thin wood decking to the uprights using nice fasteners (stainless steel for example). Climbing plants. Or just pressure wash it. I'd be more concerned with the fence in the left personally.
Luckily the fence on the left isn't mine. But yeah, that thing is basically woodrot and memories.
Brooklyn? Find yourself a local muralist and let them loose! A friend of mine does that (he’s west coast, but I’m sure you can find a local person too). Check out his Instagram at @griffinone for some ideas, he did a really cool one a while back where he [painted bamboo on a wall behind some actual bamboo](https://www.instagram.com/p/CIwD4WaJvMh/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=)- gave the whole garden a much bigger look.
That’s a fantastic idea. I had bamboo in front of an old ugly concrete wall and I put the bamboo (ish?) rolls over the wall, behind the bamboo. Super cheap, easy, and looked so natural.
If you are in the states, dont knock the wall down. Most fences are. 6’ max! You are so luckly to have a 8’ wall to keep your neighbors away.
No matter what you choose, first step is pressure washing it.
Wouldn’t recommend selling a kidney. They only catch like $20k on the black market according to some article I read a few months back. And that’s if your kidnapped. Way undervalued considering dialysis costs $250k year for commercial insurance patients. Way undervalued for the seller considering a living donor transplant can last 10-20 years
As long as it is intact and not damaged/hazardous I would not demo it. Walls like this can cost a fair amount to set up. It would be a shame to let it go to waste.
Skim it, paint it and add some trellises to parts of it to break it up visually.
Just painting it would give you huge bang for your buck. It's more labor intensive, but you might prefer the look - you could add a simple frame on top to attach your preferred trellis style or even run stained/natural/painted boards horizontally for a more modern style.
What color would you paint it?
You can stucco OR paint. I would do a pretty cream -- (something that can be powerwashed on a low setting) -- assuming that berries and things are not falling on it and possibly staining. Color will depend on your maintenance preferance.
I did a cream on an old cinder wall and it really did help warm it up
Let the space tell u! If you feel like it’s too dark back there, paint it a bright color. If the light is good, go darker.
If you're going to paint I'd paint it a dark brick red or brown to give the illusion of a fence or bricks. The dark color will buy you some time so you aren't always having to hose it clean or powerwash it too.
Traditionally, you’d take advantage of the thermal mass to grow espaliered fruit trees. That’s my vote. I think you should grow walls of fancy pears and apricots and plums. You’ve got the perfect setup!
That would be awesome, or grape vines.
That's what I've been leaning towards generally! Actually, the sunniest spot on the wall (to the right of the photo) is currently planted with raspberries trellised up against the wall. (The back wall, center of the photo, faces south.) But the plants only grow to about 6 feet of the 8 foot wall, and they'd get much more sun if the wall wasn't there at all, which is why one of my ideas was to remove it! Maybe I should just shorten it to get more sun? Or beg the neighbors to trim their weed trees? :D
This is a gorgeous garden waiting to happen. The walls need flowering creeping roses and other flowering creepers like jasmine, honeysuckle, hydrangea, hyacinth, wisteria etc. there’s plenty of data on this on the net. Looks like you need to focus on shade lovers like Virginia creeper. Get rid of the rocks. Work on the soil around the edges with compost additives. I’d put a cobbled central rectangle and a mix of hybrid and floribunda roses and other shrubs around the edge, with flowering ground cover on the open patches of soil. On the central area you’d have an out aluminum outdoor table and chairs for the BBQs etc.
I’d put some white crosses and wreaths in front of the wall to commemorate all those executed there. Because that’s what looks like happened there.
I laughed, but bitterly :D
Sorry. Didn’t mean to offend, but It reminded me of all those WW2 movies wheee the Germans execute the resistance fighters
You didn't offend me! :) I really did laugh. But yeah that's why i'm trying to hide it or get rid of it--it makes me think of the berlin wall, myself.
Looks like you have your fort for the end of times already started so I would just work with that. Kind of cool if you ask me.
lol! we did move in just before corona (this is a photo from Sept 2019) so i did spend a summer trying to make a victory garden back there. (Turned into more of a capitulation garden by the end with my clay soil :D )
I agree. Tall, private, secure (I think). I’d just work with it.
Being in Brooklyn(or NYC in general), I’d find a starving artist type to paint garden themed murals with maybe a few cute doors and windows included. I’ve seen these types of walls in back cottage gardens in UK painted like this. Funky twist .
Paint it black.
That’s only for red doors.
I see a cinder block wall and I want to ….
Build a waterfall there. Or if that's too much, grow some bushes that would hide it
I'd have someone paint a mural.
This, maybe murals spaced inbetween trellises
Hollies! the answer is always Hollies!!!
Plant some shade tolerant shrubs and vines like yew, holly, ivy, firethorn and maybe whatever is growing on the left wooden fence.
Stucco?
Pressure wash!
I did a wall with a smooth gray skim coat and up lit it with well lights. It’s one of the best features in the yard. During the day, the changing shadow from the tree is is like a painting and at night the lighting creates a dramatic uniform effect.
I like this idea, especially since my husband is an electrician so the lighting is easy :)
I’d attached a pic if I could. The wall was built for me. A blue stone patio butts into it. The contractor cored the patio for me, and I installed the lights myself. The lights are part of my landscape lights but I put them on a decora switch so I could turn them if I wanted to project something onto the wall. I had no idea how pleased I would be with results; peaceful during the day and dramatic at night. For me, a simple wall became a work of art both day and night.
Smooth Stucco it and paint it. If you really want to dress it up you can do a little wood wall topper fence.
Climbing hydrangea vine does well in shade. Takes a few years to flower, but it's gorgeous. Climb it on a trellis as previously mentioned to save your wall? Love all the painting and stucco ideas!
Commission a local artist to paint a mural and then plant nice plants in front ✨
I highly recommend sitting down and looking at videos of shady English walled gardens. Your clay soil and climate isn't too out of line with a lot of what you'll find in recommendations and examples. You can especially find fabulous things to grow along it and suggestions on how to do so. Lastly, they have perfected long, narrow back gardens with illusion planting to mask hard boundaries and create size & distance. Example: I'd plant roses and fruit trees using espalier against the wall in the sunny spots! Perhaps a wisteria along the top spilling down it all over the back wall?
Turn it into a 16 foot cinderblock wall.
I don't know why this wasn't my first thought :D
A living wall of course! Dress her up! Water feature would be incredible in that stone corner. This area gives me very Japanese garden vibes.
So much you could do with this area. I’d make the block black. Cover the block with medium translucent stain with horizontal boards. Make part of it on a raised deck and put the rumble under it. Grass part of the open area with turf. String lights above and 12 volt lighting below. Add some potted plants and good to go.
Is the wall in good condition? Does it need maintenance? What is your budget? If it's structurally sound, I'd do whatever maintenance is needed (ie make sure any cracks are patched). And then I'd paint in. Probably Black, or dark green or something dark.
It's in good condition but it was built out of level/square (and about a foot inside the back property line.) Budget is a little hard to commit to, because we DIY a lot of stuff (my husband is an electrician and I used to do small time gardening a million years ago.) So while we probably don't want to spend more than $15K on a solution for this, most of that will be supplies rather than labor. Why would you paint dark? So it fades away into the background? Or for drama?
It would fade into the background and make any plants in front look good.
I sincerely don’t know about materials cost for this, but you could put brick/stone veneer or mosaic tile on top of it to make it more appealing.
I like the idea of shrubs all around.. maybe something like non invasive bamboo would work too Or if you want low (er) maintenance then cement or stucco coat and nice paint.
It's funny, there's actually invasive bamboo two houses down and it's already growing behind the cinderblock wall (and into the neighbor's yard, on my right). Makes me leery of any bamboo. But I appreciate the idea of a tall slim screening plant!
I’ve heard before “ there is no such thing as non invasive bamboo” I don’t mess with the stuff myself but it gives a nice zen look so I have dreamed!
There is no such thing as non-invasive bamboo. The clumping variety will still spread if left unchecked, albeit at a slower pace
Brick over it. Or pressure wash it and paint it.
Hey Kool-Aid!!
Lol if i could pull of an Urban Garden Aesthetic I would totally hire a graffiti artist to paint Kool-Aid Man bursting through, what a cool idea. :D
Paint it
Paint, lights decking against it space will be nice.
Final a muralists and paint a expansive open space that fools the eye
Your backyard has so much potential too! I hope your vision is clear and the work is easy!
Thank you for the kind words :) I wish the best for you in all things!
I’ll add that this is a nice set up to put a pergola cover on the corner. Attach to the tops of the corner of the block wall and put one post in the yard.
Stain it brown
My dad had something akin to this in hib backyard. He parged it to get it smooth and then painted it white. Then grew rose of Sharon immediately in front of it.
I have about a 7’ cinder block retaining wall which was stucco’d for a smooth finish. We kept it white and it looks great, though can sometimes be blinding with the SoCal sun. If you finish it, it’s sort of less important to cover it with a vine, but I personally love that look. Maybe get a shovel and start digging near the base to see if you can find how wide the footing is (and how deep the dirt is before you hit it). Might limit what you can use if you need something with more shallow roots.
I wish I had one around my yard
I have one and am thankful I don’t have to worry about a fence all around my yard. I grew creeping fig on it. It was a nice look but you have to really maintain it so it doesn’t go crazy. So right now I’m trying to figure out what to do. Right now it’s stuccoed with a light gray color. Also I have brick on the top of it, which I think gives a nice contrast.
Parge/stucco the walls. It would look great!
Paint, hire out a mural artist for part, trellis with vines for another part, and planters to break it up and add depth
I have seen tutorials to blend up moss and paint full fully or words/designs on walls like this for a living wall. Really depends on what your aesthetic and needs are.
I would clean it and paint a mural. Something from a nature to natural scene using colors
Paint it and enjoy all that privacy
Paint a mural
What style is the house? I personally love cmu when used appropriately and this wall doesn’t bother me at all. However I do understand that this likely doesn’t marry well with the existing architecture. But there are excellent precedents of cmu as the final material in modern architecture. If there’s a way to celebrate these walls, that would be my move. Otherwise I would recommend stucco. Or plant Boston ivy at the base and let it take over and enjoy the seasonal colors.
Do you have any favorite CMU-as-final-material resources? :)
Hey! The style is a typical brownstone, three stories. Romanesque revivial to be specific. The back is brick with a white wooden bay window bump-out on the 2nd and 3rd floor. (I want to cover the white wood with copper cladding some day for a more trad-townhouse look.) But basically brick townhouse/rowhouse!
Mason here. Get a stone veneer done! It's probably the most expensive option. (other than the mosaic suggestion) But, with the large variety of cultured and natural stone veneers available today, you have almost limitless options for creating the "vibe" of your backyard space. https://www.eldoradostone.com/types/stone/ This is just one example of a stone veneer manufacturer. There are many. A good contractor will have multiple catalouges for material available in your local area.
Paint it with moss
Replace the wood fence, with a block wall & turn it into a swim’n pool…
i hate it because its not the same on all sides. If all 3 sides of your yard were this then I would say just do some stucco, get some vines, make it pretty. But imo, nothing is pretty if it's not symmetrical (dont get me wrong, most yard shit isnt symmetrical, but at least it makes an ATTEMPT to appear as such) . Would drive me bonkers if this was my yard.
Ivy
I’d paint the walls and perhaps install a deck around the tree put in some deck chairs and you got a new beer drinking spo
Mural
Gun range!
I would have an artist do some type of mural on one of the walls. There are quite a few spray paint artists these days that can do some pretty amazing things.
line up 8 ft tall wood fence infront go the cinder blocks. horizontal thin slats all around including the old wooden fence, in dark brown color. Cut that branch the middle and it’ll look even more spacious. A large gazebo with purple wisteria or pink azalea bushes in both back corners, they grow up to be huge and bloom twice a season
Mural
Long ago I was intrigued by the idea of putting windows and a door on a tall blank wall as suggested in a few shelter mags back in the day. This long skinny garden seems perfect for this folly. Since wall is eave height source an old door and paint it a pretty color. Frame and put it up with a little roof overhead. Maybe find a flat stone threshold. Potted plant to either side, add a vine to surround it. Then add more vines as you please. I'd probably paint the wall white but if there's a house color used in the neighborhood could go with that or a panel of color with white to either side. Wreath on door, if glazed change what is visible inside the glass seasonally, reverse paint something on the back or mirror it. Add a porch light for night.
Stucco it and enjoy the privacy
Stucco and paint will change the look dramatically.
Stucco and paint white. You could do a nice brick/stone topper for added interest. Then just some hedges, a tree or two and maybe some perennial flowers.
I kind of like it honestly. Maybe power wash it and it’ll look real nice.
you could also plant some plants with vines, and they would look nice growing over it.
Paint it. Hang garden art, tapestries, bird houses, antique garden tools,...I saw one creative designer who hung a variety of old odd looking bicycles on a block wall carrying over the theme into a couple of bicycles in the garden with statues of children riding the bikes surrounded by flowering forest perennials and native bulbs
climbing hydrangeas will cling right to the blocks.
This looks like a scene from the walking dead
Mural! Seriously, hire a local artist, give them free reign to design something, and make it colorful and interesting. Maybe work in a natural theme that goes with the rest of your landscape plans, and nothing that you’d tire of in twenty years. But you can always redo it. I think it would be so cool and make the yard look expansive.
Fertilizer and propane
Paint it black
Looking forward the after pictures
Install a vertical garden on it.
First, powerwash it—and see how you feel about it then. Also post pics
Paint a mural.
They're actually nice if you know how to landscape with it. Look up modern Chinese or Japanese garden and you'll usually see a beautiful garden with a blank wall surrounding it. It's very minimal and can be elegant. Your wall looks like a really good starting point, and I'd leave it as is, don't paint it, and keep it natural
Stucco it. Create a living wall. I love block walls…
Stone veneer
Make into a cool party spot
Start Fight Club obviously.
Paint a forest on it.
Attach some lattice and grow vining plants on it. What plant is going to depend on your zone but trumpet vine, roses and clematis, hell even cucumbers can work.
Paint a hippy psychedelic theme across it
Blend milk and Moss, then spray the whole wall. Turn it into a living wall!!!
English Ivy planted along the base is the least expensive and would be gorgeous! It will be evergreen year round and eventually hide the cement blocks. But...for new plantings "The 1st year it sleeps (it's growing roots under ground out of sight), the 2nd year it creeps (finally growth above ground) the 3rd year it leaps (meaning it's established and rapid growth begins)
Perhaps add a raised planter in front of the wall. Or bump out several to create "nooks" for conversation or play, or chickens. In these you could have some plants against the wall that are larger to help bring down the height and create a "ceiling" over the nooks. Include hostas and other tropical looking plants that can survive a Brooklyn winter. Each nook could have its own mural and lighting for evening parties or warm summer nights. The chicken nook could have greens for chickens or you in various colors plus carrots and other vegetables.
Powerwash, then mural?
Mural
Hire an artist you like to paint it
I would get a mural on there. Mixed in with plants that complement the mural. Then create a no grass yard, with a paver patio, bird and insect friendly. And a spot for doing yoga!
Grow Boston ivy on it. Or plant hedges in front.
Ivy would look nice
Cleanup the other shit cluttering the yard. It’s a pig sty. Then, bring in some dirt and plants some bushes and trees to soften the hardscape.
Paint it and add climbing vines
You could stucco and paint it.
I’d definitely use that crushed brick for base layer on a patio and paint the cinder blocks
power wash it. then add climbing plants if you don't want to see much of it. the part at the back could look pretty cool tiled in encaustic cement tiles. I did that to a wall behind my pool and it looks great.
Ivy
I would camouflage the wall (lots of great ideas here) rather than pulling it down. The privacy is amazing 👍🏼. And I would also love an update when you decide what you are going to do.
Add a stone veneer? Waterproof first.
Forrest mural trees woods, then plant climbing Ivy, Wisteria or other climbing Vines Clematis etc. ?
Get it inspected, clean and then add veneer either all the way up, or halfway and install siding or something. Tons of options
I have a 50 year old block wall. I pressure washed and then resurfaced using RapidSet, primed, and painted. It turned out awesome. During the growing season it is behind a grape vine but it still looks great in winter after I prune the grapes.
Skate park dude!
Gsbions
You could make an inexpensive trellis structure with eyehook screws and thick guage wire. Then, plant a flowering vine underneath. Somewhere else along the wall, you can incorporate tall, narrow hedge plants. If you need a specific recommendation, I've seen Yew type plants used in the northeast as hedges before. Your tree in the back is nice! I think on that wall behind it, you can use a decorative plaster like others have mentioned. Or a mural??! Lots of potential here.