A fun mural at 'Annie's Annuals' (Photo by Jane Gates)

All too often walls fade into ugly necessities in the landscape. Wooden fences can fade and bleach over time and block walls that are necessary to divide garden areas or property lines stare blank and dreary out onto the rest of your landscape. Even the walls of your house can become a bland wall that adds nothing in your garden. There are ways to decorate your walls.

Murals are one interesting way to handle these uneventful areas. Think of plain, flat surfaces as perfect canvases for setting the mood of your garden. You can add color with the paints you choose, or create a locale theme with a picture of places around the world or environments like tropical, desert, ocean or woodland to embrace your garden. Other ideas are to paint patterns, designs or textures. You can mix hanging or three-dimensional art with your mural. Consider painting plants or flowers on the wall to add depth to your garden. You can even mix the painting with growing plants up or in the walls themselves. Ways to transform an ugly wall into something decorative is unlimited by subject matter, style and color.

Murals can be painted by professional mural painters, artistic friends or family. They can also become a family project . Letting children loose with paint and brushed on your ugly wall may produce some endearing art that will create family fun and be enjoyed for years.  Look into all the possibilities for turning your ugly walls into beautiful and fun murals.

Use outdoor paints so your artwork will last. Colors will likely fade in bright sun. But you should get years of colorful decoration from your mural and make something that is strictly utilitarian into an asset to your landscape

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