Hiding Necessities of Modern Life

Gas and electrical meters and boxes, water meters, even window wells are all necessities of modern life. We need them, yet they are not attractive, but there is not much you can do about them - right? Wrong!

This is the perfect time of the year to plan exactly what to do about them - namely, hide them through some well thought out and properly designed landscaping. Each unsightly necessity has specific requirements to consider when planning the type of structures and/or plants you will use as a screen.

Window wells are an important part of your basement; letting in the only natural light. Therefore, we want to restrict the view from outside, but not reduce the light coming in.

Gas, water and electrical meters offer a different challenge. They need to be screened, but still offer easy access for the meter reader. At my house, the area around the meter offers an additional challenge. Located next to it is a two story down spout that also needs screening.

I have met these challenges in several ways. First, for the window wells, I selected smaller, spreading - type plants. A smaller type of Japanese yew is a good example. You could choose a flowering shrub in a bright sunny area or even a broadlaf evergreen on a north or east exposure.

No matter what you choose, place it a little further from the foundation of your house than you might place a similar plant that was not located in front of a window well. In other words, the standard recommended distance is four feet from the foundation to the

center of the plant. If space allows, I recommend five or six feet out to the center. This positioning shields the window without preventing light from getting in when plants are more mature.

Once the plants have begun to establish themselves, keep the side of the plants facing the house trimmed back. This will not hurt the plants and will enable more light to come in the window, while still screening it from view and offering a little privacy.

The planting around the meter can be more interesting because it offers the opportunity to be a little more creative. I have used several trees planted in a large triangular pattern at the corner of the house to screen the meter and even the two story down spout from view. These plants work in conjunction with annuals planted along the edge of the bed each season, adding color for more interest.

In addition, although they are not noticeable from the front, I have placed several stepping-stones through the planting to aid the meter readers in their quest and guide their feet.

There are other similarly functional areas in your yard that you can hide with some well-planned landscaping. For example, my small vegetable garden and compost pile are screened from view with a fence on the street side and a 5’ tall asparagus bed on the other. The area where the firewood is stored and the gas meter that has to be read is easily accessible from the driveway by a poured sidewalk to the side garage door and a stone pathway from there to the meter and wood pile. There are always numerous solutions to any landscape problem in your yard. Take some time to do a brief inspection of the not-so-attractive items on your property and, if necessary, don’t hesitate to get some professional advice about the best way to hide the necessities of modern life.