What should I plant along a backyard fence?

Plant in layers: tall plants or climbers against the fence (ornamental grasses, columnar shrubs, or a vine on a trellis), mid-height perennials in front of them, and a low groundcover at the front edge. This creates depth and a finished look instead of a single row. Match the plants to the fence's light exposure and leave a small gap between the plants and the boards.

How can I add privacy along a fence in Toronto?

Since Toronto caps a rear-yard fence at 2.0 metres, added privacy has to come from planting rather than a taller fence. Use tall ornamental grasses, columnar or narrow trees and shrubs, or a trellis with a climbing vine along the fence to raise the green screen above the fence line. Layering these behind lower plants makes the screen look intentional rather than like a wall.

How tall can a backyard fence be in Toronto?

Under Toronto's fence bylaw (Chapter 447), a fence not in a front yard, meaning a rear or side-yard fence, can generally be up to 2.0 metres high, while a front-yard fence within 2.4 metres of the front lot line is limited to 1.2 metres. Because you cannot simply build higher for privacy, tall plants and trellises along the fence are how homeowners screen above that limit.

What grows well along a shady, north-facing fence?

A north or east-facing fence sits in shade for much of the day, so choose shade-tolerant plants: hostas, ferns, native wild ginger and wild geranium as groundcovers, and shade-loving shrubs. Avoid sun-loving flowers there, since they will stretch and bloom poorly. Matching plants to the shady exposure is the difference between a lush fence border and a struggling one.

Will plants damage my wooden fence?

They can if they sit tight against it and trap moisture, which rots wood, or if a heavy vine loads the boards. Leave a small gap between plants and the fence for airflow, grow climbers on a separate trellis set just off the fence rather than directly on the boards, and keep aggressive roots away from posts. Done this way, a planting protects the fence's look without shortening its life.

Can I plant right up to the property line fence?

You can plant on your side, but keep growth from pushing through or over a shared fence onto a neighbour's property, since overhanging branches and spreading roots are a common source of disputes. A shared division fence is jointly the responsibility of both owners, so it is courteous, and simpler, to choose plants that stay on your side and to keep them trimmed back from the line.

Along-the-Fence Landscaping Ideas for Toronto Yards

Answer First: The best along-the-fence landscaping layers plants for depth: tall plants or a trellis climber against the fence, mid-height perennials in front, and low groundcover at the edge. Because Toronto caps a rear-yard fence at 2.0 metres, real privacy comes from tall plants and trellises above the fence, not a taller fence. Match plants to the fence's light, sun-tough on a hot south or west fence, shade lovers on a north or east one, and leave a gap to protect the wood.

A bare fence is the biggest missed opportunity in most Toronto backyards. It is already a backdrop; a layered planting turns it into a green wall that adds privacy, depth, and colour to the whole yard.

How to plant a fence line: layer it

The single idea that makes a fence border look professional is layering. A flat row of one plant reads as a hedge; three layers of different heights read as a designed garden.

Cross-section diagram of a layered fence-line border with tall climbers and grasses at the back, mid-height perennials in the middle, and low groundcover at the front — A fence border in three layers. Tall plants and a climber screen the fence, mid perennials add colour, and a low groundcover finishes the front edge.

Build it back to front:

Back layer, against the fence. Tall ornamental grasses, columnar shrubs, or a trellis with a climbing vine to screen the boards and rise above them.
Middle layer. Mid-height perennials for colour and seasonal interest, in drifts rather than singles.
Front layer. A low groundcover or edging plant to finish the border and suppress weeds.

This depth is what separates a finished border from a lonely row of plants, and it works in a bed as narrow as a couple of feet.

Quotable: A fence border looks designed when it is layered: tall plants and a climber against the fence, mid-height perennials in front, and a low groundcover at the edge. One flat row just reads as a hedge.

Privacy: plants do what the fence can't

In Toronto you cannot simply build a taller fence for privacy. The fence bylaw (Chapter 447) generally limits a rear or side-yard fence to 2.0 metres, and a front-yard fence within 2.4 metres of the front lot line to 1.2 metres (Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 447). Anything above that has to be green.

That is where tall plants earn their place. Ornamental grasses, narrow columnar trees and shrubs, and a climber on a trellis all raise the screen above the fence line without breaking the bylaw. Layered behind lower plants, they read as a lush backdrop rather than a bid to wall off the neighbours.

From the data: YardQuote tracks 650 landscaping companies across the GTA, and 613 carry three or more Google reviews at an average of 4.77 stars (July 2026). Fence-line borders and privacy plantings are everyday work for most of them, so a well-reviewed crew is easy to line up.

Plant to the fence's light

A fence has two very different climates depending on which way it faces, and planting the wrong side is the most common fence-border mistake. Read the exposure before you pick plants.

Diagram contrasting plants for a sunny south or west-facing fence with plants for a shady north or east-facing fence — Which side is your fence? A hot south or west face wants drought-tough sun plants; a shaded north or east face wants shade lovers.

Sunny fence (south or west facing). Hot and dry, often reflecting heat off the boards. Use drought-tough sun plants, ornamental grasses, coneflower, black-eyed Susan, yarrow, and lavender (Toronto Master Gardeners).
Shady fence (north or east facing). In shade much of the day. Use shade lovers, hostas, ferns, and native groundcovers like wild ginger and wild geranium.

Matching plants to the exposure is the difference between a border that fills in lush and one that stretches, struggles, and disappoints.

Protect the fence and keep the peace

Two practical habits keep a fence border trouble-free. First, protect the wood: leave a small gap between plants and the boards for airflow, and grow climbers on a trellis set just off the fence rather than directly on it, so trapped moisture does not rot the wood.

Second, mind the property line. A shared division fence is jointly the responsibility of both owners, so keep your plants and their roots on your side and trimmed back from the line. Overhanging growth and spreading roots are a classic neighbour dispute, and the easy fix is choosing plants that stay in their lane.

Layered border — a planting bed designed in tiers of height, tall plants at the back, medium in the middle, low at the front, so it reads with depth instead of as a single flat row.

For plant choices that thrive along a fence, our guides to native plant landscaping and low-maintenance landscaping for Ontario cover tough, layered performers, and the rock and gravel ideas help with narrow side-yard strips. To plan and price a border, see the landscaping cost page and the landscape design cost page, or browse landscaping in North York.

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