The sewer pipe in your backyard may serve an essential purpose, but that does not make it any more attractive.
An ugly sewer pipe sticking up out of your backyard can ruin the look you have worked so hard to maintain; hiding that pipe from view should be part of your landscaping plans.
You can use a number of techniques and landscape elements to disguise that unsightly sewer pipe.
- Apply Positioning Techniques
Repositioning the items you already have in your yard is a beautiful and simple way to hide your well cover. For starters, you can create a focal point in a different position in your yard so as to draw attention away from the well cover. For instance, you can set up a seating area around your water feature.
Alternatively, you could set up the seating area between the front of the house and the well cover. It will make the seating area more visible, thus drawing attention away from the well cover.
- Vent Pipe Covers
Make sure that what you use allows the vent to work. For example, the septic tank gas can’t go out without air holes and may cause problems.
Although it does not cover the vent entirely, you can also wrap it with bamboo branches or similar items.
Examples of vent covers are as follows:
- Decorative Stones Or Bricks
Lay out a circle in your backyard with the sewer pipe in the middle. Fill that circle with decorative stones, and stack decorative bricks around the perimeter. To keep those stones in place. Arrange four large planter pots around the sewer pipe to hide it. Fill each of the planter pots with an ornamental shrub, a miniature tree, a rosebush, or an assortment of flowers.
- Wishing Well
Add a decorative wishing well to your backyard. You can purchase ready-made ornamental wishing wells, or you can buy a set of plans and make your own.
Yes, this looks like a traditional old wishing well. But, no, you don’t have to actually use the bucket to get the water.
The most common way people hide well parts today is to work with an old-fashioned well exterior. It actually serves two primary functions: first, it actually covers up the good machinery. Second, it’ll indicate where the well is to others so that repairs can be made pretty quickly.
You can’t go wrong with this look. It adds a whimsical touch to almost any garden and will also be pretty easy to work around. There’s literally a well-shaped well cover for everyone.
- Birdbath
If you have a wellhead that you want to hide but don’t really want to put in much work, there’s yet another option that you can get premade: a birdbath bowl. Think about it. All you need to do is plop it down over the wellhead and maybe put plastic support around it. That’s what this guy did.
This is an easy way to make sure that you have access to the head while making all the birds in your garden happy. Besides, who doesn’t like seeing a birdbath?
- Add A Stump
If you love the idea of going for a natural look that camouflages everything well, but do not feel like rockin’ it, there’s another prefabricated option you can use. A lot of vendors are now selling well pump covers that resemble tree trunks and stumps. Though they aren’t always realistic, they offer a reasonably cute way to hide well pumps without much fuss.
If you want to make it look a little more realistic, adding dirt and ivy around the base will help. However, for the sake of easy pump access, it’s best to choose a faux log with a lid, like the one above.
- Add A Rock
People who are looking for a lightning-fast way to cover up a part of your well? There is one way to cover it up in about two seconds: getting a fake boulder.
It’s true. Fake boulders are sold for reasonably affordable prices. These fake rocks are designed to look just like the real thing, but they are made of plastic and are hollow on the bottom. The boulders are tall enough to cover up most well pumps without being stuck dangling on top.
To make the well cover look even more nondescript, the best thing you can do is plant some flowers around it. Then, scatter a number of artificial rocks around the backyard to cover unsightly elements in the landscape and give the yard a more natural look.
Of course, this is not mandatory by any means. It’s up to you to decide what you want to do.
- Add A Barrel
If your good pipe is a smaller model, or you have a more “squat” well pump, an easy way to add a rustic cover is to cover it with a barrel.
This will keep out a lot of pests and also give your garden a more rustic touch. We strongly suggest this option for people who have a ranch or people who want to bring out the country-Western vibe in their yards.
If you want to add a little function to your form, then you can also add a birdbath to your barrel.
- Well House
A traditional wooden well house adds rustic charm to the yard. It is a four-sided structure with a small roof, resembling a classic wishing well, but without the water. Design it to match the home, using the same materials, color, and trim as the house’s exterior walls. Or, forego the traditional design and make it a statement in the landscape — a miniature pagoda or tiny church, for example. A small wooden structure covered in lattice and planted with vines does the trick, as well.
- Paint
Spray painting your vent pipe to match the surrounding is an inexpensive option and may be just what you need. If there is grass, you can use green.
You may want to paint the pipe to match the bamboo color, essentially camouflaging the pipe for better results. That may also be the first step if you plan to conceal the vent pipes using some other natural items.
Depending on how artsy you are, you may buy different vivid paint sprays and make an art piece. It may go well with a modern house. Make sure that the spray paint you buy is suitable for the pipe material.
Decorations In Front Of It
If you want to hide it quickly and effectively for people passing, it is a good option to put something in front of the pipe. That is also a good option if a pipe is in a corner, and no one will look behind.
You can buy a fountain or decorative items such as animal sculptures and position them in the desired place. Those items should be larger than the pipe itself. This option will not work if the pipe is visible from all sides.
Decorations Around It
Landscaping solutions
To hide a vent pipe, you can set different plants around it. ONE of the easiest ways to hide or cover up your good pump is to surround it with lush flowers. It alone gives your home a healthy and elegant look, but this gardener came up with a more terrific way to make it work.
This option works very well with short pipes near the ground. Tall pipes are harder to conceal with plants. Use evergreen plants to hide a pipe year-round.
It may seem like a good idea to plant a bush, and the pipe will be well hidden inside when it grows. But it’s likely to cause problems as the solid and long roots may damage the line and impact the septic tank.
Depending on the yard size, you may plant bigger plants around but at a certain distance. That will hide it, but it will take away a lot of usable space.
A few Decorative Evergreen shrubs with a collection of natural Bark are low cost and can block the unsightly wellhead from the public’s view. In addition, evergreen shrubs provide year-round coverage.
Remember, take caution. The law requires that 6 inches of the pipe must be above ground. Whatever you plant could need to be removed or destroyed for maintenance. It is in your best interest to keep these shrubs away from the wellhead along with a short trim yearly.
The cute little rolly garden is a good option because it helps add whimsy and can be pushed out of the way when repairs have to get made.
When choosing plants, choose those that require minimum maintenance and no excessive watering.