Alan Titchmarsh reveals the best colours to paint your garden fence to transform the space and complement plant life

Sometimes our gardens can start looking a little dated or well-loved; luckily, it doesn't take much to give them a refresh and a new lease of life. In fact, a fresh wash of colour on the fences usually does the trick, but the question is, what colour works best?

There are many ways you can transform your garden on a limited budget; trying out a new fence idea is just one of them, but it makes an immediate difference to your space. And if you're looking for ways to make your small garden appear bigger, choosing the right colour for your fence can work like magic.

Whether or not you're looking for small garden tips, gardening legend Alan Titchmarsh has shared his advice for what colours to paint both fences and garden walls to make the most of your space and help it complement your plant life.

Even if you're not worried about making mistakes to make your garden look smaller, certain colours are good to use on your garden fence that will open up the space and help give more spotlight to your beloved plants.

"If you have a medium-sized garden, painting your fence a light colour gives the impression that your garden is bigger. The eyes are drawn from the boundaries to the plants and features that contrast with it," says Alan.

"The safest option is medium or light grey; if you have a lot of foliage in your garden, these plants will really pop against the grey backdrop," he continues.

"And if you want your fence to disappear behind shrubs and trees, the darker greys or even black will turn it into shadow," suggests Alan.

Although black is classed as a paint colour that can devalue your home inside, when used in the garden it's much more palette-able and can even make your garden look more expensive.

Aside from fences, your garden might have brick walls as boundaries for the most part, and whilst you may be itching to paint them, Alan says it's sometimes best to leave them as is. Especially if you're looking to try some cottage garden ideas in your space.

"Painting walls really does come down to the style of garden you have or what your wall is made of. Old-fashioned mellow brick walls make great backdrops for plants, so given the choice, I wouldn't paint those," Alan admits.

"But if you have a very new and rather leary brick wall, it can look quite oppressive. Newer brickwork can sometimes benefit from a carefully chosen paint colour to soften its appearance and create a more harmonious outdoor space," he continues.

It's always a good idea to figure out what kind of garden theme you're aiming for and alter your space around that. And if you do require a little help to make your garden look more spacious, always stick to the lighter colours.

Before you paint your fence, you might want to check which fence is yours and which is your neighbour's. Sometimes painting even one side of a fence that's actually owned by your next-door neighbour can become a rather unsavoury issue.