I have 4 small utility boxes, each about 2' high, in the middle of my backyard along the property line. 3 of them are close together, and 1 is a few feet to the right. What can I plant in front of them so that I don't have to look at them? I'm thinking some type of evergreens that don't grow to be more than 3' tall for year-round coverage. Any suggestions? Thanks!
My suggestion is to not plant dwarf conifers right in front of them, with nothing else in the same spot as that accents them (emphasizes them). Instead plant a mixed planting the flows through the area where they are and obscures them that way, like a person blending into a ground instead of walking around surrounded by guards.
Careful with what you plant near these utility boxes. All utility companies have some sort of minimum clearance restrictions that if you plant anything within it they will eventually cut it down or worse. The best way to hide them I have seen is usually with some type of flowering hedge plant with an annual bed in front of it. Azaleas look nice and grow rather dense if proprly pruned. Gene
BunkyX has good advice about choosing your plants carefully. Also, sometimes rather than using a bandaid to hide something only draws attention to the 'blemish'. This is an opportunity to create a new focal point by planting something really eyecatching off to the side. Or perhaps you could build a beautiful trellis screen between your home and these utility boxes.
Something like Box, which can be trimmed to stop it from engulfing the things. A low hedge like the one in this pic should work: http://www.fernview.com.au/varieties/buxus_japonica.php
