The Top 5 Ways To Disguise Garden Drain Covers

Turn your drain cover into a beauty queen (or just make it invisible). Either way, say goodbye to that ugly spot in your garden!

Drain covers can be disguised with plants. Artificial options also include garden art, ponds, and birdbaths. You can also camouflage a drain cover so that it blends into the environment and appears invisible.

We understand. A drain cover is an eyesore. But we found the top 5 ways to hide or turn that ugly spot into something worth looking at!

Read Next: How to fix a broken drain cover in the garden.

The Top 5 Options To Disguise Your Garden Drain Cover

Drain covers are necessary. They keep pets and kids safe. The lids prevent debris from getting into drains and yes, they even protect distracted adults who do not look where they are walking! However, a drain cover is almost always ugly. They are mostly forged from metal and the design is more practical than pretty.

Luckily, drain covers can be transformed into something beautiful. If you are an avid gardener, then consider the following ideas to add some snazz to your lawn.

1. Use plants to disguise the cover.
2. Garden art like a mosaic.
3. Hide the cover under a birdbath.
4. Cover it with a small and mobile pond.
5. Blend with the surroundings to make the cover invisible.

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Things To Know Before You Alter The Drain Cover

There are two things to keep in mind before you give your drain cover a face-lift.

The first is to make sure that you have permission to alter the drain. This Will depend on your municipal laws or perhaps you are renting. Either way, you need to be crystal clear about whether you are allowed to make changes. These alterations can get expensive and should you discover afterwards that it was not allowed, there could be legal and financial repercussions.

Secondly, the water utility company must have access to the drain at all times. If they need to use the hole but find a permanent cover, they will likely dig a new entrance and slap you with the bill. For this reason, whatever cover alteration you choose cannot be permanent.

Read Next: The pros and cons of a north-facing garden.

Use Plants To Disguise The Drain Cover

Your options with plants are limitless! You can go simple and add a few plants or create a really elaborate arrangement. This is really up to you and how much you want to spend on the project. Here are several popular choices when it comes to hiding your drain cover with foliage.

Plain Potplants

Place several potplants on the cover. Choose plants that have broad, hanging leaves or even puffy shrub-like plants. These will obscure the cover. Potplants are also easy to move should the utility company need to open the drain. Another perk is that you can change the plants if you grow bored with the old arrangement, something that is not always possible with other options for hiding a drain cover.

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A Grass Lid

If your drain cover is surrounded by grass, you can blend your lid right in. If you can find authentic-looking fake grass, then you can cut the shape of the carpet to fit the lid. But since there will always be differences between fake and real grass, some people try the real deal.

To do this, you need to replace the lid with a tray-type cover. Adding soil and grass, you can grow a tiny patch of lawn as a “lid” that covers the drain.

Find the best artificial grass reviews .

Garden Art Like A Mosaic

Once again, garden art offers you limitless ways to decorate a drain cover in your garden. One of the most popular ways is to add a mosaic. There are countless designs and colour options but whatever you choose, the result is bound to make your garden look amazing.

There are several ways to use a mosaic. It can be installed as a lid (which replaces the original one), or a larger lid that sits on top of the real drain cover and simply hides it.

It is not advisable to apply a DIY-type mosaic directly onto the drain cover. Not only does it look bad, due to the uneven surfaces on most covers, but in some municipalities, the lids are actually owned by the authorities.

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Hide The Drain Cover Under A Birdbath

This is as simple as it sounds. Choose a lovely birdbath and place it on top of the cover. Chances are that the base of the bath will not hide the entire lid but that is okay. The extra space gives you the opportunity to add extras, like pot plants or ornaments that, together with the bath, will make a stunning display in your garden.

Whichever birdbath you choose, try to pick one that is heavy enough to remain stable in the weather and when birds land on it. But not one that is so heavy that it might damage the cover or cause it to sag in any way.

Here are the best bird-watching binocular reviews .

Cover It Up With A Small And Mobile Pond

You probably already guessed why the pond has to be mobile! Yep, so it can be moved when some repair guy wants to peek inside the drain.

Similar to your other options on this list, small ponds come in endless shapes and sizes. One of the most popular ponds is the type that looks like a rocky feature that you simply fill up with water and place at the desired location - in this case, that pesky drain cover!

Once again, should you find a ready-made pond that you like but it does not entirely cover the lid, add some plants for a lovely landscaping touch. These ponds look amazing when you add plants, so don’t feel shy about going all out to make your pond look great, whether it covers the lid or not.

Find the best garden hose to fill that pond with!

Blend With The Surroundings To Make The Cover Invisible

Just want to make that cover disappear? No problem. We already discussed how to blend a drain lid when it is located in the middle of the lawn. But what the cover is placed in a tiled area or one with gravel?

This requires a degree of hunting at the local garden and home depot. Have some fun with it! Once you track down the tiles/gravel/other stuff around your drain, mix and match the materials until you find something identical.

For example, your drain is located in a strip that is filled with white gravel. Get your hands on some white gravel. Your two choices are to either scatter the new pieces in a thick layer over the cover until the latter is completely covered. Quick and easy. You can also replace the cover with a sunken lid and add gravel to the tray.

A Summary On How To Hide Garden Drain Covers

• Drain covers can spoil the look of a garden.
• You can cover it with art, plants, and garden accessories like birdbaths and ponds.
• Before you start, make sure that you have permission to alter the cover.
• Any alteration cannot be permanent because the water utility company requires access to all drains.