I assume you are in the northern hemisphere where it is Spring (or should be). Either just go and purchase 4 shrubs that fit the height and plant them around (you need an immediate fix if you are already showing). If not, plant 4 Miscanthus grasses which will grow taller than the box and will hide it most of the year + look very attractive (only negative point is that i understand some states consider Miscanthus an invasive plant so please check and then select an alternative prairie grass that grows tall)

Is the utility box the issue, or the uneven terrain? As ASVInteriors suggests, the box can be hidden. Perhaps for the terrain issue, you could get rock and make it seem like an intentional dry bed? In other words, make it a landscape feature, rather than a detraction.

I once saw something where the homeowner camouflaged the box thing by building a new box that fit over it. There were hinges to open a door to allow access to what ever part the utility company or whoever needed to get at. The interesting part that made it work was that it was made to look like it was a birdhouse at the top, so the piece ended up looking decorative. Couple with a planting around it incoporating the rocks and low shrubs in front and higher grasses around it, you might be able to create something that looks natural and only when someone looked twice would they notice it had "The Box" in there.

It may be difficult to tell from the photo but the rentention basin is approx 7 ft tall. While the small lot is an issue for some, it's the eyesore causing the most comments. The lot ends where the flat part of the lawn is and drops to a valley where the retention/detention basin is located. The property inside the valley where the basin is located is common space for the development.

@handymam. I too have seen that design in a gardening magazine but it was for a small cable box. This thing is approx 7' tall x 3' x 4'

Oh - so it isn't the green blob (meaning electrical box) but the green blob that is an upward slope!

I am going back to my miscanthus - but this time plant it as a line on the edge of your lawn - they grow up to 7ft tall and there are beautiful varieties (morning light, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miscanthus_sinensis). they grow fast and are pretty hardy plants (and not expensive). Trying to help you with an expedient fix ... the only problem for you is that they won't reach full height until this fall!

Seven SEVEN feet?! Okay that gives our brains a different challenge to munch on. It looks like the property line is in front of the elephant. If so, consider installing closely spaced 8' giant arborvitae along the property line. Their 3' columnar girth of bright green are so commanding in presence, they will steal the circus show.

Any way to put up fencing and plant a garden in front of it? You may need to put enough panels to make it look like it was there regardless of what is behind it. And I mean solid fencing, not trellis.It could be a trio of fencing with a higher one in the middle and shorter ones beside it to keep it looking like you meant it, not just that you are hiding something behind door number one!

[houzz=]

Lisa, that's nice. Like it was supposed to be there, not like it is hiding something.

Grasses will die back in the winter and depending upon your location you have to keep in mind issues with deer eating certain shrubs. Easiest solution is to screen this area with a large evergreen tree (Blue Spruce), which can be used as a stand alone specimen tree. It offers the height needed along with all year-round screening since it is an evergreen. Coupled with the added visual interest in a woodland backdrop it should meet all your needs.

Keep the ideas coming, you guys are terrific!

I'm having a hard time figuring out what the issue is, if it's not the big green box. The photo makes it look like the "basin" actually is a hill.

Seems to be not much space of owner property to do much - not much depth in property but too much length... Am I seeing it right? Can we see more pics. Maybe further back to see more of the house...

I'm sorry, it seems I didn't do a very good job painting the picture of the issue at hand. Here are some additional photos that may help.

I don't have a good answer for you, but keep in mind that if you are going to create a planting bed to help screen the area, bigger is almost always better. The most common mistake when it comes to utility boxes is that people always put a very small bed with a handful of plants jammed up against it. It ends up drawing more attention to the utility box than if nothing was there. The larger the scale, the more effective it will be.

What "growing" zone are you in?

zone 6

this is a detention basin. sometimes there is several feet of water in it and then the basin absorbs it within one hour. the owners property will not be able to take anything as wide as a blue spruce. It needs something tall (6 to 8 ft) and will require from 10 to 15 trees to cover the site from the house. This would be very costly.

Maybe the best solution is for your parents to get a new realtor. Seriously! Don't mean to sound harsh, but I've sold houses over the years and whenever a realtor repeatedly passes along a minor fault (which this is) as the reason for the house not selling, it is usually an excuse to justify their inability to sell it. It didn't stop your parents from buying the house, did it? It is the realtor's job to persuade potential purchasers of the positives; "Oh that's nothing. You could always plant a tree if it bothers you down the road". That's what they are paid for. Presumably nobody can build on that area so spin it as a benefit and focus on the other great things about the house. There are several ways to resolve the issue but if your parents are being told that this grassy slope and/or metal box is the the central reason the house hasn't sold, that sends up red flags.

It's not just that. There is also very little back yard. There is a small side yard but that's it and people with small children want a yard for them to play in. We do live on a cup-de-sac street with only 10 houses on it.

Okay, but again though, spin the positive. Reatlor can say; "Yeah the backyards a little small but that's what's so great about it being located beisde the common space. Allt hat is yours to use also and you don't have to maintain it". W

Sorry about the spelling. Can't seem to edit posts anymore!

@Jabelone I couldn't agree more. While I don't blame the listing agent, what the heck is the matter with the realtors showing the home? It's their job to give solutions to such issues. Yes, my parents bought the place 20 years ago knowing this eyesore was there but buyers today have very little imagination and want everything PERFECT before buying a house. I am continually amazed by the real estate shows on TV today and buyers saying they hate a paint color or carpet in a house thereby eliminating it from their list. If that were the case for me, I never would have bought any of the six properties I've owned in my adult life.

A no-brainer baby-step would be to paint it the color of dirt. Here is a Cabot solid color stain called "Bark Mulch" that we use when we want a landscape feature - like a privacy fence - to fade into the background. Many other colors available at the Cabot site to match 'your dirt' to: http://www.cabotstain.com/colors-and-finishes/families/Solids-Colors.html

Anything like this? Use the dirt paint treb suggested and then build something around it.

We cannot do this because when we get heavy rain there is about 1 to 2 ft of water in the basin until it is sucked up which sometimes takes about one hour. The benches would be floating away.

Oh, gotcha. Didn't understand exactly what was going on there. Thought the water went into it. Holy Cow, it is a dilemma! :

Grasses!Zebra grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus') thrives in moist soil conditions with either full sun exposure or partial shade. Zebra grass will reach a height of 5 to 8 feet tall and gets its name from the bright, yellow stripes on its thick, green blades. Plant this ornamental grass in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9.



Read more: Ornamental Grasses That Like Wet Soil | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7302411_ornamental-grasses-like-wet-soil.html#ixzz2OfxccpTo

Here are a few ideas (but first use Trebinje's paint idea before you do anything else):
Find out if there are any wildflowers you can sow on the berm, so people see a hill of flowers.
I think it might be worthwhile to talk to a landscape designer -- they've had a lot of experience dealing with disguising eyesores. Ask a local nursery to recommend someone.
Possible "line of sight" barriers (add potted plants and a bench in front of barrier). All of these suggestions would be on the property line:
If you have a fireplace you could use:



for the balcony:

Home improvement centers have reed fencing that comes in a roll that could be installed using tree stakes hammered into the ground. I'll keep looking for ideas.
This is a tough housing market. Best wishes and good luck!

Another possible. The panels wouldn't have to be continuous; there could be openings between sections.

Is there a way you can have a Come To Jesus talk with the listing agent? Blaming non-sale on the Basin High-Rise sounds like a front, an excuse maybe. A typical buyer lets the eyesore go if asking price equals the in-home experience. It may be time to ask the agent how the interior experience and condition of the home equals the asking price, and how can the two meet. Consider staging and decorating adjustments to make showings an I LOVE THIS HOUSE experience.

All of these suggestions are for screening right on the property line.





An idea for an narrow arbor, except with screening behind it, and a bench under it:

Just had a meeting with the listing agent. The house shows really well and we're going to put our heads together to come up with some solutions. First, power washing and giving the "elephant" a fresh coat of paint to clean up the look. Second, planting some ornamental grasses around the basin. Eventually they will reach the top and improve the view greatly. Third, planting a tree(s) at the edge of their property line. When the tree matures, it will mask the view from the deck off the main living space. While it won't cover the eyesore year round, it will break up the ugly view. Thoughts?

I have a similar issue, on a smaller scale, but my solution might prompt some thoughts. In the backyard, not far from the patio, is the septic tank cover and two arobic septic appendages (have no idea what they do...just that they're manditory and require periodic access). Two weeks ago the landscaper put a bed around the three things, with stones and grasses and some plants (see pic). I plan to paint the turquoise pipe brown (Cabot Bark Mulch?) and with the growth of the grasses the infrastructure stuff won't show at all! And, I've added an interesting feature to my yard! Once the grass starts growing (will Spring ever arrive?) it will look neater.

Since your "appendage" is so large, perhaps using larger boulders and grasses (Zebra Grass?) along with painting the thing would work. Then, the acutal work that this retention pond needs to do won't be impeded, nor will it have to be replaced due to the periodic flooding. On the other hand, will the HOA/government that owns/required this basin allow anything at all to be done?

Bottom line, though, the realtor isn't addressing the issue properly. Even seven feet tall, with that wooded background and the the extra green space in the patio view - this is not an impediment to buying. This is a lovely view for those who appreciate the outdoors. I'd rather see this than electrical lines!

On a frivolous note: just add a quirky birdhouse to the top!

Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who responded, I truly appreciate you taking time to respond to our issue. Buyers today want perfection. If you could see all this house offers on the inside you wouldn't believe it. If I required a property to be perfect before buying I would never have bought a thing! People need to paint a picture for themselves or the showing agent needs to do it for them.

Cona7, I think your ideas are good, but the plants are longer term. That's why I was trying to find some "instant" solutions for the unimaginative potential buyers.

I have a similar issue as well, only mine is a huge electrical box in the middle of the backyard. I have been trying to figure out what to do to hide it, and I even posted on here about it....but your thread has generated some wonderful ideas and suggestions. I hope your parent's house sells soon!

7' tall huh? hmmm a talented folk artist could work some magic on this thing. oh well, too taste specific .
still it is a great color. just seems like there's a way to work with it rather than attempt to hide it. i like the idea of it becoming a birdhouse or some other yard art.

You might want to look at the Parasoleil website. The screens look wonderful! There are 20 different patterns, 4 different materials, and a lot of finishes.
http://www.parasoleil.com/gallery/patterns/

DIAspoton, I was just thinking the same thing. If you could get permission to paint it, maybe someone could paint it with trees, etc., to blend it into the background. We have cell phone towers here that they camouflage with branches to look like a fir tree. Of course it is obvious what the have done but they are not quite the eyesore as one not so adorned.

Or you could google fast growing hedges for your zone and what direction of light the area gets.

Or there are always fake boulders: http://www.improvementscatalog.com/landscape-rocks/13075?redirect=y

Thanks Cathy but its 7ft tall

House sold in July. Ornamental grasses were planted around the basin to eventually mask the structure. The grasses will eventually grow 7 feet tall. Thanks!

You can try something like this.