That Rotary Clothesline in the Middle of the Lawn? Here’s the Better Way

The Scenario

A homeowner recently asked:

"Not sure if I'm in the right place to ask but I have a small garden space and I hate having a clothes line in the middle of it. Has anyone come across any new and nifty alternatives?"

The GardenOwl Diagnosis

The Scenario

Small yard, decent grass, metal fence, metal shed… and a big rotary clothesline rammed dead center like a flagpole in a roundabout.

This is exactly what was going on in the photo: a tight backyard boxed in by sheet‑metal fencing and a shed, with a hoist clothesline dominating the only usable patch of lawn. Every time you step outside, you’re ducking under lines instead of enjoying the space. You’re not imagining it – that one piece of hardware is killing the whole garden, severely reducing its curb appeal and creating one of the classic landscape design mistakes we see in utility yards.

The Trap: Why Builders Keep Doing This

Rotary hoists in the middle of the yard are a builder shortcut:

• One post, set once, job done. Easy for them, annoying for you.
• They ignore how people actually move. Kids kick balls into it, adults snag hair on the lines, and mowing turns into a slalom.
• They lock your layout. That pole says “no firepit here, no veggie beds here, no path here.” It’s a design anchor you never asked for.

In small gardens, vertical clutter matters more than square footage. One tall object in the wrong place can make the whole space feel cramped and chaotic. Same reason a badly placed drain or stump messes up a corner patio – we covered that in the case study on hiding an ugly stormwater drain and gaining a usable corner patio.

The good news: a central rotary is not a life sentence. You can reclaim that lawn and still dry clothes outdoors.

The Solution (Deep Dive)

We’ll do this in three parts:

1. Replace the rotary with smarter wall‑based drying.
2. Safely remove and cap the old post.
3. Decide what to do with the freed‑up lawn.

1. Smarter Alternatives: Put the Clothesline on a Wall, Not in the Lawn

You already have perfect mounting real estate: the metal fence and the shed wall.

There are two solid options that work in tight yards:

Option A: Wall‑Mounted Fold‑Down Line

What it is: A rectangular frame of lines that hinges out from the wall when you need it and folds flat when you’re done.

Why it’s ideal here:

• Zero footprint on the lawn. Nothing to mow or walk around.
• Folds nearly flat. Visually, the yard feels open again.
• Different widths and depths. You can match it to your fence panel or shed wall.
• Compatible with metal fences. Bolts straight into the posts or rails.

Where to mount it in this yard:

• Shed wall: Keeps the working “utility” stuff together – shed + clothesline in one zone.
• Fence section opposite the house: Lines will run along the long axis of the yard, which is better for airflow and for not walking through damp laundry.

How to install on metal:

1. Measure your space. Check the overall width of the fence panel or shed wall and buy a unit slightly smaller so you’re not tight to the edges.
2. Find the structure. On steel fences, look for the vertical posts or the horizontal rails. You want your brackets screwed into something solid, not just a thin skin.
3. Use the right fixings.
   • For steel: self‑drilling metal screws or bolts with nuts and washers.
   • For masonry (if you ever mount on brick): wall plugs and masonry screws.
4. Mount at the right height. Usually 1.6–1.8 m from ground to top rail, depending on your height. You want to reach comfortably without stretching, but keep sheets off the lawn.
5. Follow the instructions. Actually use the template for bracket spacing – don’t wing it or your frame will bind.

Option B: Retractable Clothesline Under the Eave

What it is: A compact box on one wall with multiple lines that pull across to a hook or bracket on the opposite wall, then rewind when released.

Why it works in small gardens:

• Invisible on non‑wash days. Lines disappear into the box.
• Uses dead space. Mount under an eave or fascia where you’ll never walk anyway.
• Can span across the yard. Fence‑to‑fence, shed‑to‑house, etc.

Good spots in this yard:

• From the shed to the house wall.
• Along the fence line under a pergola or shade sail if you add one later.

Install basics:

1. Mount the box solidly. Into studs, rafters, or fence posts – not just cladding.
2. Get the span right. Most units have a max distance; don’t exceed it or you’ll get saggy, useless lines.
3. Slight slope helps drainage. If it’s outdoors, a tiny tilt keeps water from pooling inside the box.

You can use both systems together: a fold‑down on the shed for daily stuff, and a retractable set up for big linen days.

2. Removing the Rotary Without Creating a New Problem

Do not just hacksaw the pole and leave a metal stump waiting for someone’s bare foot.

Here’s how to do it properly.

Step 1: Check if it’s a socket or concreted in

Most modern rotaries sit in a ground socket:

• Try lifting or twisting the pole. If it moves, it’s likely set into a plastic/metal sleeve in concrete.
• If it’s solid, the pole may be concreted directly.

If it’s in a socket:

1. Remove the pole. Lift it out and store/sell/give it away.
2. Decide on the socket:
   • If it sits below soil level, you can leave it and bury over.
   • If it’s proud, dig around it and lower it or pull it out.

If the pole is concreted in:

1. Expose the base. Cut back a ring of turf and soil to see the top of the footing.
2. Cut the pole below grade.
   • Use a recip saw with a metal blade or an angle grinder.
   • Aim for 50–75 mm below final soil level.
3. Treat the cut end. Spray with cold‑galv or rust‑proof paint so it doesn’t expand and heave.

Step 2: Fill and cap the hole

You do not want a soft sinkhole in the lawn.

1. Backfill with compacted gravel or road base up to about 50 mm from the top.
2. Top off with soil and turf plug or seed to match your lawn.

If the old footing is huge and close to the surface, you can leave the concrete, but make sure the finished grade is perfectly flush so you’re not catching a mower blade.

For a more hardscaped solution, you could even:

• Cap with a concrete or paver plug level with the grass and use that as a base for a movable fire bowl or planter.

This is the same logic we use when dealing with old stumps near fences – secure the hazard, then reclaim the corner. The stump case study walks through that thinking: how to remove a small backyard stump without wrecking your fence corner.

3. What to Do With the Freed‑Up Lawn

Once the pole is gone, you’ll suddenly realize how much it dominated the space.

A few solid ways to use that new breathing room:

A. Keep it clean and open

Sometimes the right move is do nothing dramatic:

• Let the grass run uninterrupted.
• Maybe soften the metal fence with a single, curved planting bed in a corner: a few native shrubs, a clump of ornamental grass, and a groundcover. No fussy edging.

Curves matter here – that metal fence already gives you all the straight lines you’ll ever need. A gentle arc in a bed edge stops the yard from feeling like a shipping container.

B. Add a small seating pad

You’ve got the shed and concrete on one side already. You could:

• Add a stepping‑stone path across the lawn.
• End it in a compact paver or gravel pad in a corner with two chairs.
• Keep gravel in line with solid edging – or it will migrate into the grass and drive you nuts.

We used the same idea to make a dead utility corner into a proper hang‑out spot in the article on turning a 70s guest house into a welcoming entry court.

C. Plant a narrow screen

If you hate staring at the neighbor’s windows, use the freed view for screening, not hardware:

• Go for narrow, upright natives suited to your climate zone.
• Check your zone on the USDA Plant Hardiness Map (or the equivalent for your country) and match plants to real conditions: full sun, reflected heat from the metal fence, usually dry at the base.

Right plant, right place. Don’t jam in big thirsty hedges that will cook against metal.

Visualizing the Result Before You Start Digging

Here’s where most DIY yards go sideways: people start moving big stuff without a plan.

They pull the rotary, buy a wall line, then realize they mounted it where the future seating area needed to be… and now every photo of the garden has socks in the background.

This is where a tool like GardenDream works as a safety net.

• Snap a photo of your yard after you take the clothesline out.
• Upload it to GardenDream.
• Mock up:
  • A fold‑down line on the shed vs. on the fence.
  • A curved bed in one corner vs. a little paver pad.
  • Different screening heights so you don’t shade out the lawn.

You get to see how the space feels – sightlines, clutter, traffic flow – before you drill into metal or pour new concrete.

If you want to test this on your own yard, upload a photo and see what this design would look like using our Exterior Design App.