How to get some privacy in my garden

amanda.nash1701nd4vHzNw

Hi there,

Looking for some advice, regarding privacy at the rear of our garden. I've attached photos. We own the fence and wall it sits on - this measures 8 ft in total. Our neighbours behind us, their ground level is at the top of the wall (3ft higher than us). I'm struggling to come up with ideas to a) screen their window views - there are 4 in total - 2 on each house  and b) stop seeing peoples heads appear above the fence as they walk by it (the fence is 5ft high). What options would be good for this - although north facing, we get glorious westerly sun for most of the year as there is nothing to the left of us. The soil we are on here is clay. Any ideas anyone has to help us would be very much appreciated.

Lizzie27

Hello, I would suggest four Prunus  Amanogawa cherry trees strategically placed, one in front of each window. They are very columnar deciduous trees with pale pink flowers in spring and good autumn colour. Although the stated height and spread is 30ft x 12ft at maturity, this would probably take 10 years or more to reach.
How many times do people walk near the fence? If it really annoys you, then trellis across the top of the fence would probably be the answer on which you could grow either clematis or roses.
Hope this helps.

amanda.nash1701nd4vHzNw

Lizzie27 said:

Hello, I would suggest four Prunus  Amanogawa cherry trees strategically placed, one in front of each window. They are very columnar deciduous trees with pale pink flowers in spring and good autumn colour. Although the stated height and spread is 30ft x 12ft at maturity, this would probably take 10 years or more to reach.
How many times do people walk near the fence? If it really annoys you, then trellis across the top of the fence would probably be the answer on which you could grow either clematis or roses.
Hope this helps.

Thank-you so much for your advice - much appreciated! Those trees are very pretty - will definitely consider. I didn't think about trellis, so that's a great idea - unfortunately heads and looking over, happens far too often, so will need to do that also!

Loxley

Set out your trees depending on whereabouts in the garden you need privacy the most, e.g. your main sitting out area, or perhaps it's your patio doors? Remember with columnar trees they are narrow so if you take a couple of steps to the left or right, they would not be aligned on the windows any more! Maybe more spreading trees would actually be better.

Astraeus

I agree that a spreading tree might be better.

Is the issue only apparent from the viewpoint of the photograph? The pergola looks to be covered by the fence. If it's just this viewpoint, one spreading tree closer to where the camera was could, if pruned to the right height, cut out all four windows. Using the above picture, you'd plant it close to the camera so that the stem went just to the left of the apex of the shadow. It's canopy would then spread at the level of all four windows.

amanda.nash1701nd4vHzNw

Astraeus said:

I agree that a spreading tree might be better.

Is the issue only apparent from the viewpoint of the photograph? The pergola looks to be covered by the fence. If it's just this viewpoint, one spreading tree closer to where the camera was could, if pruned to the right height, cut out all four windows. Using the above picture, you'd plant it close to the camera so that the stem went just to the left of the apex of the shadow. It's canopy would then spread at the level of all four windows.

Thanks for confirming spreading trees would be more suitable- you are correct in that the Pergola is well covered - nothing is visible there. I am taking the shot from the deck outside our patio doors, which is 2.5 metres from the house, so I'm not sure if a tree this close is possible or not? If I move halfway up the grass from this position, all windows cannot be seen at that point. I can however, see all windows when sat inside the house..which is one of the reasons I'm looking for options. We have blinds etc, but ideally would like to see the garden instead. As the house wasn't built when we bought it, it was something we missed from a consideration point at the time.

amanda.nash1701nd4vHzNw

Songbird-1 said:

How about a couple of Hoheria trees? They are lightweight trees, don't grow too tall but tall enough for privacy,very open and sway about, lovely white delicate flowers in the summer, and can be pruned to whatever height you desire. They grow in a pyramid shape. This is one of ours....



We've had ours for a couple of years now and they are well above the fence height of six feet, and that's after a cutting back last year. They are a good two or three feet higher than fence now....and still growing.

They are lovely Songbird!!! They look perfect to me and would fit in very well with the colour scheme I have going on in the garden - thanks so much for sharing!!

Balgay.Hill

I planted a Sorbus alnifolia 'Red Bird' to block a neighbours windo.

https://www.frankpmatthews.com/catalogue/sorbus/12424

KT53

Although you will be limited on the height of the boundary fence you could consider putting in tall posts with trellis up them and across between them at the top.  From the description you only need another foot to foot and a half of additional screening so that may be an alternative.

Astraeus

amanda.nash1701nd4vHzNw said:

Astraeus said:

I agree that a spreading tree might be better.

Is the issue only apparent from the viewpoint of the photograph? The pergola looks to be covered by the fence. If it's just this viewpoint, one spreading tree closer to where the camera was could, if pruned to the right height, cut out all four windows. Using the above picture, you'd plant it close to the camera so that the stem went just to the left of the apex of the shadow. It's canopy would then spread at the level of all four windows.

Thanks for confirming spreading trees would be more suitable- you are correct in that the Pergola is well covered - nothing is visible there. I am taking the shot from the deck outside our patio doors, which is 2.5 metres from the house, so I'm not sure if a tree this close is possible or not? If I move halfway up the grass from this position, all windows cannot be seen at that point. I can however, see all windows when sat inside the house..which is one of the reasons I'm looking for options. We have blinds etc, but ideally would like to see the garden instead. As the house wasn't built when we bought it, it was something we missed from a consideration point at the time.

It's always difficult to work from a picture but I think your situation could be perfect for one tree with a good spread. At 2.5m from the house, you're not likely to come across any root-related issues if you pick a sensible tree - crab apple, rowan etc. It's a trick of garden design - the closer the tree to you, the more it blocks. Which takes up less of your garden and costs less to create the same screening effect.

You might look a bit daft doing it but erect something 3m tall in the shape of a crucifix and then move it around to see how you can cover all of the windows. You could use a long length of timber with a cross member nailed to it. In fact, just picture a crucifix. It's a bit late now but you'd possibly have looked slightly less odd to your neighbour's had you tried this at Easter!

bernardandrews661

A pretty unpleasant situation. My friend has something similar. I don't know what he want to do, but I can ask him