Trees/ plants best for privacy

07.clumsy_cycles

I would like more privacy from the houses behind. I was thinking of either a potted tree or making a border. What would you do? My garden is East facing, any advice on suitable plants: trees would be great! 

Thanks 

07.clumsy_cycles

Here's a photo 

borgadr

Looking at that I would say you only need something 10-12 feet tall, with a spread of a couple of metres, to block the view from those windows.  You can pretty much take your pick of trees for that - whatever takes your fancy.  I wouldn't overdo it (for example a leylandii will grow fast and quickly huge, blocking your morning sun from the east, so probably an overkill).  I would suggest it doesn't need to be evergreen either - a deciduous tree will still partly screen you in winter and in any case you're less likely to be outside then.

If you're wanting it to grow that tall, I would definitely plant in the ground rather than a pot.  Couldn't be easier, just dig a hole and plonk it in.  This is a good time of year to do it.

Dovefromabove

We have planted a multistemmed Amelanchier in a similar east facing spot. In this picture it had been planted about 6 years … it was about 6ft tall when we bought it … it cost about £90. 

 

The picture below was a couple of years earlier.