Privacy ideas

liz210284

Hi all. Im looking for advice as to what to plant along borders to give some privacy from next door. I hate my garden being so open. The problem is the end of the garden has terrible drainage and floods...most plants die as I found out over the 2 years since we did the garden. Any tips and advice on plants please. Thank you

WonkyWomble

Hello, I have a similar layout for my garden and have added trellis to the top of the fence for climbers. Also if drainage is bad at the bottom, maybe pots or planters? Good luck 

Fairygirl

Raised beds for your wet areas - make them a decent height, and plant up appropriately. Not difficult with some fencing timber and a few posts ( I've done mine very cheaply) or you could use breeze block and have it rendered, or sleepers. You can control the condition of the soil more easily that way  Climbers on the fences - but you'll need to prep the ground properly and teh fence. Check that you can plany on or against the fence too. If the fence isn't yours, you'll have to discuss that with the neighbour. 

hogweed

I would build a pergola on the wet area with hard standing underneath for a table and chairs. You can build a pergola to 8 ft and once it is clothed in climbers you will have some privacy from above.  Quick growing climbers like golden hop will give you plenty of coverage in the summer while you wait for slower growing perennial climbers to do their job. 

Your fences look 6ft already so you will not be able to add trellis on top of them. 

Is it privacy from the upstairs windows of the houses next door to you that is the worry? or from over the fence?

Cloggie

Depending on which neighbour's window is bothering you, sometimes a nearer obstruction has more effect than one further away.

Worth thinking about.  Perhaps a pergola outside the back door?  

hogweed

Or a carefully placed tree. 

Fairygirl

That's often the best solution for an upper window if you feel a bit vulnerable - a few attractive shrubs and a small pergola/screen is more efficient than trying to physically block a window. 

You'd need something very large to do that - which is seriously counter productive! 

Cloggie

 You can see here that our patio and conservatory (out of shot to the right) are overlooked by next doors' bedroom window and the fix has been to have the pergola stretch out with the wisteria climbing over it.  In winter, when the wisteria is bare, we don't sit out there or use the conservatory much and we're glad of the light (so evergreen would have been oppressive) but once the wisteria takes off, we can't see their window so I assume they can't see us.

Redwing

Trellis on the top of the fences is a good idea, suggested already.  I also think you need some height.  I would plant a tree or two.