Garden Screening Ideas for Privacy
Privacy is one of the things we are asked about most when designing and planting gardens. It might be an upstairs window looking directly into the garden, a busy road beyond the boundary, or simply a garden that feels very open and exposed.
A higher fence isn't always the answer.
Trees, pleached trees, mature hedging and carefully positioned planting can often create privacy in a much softer way, while also making the garden look better.
The first thing we look at is where the overlooking is actually coming from. Once you know that, the planting can be positioned where it will make the biggest difference.
Screening Above a Garden Fence
Trees can help where a fence can't
A normal garden fence will usually give privacy at ground level, but it may do very little when neighbouring houses are overlooking from upstairs windows.
This is where trees can really help.
Pleached trees are particularly useful because the foliage starts above the fence line. They can create screening higher up without taking up a huge amount of space at ground level.
Standard trees can also work well where a softer, less formal look suits the garden.
You don't necessarily need to screen the whole boundary either. Sometimes one or two carefully positioned trees are enough to block the particular view that is causing the problem.
Pleached Trees for Privacy
A narrow screen higher up
Pleached trees are one of the options we use often where privacy is needed above a fence.
The branches are trained onto a framework to create a relatively narrow screen higher up.
This makes them particularly useful in suburban gardens where there may not be enough room for a large tree or wide hedge.
Depending on the garden, we can use evergreen or deciduous pleached trees.
Evergreen varieties provide more consistent screening throughout the year, while deciduous trees can give a softer appearance and allow more light through during winter.
Mature Hedging for Garden Privacy
Established plants that screen from the start
Not every privacy problem comes from above.
Sometimes the garden simply feels exposed at eye level, particularly beside a road, neighbouring property or open boundary.
Mature hedging can make a huge difference.
Rather than waiting years for a small hedge to grow, more established plants can provide a good level of screening from the beginning and become fuller as they settle in.
Evergreen hedging is especially useful where privacy is needed all year.
Layering Trees, Hedges and Planting
Different layers look more natural
Privacy planting doesn't have to look like one flat wall of green.
Where there is enough space, we often use different layers.
A taller tree might deal with an upstairs window.
Hedging can give privacy lower down.
Shrubs and softer planting can then sit in front.
This usually looks much more natural than creating one solid screen around the entire garden.
It also means the boundary looks good when you are sitting inside the garden looking back towards it.
Think About What You Actually Need to Screen
Work out where the overlooking comes from
Before adding planting, look at where the problem really is.
- Is it one upstairs window?
- A neighbour's patio?
- A gap between two houses?
- A busy road?
Or does the whole garden feel exposed?
Sometimes people assume they need to screen an entire boundary when the real problem is only one particular view.
A tree placed in exactly the right position can sometimes do more than a whole line of planting in the wrong place.
Creating Privacy Around a Patio
A sheltered main seating area
You don't always need complete privacy throughout the whole garden.
Often it is more important to make the main seating area feel comfortable.
Trees and planting around a patio can make it feel much more sheltered and private while also softening the paving.
A tree beside or behind a seating area can also help screen neighbouring windows without closing off the rest of the garden.
Privacy in a Small Garden
Height without taking over the space
You can still create good privacy in a smaller garden.
The main thing is choosing plants that give you the height you need without taking over the space.
Pleached trees can work particularly well because the canopy is kept relatively narrow.
A single well-positioned tree may also be enough where only one neighbouring window needs to be screened.
In smaller gardens, it is especially important to think about the mature size of the plants before choosing them.
Screening a Front Garden
Separation without closing it off
Privacy can be just as important at the front of a house.
Hedging and trees can create separation from a road or footpath while still keeping the front garden green and attractive.
We normally consider the entrance, driveway and view of the house at the same time.
The aim is to create privacy without making the front garden feel completely closed off.
Evergreen or Deciduous Screening?
Often a combination works best
If year round privacy is important, evergreen trees and hedging can be very useful because they retain their foliage through winter.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves but can still provide some screening through their branches and often give a lighter, softer appearance.
There isn't one option that suits every garden.
In many designs, we use a combination of evergreen and deciduous planting.
Think About the Mature Size
Height, spread and growth habit
Good screening isn't just about how the plants look on the day they are planted.
You need to think about how large they will become.
We consider the eventual height, spread and growth habit when choosing and positioning screening plants.
Garden Screening FAQs
Fences, evergreens and mature planting
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How can I add privacy above a garden fence?
Pleached trees and standard trees are often very effective where privacy is needed above normal fence height.
They allow foliage to sit higher than the boundary and can help screen neighbouring upstairs windows.
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What is the best way to screen an overlooked garden?
It depends on where the overlooking is coming from.
Pleached trees or standard trees can help with overlooking from above, while mature hedging can provide privacy closer to ground level.
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Do I need a higher fence for more privacy?
If the existing fence already provides privacy at ground level, trees or planting can sometimes provide the extra screening needed above it.
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What are good evergreen plants for privacy?
The best choice depends on the garden, but evergreen trees and hedging such as Portuguese laurel, Photinia, Holly and Elaeagnus can all be useful in the right location.
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How quickly can planting give privacy?
Using mature trees, pleached trees or mature hedging can provide a significant amount of screening from the beginning.
The plants will then continue to fill out as they establish.
Creating More Privacy in Your Garden
Every garden is different./p>
The right screening depends on where the overlooking is coming from, how much space you have and how you want the garden to look.
At LandArt, we use mature trees, pleached trees, hedging and planting to create natural privacy as part of our garden design and planting projects.
We work across Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow and Meath.
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