Great privacy trees
10 Best Trees for Privacy
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Create a green fence with these fast-growing, low-maintenance varieties.
By Amanda Garrity
KatarzynaBialasiewiczGetty Images
Even if you have the loveliest neighbors on the block, it's still important to create a sense of privacy in your backyard. While you can always rely on wooden or metal fencing to get the job done, planting tall, fast-growing trees are a much prettier way to fence off your space. When planted close to one another, evergreen, cypress, flowering trees and other varieties create a lush green fence — a living wall, if you will — to separate your property from your neighbor's.
When selecting trees for privacy, figure out which USDA Hardiness zone you live in (find yours here) to ensure that the one you select can survive local winters. Then take into account the size of your space — small backyards may require a tall and narrow option like a Italian Cypress, bigger plots of land call for trees with a wider reach like a Weeping Willow. Keep in mind that all of the trees on this list grow fairly quickly, some even growing three feet each year until they reach their mature size. Because of this, you'll want to make sure that you prune the trees regularly and space them out to prevent overcrowding.
Now, here are some of the best trees for privacy, along with their growing requirements and care instructions.
1
Leyland Cypress Tree
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A few seasons after planting, this blueish-green tree will create a full green fence. When fully grown and unpruned, this pyramidal evergreen can reach 70 feet in height. Although they are fairly tolerant and low-maintenance, they grow best in zones 6-10 with partial to full sunlight and well-draining soil.
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2
Italian Cypress Tree
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Known for its long and skinny silhouette, this popular Cypress can squeeze into tight spaces while still giving your backyard plenty of height. Even though they don't grow wide, most trees grow up to three feet in any given year, reaching anywhere from 35 to 40 feet in 10 years. They grow best in zones 7-11, so they can handle drought conditions and thrive in full to partial sun (at least four to eight hours of sunlight daily).
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3
Flowering Dogwood Tree
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White flowers may only make an appearance for a month or two, but the trees offer a gorgeous backdrop all year long. Ideal for zones 5-8, these low-maintenance beauties also boast glossy green leaves in the summer and crimson berries in the fall. Try to plant Dogwoods in the spring months when soil is moist, so that it has plenty of time to grow. FYI, it thrives as long as it has partial shade and weekly watering.
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4
Thuja Green Giant
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Grow a lush dark green privacy screen with ease. Once established, Thuja Green Giant grows three to five feet each year with only four hours of direct sunlight daily and regular watering during the first six months. It's resistant to most insects and disease, and grows best in zones 5-9.
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5
Weeping Willow Tree
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The arching branches on a Weeping Willow tree add drama and elegance to any backyard, large or small. When regularly pruned in their younger years and planted in zones 6-8, Weeping Willows can grow to be 50 feet tall. Plant them in full sun to partial shade and make sure they are watered weekly during the first year of planting, then as needed in the tree's later years.
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6
Emerald Green Arborvitae
Fast Growing Trees
If your yard is on the smaller side in zones 2-8, make a privacy screen with these glossy greens. They work best in compact spaces since they grow up, not out, reaching a max of 15 feet tall. Just be sure to plant the trees at least three feet apart and in full sun or partial shade.
Start by watering it twice weekly before scaling back to 1" of water each week at around the three-month mark.
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7
Cherry Blossom Tree
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Cover your backyard with a blanket of pink and white petals. This flowering tree is best suited in zones 5-9, reaching a height and spread up to 20 feet. It needs at least six hours of direct sunlight daily and well-draining soil to grow and bloom.
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8
Nellie Stevens Holly
Fast Growing Trees
Technically, it's a shrub, but the Nellie Stevens Holly towers high, reaching 25 feet when it's fully grown. Unlike some of the other privacy trees on this list, this tolerant shrub stays green all year long, even in the heat of the summer. If you live in zones 6-9, plant each Nellie Stevens Holly at least five or six feet apart to create a living wall, ultimately reaching 15 to 25 feet in height.
You can keep their natural pyramidal shape (shown here) or prune them into a tall box hedge.
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9
Thundercloud Plum Tree
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Don't be fooled by the name: This plum tree doesn't always bear fruit, but has leaves in a similar purple hue. The mid-size variety reaches a height and spread of roughly 20 feet when it's fully grown, making it a colorful addition to any backyard space. It grows best in zones 5-9 with full sun and regular watering during its first year in the ground.
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10
Yew
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Another tall shrub makes the cut: This evergreen perennial is tolerant to handle most conditions, making it a great fit for zones 2 - 10. With full sun to shade and well-draining soil, some of the varieties can grow up to 20 feet tall and produce small red berries (similar to holly berries).
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Amanda Garrity Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion.
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The Best Trees for Privacy Screening in Big and Small Yards
Regardless of whether your yard is large or small, privacy is something everyone is looking for.
While the old saying “fences make good neighbors” is definitely true, I’d much rather gain some much-needed backyard solitude by using lush, green plants instead of a stiff, boring fence. Thankfully, there are may great privacy trees for yards both big and small. They shield your outdoor space from nosey neighbors, help buffer street noise, and create the sense of seclusion necessary to make your yard a peaceful haven. Today, I’d like to introduce you to some of the best trees for privacy.
What do all good trees for privacy have in common?
Before looking at which specific varieties of trees are best for screening, it’s important to discuss the traits all good privacy trees have in common.
1. Privacy trees are easy to grow.Fussy trees are not a good fit for creating privacy. If a tree is difficult to grow, or it won’t survive in a broad diversity of soil and sunlight conditions, I don’t bother using it for this purpose.
I need something tough that doesn’t have to be coddled.
Since privacy is something most of us want year-round, why use a deciduous tree that drops its leaves every winter? Dense evergreens with thick branches are the best trees for privacy.
3. Trees to create privacy are easy to find on the market.What’s the use of learning about the best trees for privacy only to discover you can’t find them at your favorite local nursery? All of the trees on this list are common finds at regional garden centers and online nurseries.
4. Privacy trees are pretty.Most folks who install plantings for privacy want the results of their efforts to be attractive. They want to look at soft green foliage, not ugly plant shapes, needles, or leaves.
5. The best trees to create seclusion can be planted close together.Most plantings for privacy are spaced fairly tight. Some evergreens need lots of room to grow and don’t do well so close to their neighbors.
The best trees for privacy thrive in dense plantings.
Yes, you’ll have to water your privacy trees deeply and regularly, at least for the first year after planting. But the best trees for privacy don’t have to be pruned, deadheaded, fertilized, or otherwise maintained. Plus, they’re pest resistant and tough-as-nails.
7. The best trees for screening grow taller than eye level.To block the neighbor’s view, you need plants that reach at least 6 to 8 feet in height. Many of the trees on my list grow much taller. If you live in a smaller yard and want a privacy tree that tops out at a particular height, pay extra attention to the mature dimensions of each variety.
8. Privacy trees are moderate to fast growers.There’s no place for slow-growing trees when it comes to creating a living fence.
Since you likely don’t want to wait 10 years for your solitude, you need varieties that grow fairly quickly.
Based on these 8 essential traits, here’s my list of the perfect plants for the job.
The best trees for privacy
Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii)This beautiful evergreen has dense, feathery branches in the most lovely shade of green. It’s a quick grower, adding several feet to its height each year. Fully evergreen, Leyland cypress is an all-around winner. Hardy down to -10 degrees F, it has few pests, but it grows very tall. Reaching up to 60 feet in height and about 10 feet wide, this tree for screening can block even the rowdiest neighbor! Makes a great hedge when planted on 8 to 10 foot centers.
Here, a homeowner uses a planting of Leyland cypress to block traffic noise and create privacy along their property line.Lawson Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)Oh how I love this privacy tree! We have three on the side of our house, blocking our view of the neighbor’s house from our dining room table.
Hardy down to -20 degrees F, this low-maintenance tree is one of the best trees for privacy. The evergreen foliage is soft and lush. Lawson’s cypress grows very large. It’s well over 40 feet at maturity with a 20 foot spread (though in the wild it grows much larger). There are a few compact cultivars that stay smaller and are worth seeking out for urban yards.
For decades, arborvitae have reigned supreme when it comes to the best trees for privacy and rightfully so. Unbelievably hardy (down to -40 degrees F) with deep green foliage and almost zero maintenance, arborvitae tolerate a vast array of soil conditions. Reaching 20 to 30 feet tall and 10 feet wide, few plants have the power to create solitude the way this one does. There are many cultivars of this privacy tree for small yards and large, including ‘Green Giant’ and ‘Emerald Green’. Arborvitae can be planted close together, about 5 to 6 feet on center.
Tall, narrow evergreens, such as these arborvitae, make excellent screens while creating intimate spaces in the garden.
Concolor Fir (Abies concolor)This evergreen tree for privacy is noteworthy for several reasons. Its gray-blue needles are chubby and soft. And its natural conical shape requires no pruning. Toping out at 40 feet high and 20 feed wide, concolor firs are hardy to -40 degrees F and offer a great amount of winter interest. Skip this selection if your soil is poorly drained or if you live in the heat and humidity of the south. A tree with few insect and disease problems, you’ll find it to have a moderate growth rate. It’s a perfect choice for large properties.
Dense evergreens such as concolor fir make great living fences.Red Cedar (Juniperus virginana)Another great tree for blocking out the neighbors or the street, red cedars survive winters down to -50 degrees and are native across much of Eastern North America. Deer dislike them, and they shrug off drought and city pollution like a champ. Plus, the prickly foliage keeps wayward neighborhood kids in bounds.
With dense growth and a mature height around 30 feet, red cedars are a great fit for tall hedgerows when planted 8 feet apart.
The only broad-leaved evergreen tree for privacy on this list, dragon lady holly offers many benefits. First, the prickly leaves deter deer and other animals (including humans). Next, dragon lady is an excellent hedge plant for small yards. It grows just 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide at maturity. The leaves are a very dark green. Since hollies are dioecious (meaning plants are either male or female) and dragon lady is a female, you’ll need a male plant nearby to pollinate if you want to see beautiful red berries. Good varieties for the job are ‘Blue Prince’ and ‘Blue Stallion’. Hardy to -10 degrees F, this hybrid holly is columnar in form which makes it great for narrow yards.
Dragon Lady holly is dark green and lush, perfect for property lines.Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)If you’re looking for a massive plant to block out a massive view, white pine is it.
Long-needled and soft, white pines survive winters down to -40 degrees F. They max out at 60 feet tall and 30 feet wide. Stately trees that are tolerant of city pollution, white pines are quick growing and bear elongated cones. This is not a good plant for the humid south. While it has more pest issues than other plants on this list (including weevils, shoot borers, and sawflies), it’s still a privacy tree worth considering for large areas.
One of the best trees for privacy, false cypress is feathery and soft. Shorter cultivars, such as Soft Serve®, top out at just 6 feet tall, while the straight species grows to 60 feet in the wilds of Japan. The pyramidal form of this tree requires no pruning to maintain. Look for cultivars with blue-, silver-, and yellow-colored foliage, too. Some of my favorites include the Squarrosa types and the Plumosa types. The Mop types are too short for privacy plantings. ‘Filifera’ tops out at 6 feet tall and “weeps”.
Most varieties are hardy to -30 degrees F. This is an excellent plant for screening.
I hope you’ve found the perfect privacy tree for your yard on this list. Remember to keep new plantings well-watered for the first year, and mulch them well – but never pile mulch up against the trunk. With time and care, your yard is sure to become your own personal “fortress of solitude” before you know it (minus Superman, of course).
For more on the best trees and shrubs for your yard:
- Dwarf evergreen trees
- Weeping Alaskan cedar trees
- Narrow trees for urban gardens
- The best trees with peeling bark
- Small evergreens for year-round interest
- Blooming shrubs for shady spots
- Shrubs for pollinators
What have you done to create a privacy screen in your yard? Tell us about it in the comment section below.
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The secret life of plants | Around the World
“Why are you standing like a tree?”, “My hands don’t feel anything: they’re completely stiff”, “Easy on the turns - you’re not carrying firewood” - there are many expressions in the language that emphasize that plants cannot actively respond to the world around them, but are only able to passively accept its hardships.
And this is no accident: representatives of the flora have perfectly learned to hide their true nature, pretending to be harmless and indifferent. In fact, cute flowers, bushes or trees are a real well-coordinated gang that seeks to occupy all available territory. Gang members closely monitor what is happening, communicate and coordinate their actions, instantly responding to any changes.
Like an aspen leaf
The first person to suspect that plants were hiding something was David Rhodes, an American ecologist who studied how cocoonworm caterpillars ate willow leaves. In 1979, Rhodes planted the insects as usual on one plant, and after a while he transferred them to neighboring seedlings in pots nearby. Some plants had encountered caterpillars before, others were unfamiliar with them. Usually, if a tree is infested, it changes its metabolism and grows new leaves that are harder and more fibrous, making it harder for insects to damage them. But, to the surprise of Rhodes, the caterpillars did not eat well the leaves of all the willows - both those that had already suffered from parasites, and the "newcomers".
The scientist suggested that the damaged seedling released some substances that warned the neighbors about the danger, allowing them to prepare in advance for a possible attack and make the leaves harder.
In 1983, British researchers Ian Baldwin and Jack Schultz tested the Rhodes hypothesis by conducting a more thorough experiment. They did not mess with the caterpillars, but simply stripped the leaves from the young maple. The scientists then connected the chamber where the unfortunate sapling grew to the chamber where the undamaged trees lived. And the maples, forced to breathe "foreign" air, began to produce harder leaves! The results of Baldwin and Schultz's study were published in one of the most prestigious journals, Science , however, the scientific community took them with hostility. Botanists, accustomed to considering plants passive and inert, refused to believe that they were able to react very vividly to what was happening around them, and even inform their comrades about it.
In addition, scientists had complaints about the methodology for setting up experiments.
Nevertheless, many researchers became interested in the idea that plants are able to communicate with each other. Over the next 20 years, several dozen high-quality experiments were carried out, and by the early 2000s it became obvious: trees and flowers live in a continuous “gathering” mode, discussing with each other in real time how best to resist enemies and drive them away from their territory.
Subtleties
Wave a club
When the plants realize that they cannot cope with the invaders on their own, they summon a "killer" - a predatory insect. Scientists tracked how it helps green bandits by conducting an "investigative experiment" and infecting beans with pea aphids. Affected plants released not only substances that warn neighbors, but also chemicals that attract wasps Aphidius ervi , which lay their eggs in the bodies of aphids. The composition of the cocktails that lure the killers is unknown.
Not understanding exactly how plants call for help from harsh comrades, people sometimes destroy this communication channel. In 2011, it turned out that hybrid varieties of corn are not able to send “letters” to friendly insects and suffer from parasites much more than wild counterparts.
From branch to branch
One of the main ways of transmitting “ciphers” is through the air. Plants synthesize a huge amount of various volatile compounds. The purpose of most of them is still unknown to scientists, although people have learned to use plant "chemistry" for themselves, creating medicines, cosmetics and perfumes based on it. Thanks to attentive "investigators" like Rhodes, Baldwin, and Schultz, it became clear that at least some of the substances synthesized by trees and grasses are danger messages intended for neighbors. Moreover, as biologists from the University of California at San Diego showed in 2006, the air signals emitted by plants “work” at a distance of up to 60 cm.
Today we only understand the meaning of individual plant messages. And even this meager knowledge shows how clearly such air "mail" works and how deeply it changes plant metabolism. If you plant aphids on a wormwood bush, the “victim” begins to secrete methyl jasmonate. As soon as the neighboring bush catches the message, the activity of the gene sharply increases in its cells, the product of which prevents the insects from assimilating the gnawed leaves normally. To facilitate the digestion of difficult food, parasites produce an enzyme that breaks down plant proteins. In the leaves of the attacked plants and the neighbors warned by them, a protein begins to be synthesized that blocks the work of this enzyme. As a result, aphids and other insects cannot get enough nutrients from the leaves.
Scientists are so bad at deciphering plant messages, not least because most of them are composed of many components. One example of such a cocktail is the smell of freshly cut grass.
Most people like it, but plants use it precisely as a warning of imminent danger. In 2011, Japanese researchers removed one by one from the mixture, which was released by parasitic daisies, its constituent substances. And the absence of any of them significantly reduced the activity of genes responsible for protection in their neighbors. We can say that the individual substances that make up the mixture secreted by plants are words, and the whole cocktail is a sentence.
Mushroom channel
The plant gang is cunning and prudent. In 2011, researchers at Ben-Gurion University planted six seedlings of peas side by side, wrapping each in cling film to prevent the exchange of volatile substances. Then the scientists added to the soil to one of the seedlings a substance that “draws” water, simulating drought. After 15 minutes, the unfortunate man, as expected, closed the stomata - tiny openings on the leaves through which plants emit water and gases. But, to the surprise of scientists, the stomata also closed at the neighboring sprout, although it was not subjected to dangerous manipulations.
An hour later, all six plants stopped evaporating water through the leaves. Although volatile substances could not be transferred, the roots of the seedlings were in pairs in contact with each other. When the scientists repeated the experiment, removing the root interaction, the stomata closed only in the plant, which turned out to be “in the desert”.
The most amazing thing is that the seedlings not only responded to the warning signal from the “victim”, but also spread it further, providing communication over long distances. Moreover, it turned out that the underground "Internet" is further expanding and accelerating ... mushrooms. They braid the roots of most plants in the wild with long threads - hyphae. The friendship of mushrooms and plants is beneficial to both parties. Plants transfer carbohydrates created during photosynthesis to fungi, and fungi in return help their comrades to better absorb water and minerals from the soil.
But that's not all. Through the hyphae, stretching from one root system to another, plants transmit alarm signals to their comrades.
In 2013, British botanists showed that the neighbors of peas planted with aphids begin to release substances that repel insects as early as 24 hours after infecting a comrade. Moreover, the message from the victim reached the neighbors, even when they were connected only through the hyphae, but not through the roots. In recent years, there has been more and more evidence that the mushroom "internet" can connect all the trees in the forest! For example, in 2009Canadian geobotanists found that hyphae make each tree contact at least a dozen neighbors at a distance of 30 meters. Not every city can boast such a density of Internet connections.
Experiment. The secret connection
Prepare in advance
52 hours after the scientists damaged the seedling, the amount of solids that make the leaves difficult to digest increased markedly in both plants.
Fight alone
The damaged plant strengthened the protection of its leaves and became "inedible", and the seedling, not warned of the danger, turned out to be defenseless against the invaders.
An apple from an apple tree
Human criminals support members of their own gang and, at any opportunity, try to remove members of other gangs. Green bandits behave in exactly the same way. When young seedlings of sea mustard found themselves near foreign plants, they grew as many branched roots as possible in order to draw maximum water and minerals from the soil. If the neighbors were relatives, the roots of all seedlings grew moderately branched.
Arabidopsis, the favorite object of plant experiments, does the same. The Pale Impatiens flower grows smaller leaves so as not to obscure the neighbors, if these neighbors are relatives. But when an aggressive alien plant is nearby, striving to capture all the useful substances, the brother-in-law spreads signals over the underground "Internet" that accelerate maturation. But why should plants help each other at all, even if they are relatives, because they still compete for resources? It was this consideration that for many years prevented scientists from believing that trees or bushes, in principle, actively communicate.
And it seems that this friendship is really forced.
Initially, the bandits were not going to help anyone at all, they simply defended themselves. Volatile chemical compounds were needed to scare away parasites or inform one part of the plant that trouble had come to another - without a circulatory and nervous system, communication within the plant itself is not the easiest thing. Having learned to perceive their own signals, trees and grasses at the same time began to catch messages from neighbors intended for “internal use”. In other words, the plants began to eavesdrop, as real bandits should.
Best of all, they caught messages from relatives, because their chemical composition is as similar as possible to the composition of the signals of the eavesdropper. By responding to these messages, interceptors increased their chances of surviving and leaving offspring, which means that over time, more and more plants became able to eavesdrop in the population. But since related plants carry similar genes, eavesdropping on each individual tree increased the chances of survival not only for itself, but also for nephews, nieces, and other indirect relatives.
Gradually, these genes became firmly entrenched, and today related members of the same gang behave towards each other like real altruists.
Moreover, plants sometimes seem to "make agreements" with members of other gangs. Numerous experiments have shown that communities consisting of several plant species feel better than monogroups: individual trees in such communities grow larger and faster, and the overall efficiency of photosynthesis is noticeably higher. In 2015, researchers from the University of British Columbia found that in mixed communities, trees rich in nitrogen, carbon dioxide and other beneficial substances share them with less successful comrades. Scientists do not exclude that fungi are forcing friends with unrelated plant gangs. They have their own interest in the truce: the more actively the trees exchange various substances, the more fungi fall. But finally, the principles of complex relationships within plant gangs are yet to be clarified by researchers. And maybe when we finally learn to decipher the messages of trees and flowers, they will tell us something important about the planet.
Photo: Getty Images (X6), Alamy / Legion-Media (x2)
Material published in the journal "Around the World" No. 5, May 2018
22 Irina Yakutenko
Tags
- science
it's so difficult. Of course, you can hide behind a high fence, especially since there are many ways to make it interesting and unusual.
But I propose to create a more romantic image of the secret garden, as if descended from the pages of romantic novels or fairy tales. Places, as if frozen in time - and suddenly discovered; carrying a touch of antiquity and traditions - and at the same time promising new discoveries. This image is most consistent with fences made of "wild" raw stone and hedges.
Dear Garden Associates, Inc.
Outside Landscape Group
A country house hedge is a very flexible and multifunctional way to give the garden a closeness.
Thanks to the varying shape and frequency of clipping—and the varied range of hedge plants—a structure can look very different throughout its length. It can be strict or free, linear or curly, its height and degree of transparency can vary.
There are several ways to create a green hedge. They differ from each other not only in appearance and image, but also in the amount of maintenance effort and, of course, in the size of the space required to accommodate them. Choose the one that best suits your abilities, or combine several at once - this will make the image more interesting.
SEE ALSO...
6 Fences You Wouldn't Have Thought Installed
Amy Martin Landscape Design
Curtains
Loose curtains of lush shrubs, planted along the boundaries of the plot, create a relaxed image of an old garden, as if run wild. The image that many aspire to is “design without design”.
Spreading masses of shrubs were a popular technique among the creators of landscape, "English" parks. They made it possible to mask the boundaries of the site and distract from the size of the garden. This technique was especially actively used in urban gardens, which were very limited in area. This time-tested trick is still useful today.
SEE ALSO
Paradise: The golden rules for planting shrubs in your garden
Princeton Design Collaborative still requires. Although not to the same extent as topiary curly forms. Thickening and rejuvenating pruning will benefit the curtains. It is worth doing it every 2-3 years. Then the shrub will not be exposed from below and will remain dense with a lush, impenetrable crown. In addition, green curtains take up quite a lot of space in width. Therefore, when planting such a hedge, provide space in advance for its growth.
Sheared fence
A sheared fence can use less space for the fence.
With the help of a haircut, you will create a solid opaque green wall from the bushes. However, its height and shape may be different.
In general, a sheared hedge looks more strict and whimsical, but it also requires more attention. But, if you take the time and effort, you can create unusual curved or geometric lines and sculptural shapes that will decorate your garden.
Hoi Ning Wong
Idea: Hedges that combine plants with different foliage colors look decorative. They can be alternated, forming stripes, or placed in front of a solid high green fence, a low sheared border with a different leaf color. A high sheared hedge will be an excellent background for standard trees and bushes, as well as for sculpture and all kinds of decor.
Laara Copley-Smith Garden & Landscape Design
Vertical gardening
The currently popular method of decorating hedges with plants provides really wide and varied possibilities for landscaping.
You can combine decor with usefulness and plant garden plants and herbs in tiered boxes. Or use mosses, ground cover plants and annuals to create bright and colorful living pictures.
Trellising trees and shrubs
An even narrower hedge is obtained by shaping trees and shrubs on a trellis. This growing method produces the thinnest of hedges. Transparency will depend on the chosen pattern and formation density. In any case, a trellis fence will be more permeable than other forms of fence, especially in winter. Therefore, you can supplement it with a fence, against which its ornamental pattern will look especially advantageous.
Dear Garden Associates, Inc.
Julie Moir Messervy Design Studio (JMMDS)
Trellised Creepers
But the fastest way to create a hedge is definitely vines. They will not be leaders in protection from prying eyes, so if you have such a fence around the perimeter of the garden, it is also good to complement it with a fence.
But a wall of fast-growing vines will perfectly serve as a screen for zoning the site and will not require much hassle. In a couple of years, your garden will be decorated with lush masses of greenery.
SEE ALSO
Living Screen: Plants That Give Privacy
Dennis Mayer - Photographer
Mix and match just one type of green In a closed enclosed garden, a combination of strict, well-balanced lines looks good - a sheared hedge or a trellis: they create an image of security and reliability, give the impression of free lush masses of vegetation - they will give the atmosphere a relaxed atmosphere.
Think about the layout
The layout of the site is a very important step in creating a romantic indoor garden.
And immediately good news for the owners of small plots! It is easier to create an atmosphere of solitude and contemplation in a small space - it seems to have been invented to embody the image of behind-the-scenes closeness.
But in this case, do not try to fit everything here at once. In the garden for a serene rest - not a place for fuss. Therefore, if you have a large family and diverse needs, pay attention to thoughtful zoning.
Andrew Renn
Divide a large garden and a garden with a variety of functional tasks into separate closed zones - then there will be a place for all family members and the opportunity to create corners that are completely different in mood.
Advice: Try to keep as far away from each other or as possible isolate areas that involve activity and noisy activity from places of rest and relaxation. For zoning, use all the features of your site: existing and, in particular, planned buildings, terrain, screens and hedges.
Hoi Ning Wong
Consider the house and buildings when zoning
Sometimes - especially on a small plot - it seems that the house takes up too much space.
However, any building on the site is an excellent means of zoning, especially when a clear separation of zones is necessary. Buildings make it possible to isolate functionally unrelated sites by placing them in different parts of the site. Moreover, they provide not only visual separation, but also create a barrier to noise and fuss. So, if you can't make your entire garden the focus of silence, set aside one of the zones for privacy, securely protected by a house or other buildings.
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Katherine Shenaman Interiors
Use the Garden as a Shelter
Old trees (ideally evergreen) with spreading branches and soft, relaxed shade under them will help separate the secluded recreation area from the noisy part of the site. Especially if you complement it with shrubs, which will act as additional visual and acoustic protection.
Divide the plot with screens
If it is not possible to arrange a buffer zone that separates a secluded corner, place a cozy seating area with your back to the walkable and bustling areas of the site and close it with a screen.
Screens are an excellent zoning element that works both in the interior and in the landscape. They do not take up much space and do not look overly heavy, but allow you to visually separate the zones. Garden screens can be both stationary and traditionally mobile. Use hedges, decorative fences and lattices to divide the garden space in the form of small fragments.
The Garden Builders
Troy Rhone Garden Design
Use gates for walkways
If you're designing a small enclosed area, use the decorative possibilities of walkways, gates and skylights. Let them immediately set the mood at the entrance to the zone, attract with mystery, invite you to look inside.
Decorate the passage with vines - climbing roses, princes and clematis twining the gate look very romantic. Or arrange a passage to a secluded area with a pergola.
SEE ALSO…
Just to repeat: How to design a gate with leftover PVC pipes
Create intrigue
Let some accent touch, interesting and intriguing, be seen through the passages or the gate. Whether it will be a brightly flowering flower bed, or a shrub with unusually colored foliage, a sculpture or a fountain - it should create a contrast with the space located outside, should promise a new intriguing image, promise a new relaxing atmosphere.
B. Gordon Builders, Inc.
Sutton Suzuki Architects
Set up spaces for privacy
Cozy backstage spaces will complement the privacy of a secret corner of your garden - or replace it if there is still no place for a dedicated secluded area.
- Pergola can also act as a sheltered area. Place soft sofas under it - and a relaxing seating area, closed from the fuss and prying eyes, is ready.
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Alexey Kozyr's architectural studio
- Pavilions also traditionally help to create a cozy local recreation area. And if you add vines, plant lush shrubs around and place in the back of the site - the gazebo will become a place of solitude that does not take up too much space. Textiles will also be very useful for giving privacy - both as a decor and addition to the gazebo, and as a replacement for it.
- A gazebo doesn't have to be traditional - treehouse can be an unusual retreat. Who didn't dream of this as a child?
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Garden Corner: Pergola or patio, terrace or armchair?
katie moss landscape design
- Creeper-covered swing or bench – a gazebo in miniature.
Place them as a decoration and a relaxing element in a dedicated, enclosed corner of your garden, or entrust them with the role of a secluded hiding place.
Advice: When placing a pergola, pergola or swing, complement the general closeness with open areas. Let the cozy gazebo overlook the wide plane of the lawn or pond. Such a contrast will create serenity and give rest to the eyes.
Fill your garden with details
Turn your little nook into a garden box, closed from the outside, but full of interesting details and experiences.
Use decorative lighting to create different lighting scenarios and whimsical lighting patterns, such as illuminating shrubs, trees and flower beds. Or decorate them with garlands for a touch of magic.
vgzarquitectura y diseño sc
Lenkin Design Inc: Landscape and Garden Design
Place an object for contemplation in the secret garden - be it a sculpture, a fountain, a plant arrangement or a rock garden.
The main thing is that any of them will help you get distracted, switch your thoughts, provide rest for your eyes and create the right mood.
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Cherry Blossom: Hanami, or the Art of Cherry Blossom Viewing
Add nuanced details, little surprises, unexpected objects found in thickets and flower beds. Place fabulous images in the garden that will fill it with a very special atmosphere, so that when you come there, you can immerse yourself in your world, different from the surrounding reality. Therefore, when planning a secret garden, think about what image you want to immerse yourself in. It doesn't have to be the old romantic garden I suggested. You can choose your image of comfort and relaxation - it will be a Japanese garden, a sea coast, or even an indoor monastic garden. And small details and accents will help you recreate it.
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Burnett "Secret Garden": "Most importantly, she managed to find the Secret Garden, and now she has her own world in which she will do whatever she wants.
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