Back garden privacy

SandyShores

We planted Laurels against the fences where we wanted more privacy.  They also help to absorb noise and, reduce the effect of the westerly wind.  We bought 5ft ones, which aren't cheap, but after just a year they are already above fence height.  I have seen the pleached trees, which are great if you want extra space.  

This is a really good website to look at before you make a decision https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-increase-garden-privacy/

georgehere

Bamboo is good but less affordable. Buy the tallest plants you can afford and when you plant them if you want to establish coverage quickly, put them in some kind of contained environment to stop random spread (the roots shoot up, but if not contained they first try to travel 2-3 feet underground outwards). Common varieties I have used grow to about 16 ft - then stop dead. Shoots appear and grow May-July to full height - always let them get to full height before cutting to get better bushiness. I find them low maintenance, but you will get leaves to rake up and lawn near the bases will lose out to light. As long as the roots are contained, they will stay exactly where you planted them and not spread sideways to neighbouring properties. I also like Virginia Creeper on trellis - very quick growth and coverage, cheap because you only need 1 or 2 plants (in fact you need to keep the number of plants to a minimum to keep it under control). The trellis does not need to be small squares, ie. can be cheaper, because the plant will provide dense coverage. Make sure you can access it to cut it as it will spread.

TELLIT01

Leylandii can make very good hedging, but they do need to be cut back, not hacked, regularly to keep them under control and prevent the problem of cutting back into wood with no growth on it.  A neighbour of our cuts his at least twice a year and it looks great.

Bendy_House

San Jose, you've gone all quiet on us

It would help for us to know the layout of your garden, a rough idea of its size, and where the carpark - and the other house in particular - sits in relation to yours. How far away is this other house, for example?

You reckon 2.5m along the boundary is all you actually need for privacy?

As far as you can tell, if you were to add ~700mm extra height to your fence using trellis, or whatever height you wish using trees, would either of the two - carpark or neighb - be compromised or impinged on by this? Would it restrict their 'view', for example? Would they have any cause to be peed-off?

And have you read your deeds yet?!

San_Jose

Wow overwhelmed by all the responses they are all very much appreciated. Some great ideas on this thread. @SandyShores very useful link you posted. Will have a read through properly later. @Bendy_House I will have a look through later. I'm swaying more to the idea of planting a hedge on the boundary (following the good advise on the thread).
Thanks again all.

Bendy_House

One more consideration - a hedge will give you full control over the amount of screening, and if you also simply prefer its look, then great. But it will also steal at least - ooh - three feet from your garden?

San_Jose

Ok pretty settled on hedging to form a screen for my garden so this is one for the more green fingered poster (who have given me some great tips already on this thread). Attached is the area id like to hedge marked in red (approx 10m x 9m). Ive got various quotes from garden centres etc and am looking at Leylandii Cyrus. to keep costs down im going for a smallish tree so when it does mature it will provide a good bit of privacy. Attached is a picture of the trees im looking at 120cm-150cm which are costing about £13 each. My question really is 2 fold. 1. The trees themselves look very sparce, will they fill out to become in time a good screen? 2. I have been advised to plant them approx 50/60cm apart (by the seller), does this seem correct? 
Again appreciate this isnt a gardening forum but any help greatly (and already) appreciated.
 

Section62

San_Jose said:

Ok pretty settled on hedging to form a screen for my garden so this is one for the more green fingered poster (who have given me some great tips already on this thread). Attached is the area id like to hedge marked in red (approx 10m x 9m). Ive got various quotes from garden centres etc and am looking at Leylandii Cyrus. to keep costs down im going for a smallish tree so when it does mature it will provide a good bit of privacy.
 

TBH that is a fairly small garden, and I'd say that having a high boundary feature (hedge or adding trellis) is going to make it feel really cramped and claustrophobic.  Excessive shading will probably cause you problems with the lawn going patchy as well.

As has been mentioned a few times - and is explained in detail in the link SandyShores posted - in the situation you have it really is much easier to make part of a garden more private, rather than attempting to do so for the whole area.

What you risk doing is making the garden feel like something akin to a prison exercise yard, and if it doesn't feel nice enough to sit out in then privacy no longer matters.

Bendy_House

Check out videos on YouTube - at a glance, there appears to be lots of info on there.

Be absolutely certain you want to go 'Leylandii'. Your neighbours will - rightly - shudder when they see these rise up beyond your fence. And, yes, ohmygawd they fill fill in and provide a 'good screen'.

But do you really really want a 'screen' - an obliteration of view? Port Laurels are so much prettier, and - when spaced further apart - will give a more 'tree'-like rustling screen. Bamboo also - moves nicely in the breeze.

If you go 'Ley', then please read up about its maintenance, and keep on top of it. If you don't, it's likely to grow excessively, but also - when you do cut it back - you may expose dead branches/leaves underneath, which will never recover.

San_Jose

Section62 said:

San_Jose said:

Ok pretty settled on hedging to form a screen for my garden so this is one for the more green fingered poster (who have given me some great tips already on this thread). Attached is the area id like to hedge marked in red (approx 10m x 9m). Ive got various quotes from garden centres etc and am looking at Leylandii Cyrus. to keep costs down im going for a smallish tree so when it does mature it will provide a good bit of privacy.
 

TBH that is a fairly small garden, and I'd say that having a high boundary feature (hedge or adding trellis) is going to make it feel really cramped and claustrophobic.  Excessive shading will probably cause you problems with the lawn going patchy as well.

As has been mentioned a few times - and is explained in detail in the link SandyShores posted - in the situation you have it really is much easier to make part of a garden more private, rather than attempting to do so for the whole area.

What you risk doing is making the garden feel like something akin to a prison exercise yard, and if it doesn't feel nice enough to sit out in then privacy no longer matters.

Thanks Section62. That's not the whole garden just a picture of a quarter of it that backs onto the car park so pretty sure it wont feel like 'a prison exercise yard' whatever the solution