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Ideas to create privacy

vajiravajira Posts: 7
in Garden design
Hello All,

We've just purchased a beautiful house with one slight negative we compromised on - neighbors can see right in to the garden and living room through the sliding doors (See photo).

We are thinking we can easily create some privacy using bamboo or a tall tree with a long stem so that it doesn't take up too much of the garden space. I wondered if you had any ideas on how we can make it more private without disrupting the neighbors too much; any suggestions on suitable plants or any other solutions would be very much appreciated. It's a North Westerly facing Garden. 

Thank you very much in advance.
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Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    My first thought was a Silver birch, too.  The don't cause much shade but produce enough foliage to create some privacy for much of the year.  An alternative (or addition) would be to turn the nearest edge of the lawn into a border, and grow fairly tall plants or shrubs to create a screen in front of your sliding doors.  Climbers on trellis would give rapid results.  Things planted closer don't need to be 30 feet high. ;)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    ImpatientGardener said:
    Do you have any plans for the lawn? If you don't mind your neighbours seeing you on the lawn, then you could plant some bamboo along the edge where the lawn meets the seating area.
    Another option would be to erect some posts and attach some bamboo or reed screening, or maybe some trellis and grow up a vigorous climber (group 1 clematis or parthenocissus for example).
    That way, when you're sat down outside the sliding doors, you'll have a bit more privacy to enjoy your garden in. It kinds of closes you off from the rest of the garden though.
    How about planting a silver birch in front of the shed?
    Another idea would be to erect a gazebo or sit under a parasol all the time.
    Thank you for your reply ImpatientGardener. 

    Do you have any plans for the lawn? If you don't mind your neighbours seeing you on the lawn, then you could plant some bamboo along the edge where the lawn meets the seating area.

    Another option would be to erect some posts and attach some bamboo or reed screening, or maybe some trellis and grow up a vigorous climber (group 1 clematis or parthenocissus for example).

    We considered this too. I think it will restrict light coming in through the sliding doors and also one of the things we liked is that our 2 year old can walk straight out in to the garden and we can keep an eye on him from the living room if we wanted to.

    How about planting a silver birch in front of the shed?

    This is a good idea. Any suggestions on plants similar that are evergreen so that it provides privacy all year around?


    Thank you very much
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    BobTheGardener said:
    My first thought was a Silver birch, too.  The don't cause much shade but produce enough foliage to create some privacy for much of the year.  An alternative (or addition) would be to turn the nearest edge of the lawn into a border, and grow fairly tall plants or shrubs to create a screen in front of your sliding doors.  Climbers on trellis would give rapid results.  Things planted closer don't need to be 30 feet high. ;)
    Cheers Bob, great advice. I think Silver birch is the way forward. Any alternative trees to look at? Perhaps more evergreen options?
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    ImpatientGardener said:
    The obvious fast growing evergreen would be leylandii, but many people are against these. Some kind of conifer anyway, they get tall and are evergreen.
    Thank you. People are against this - Do you mean neighbors might not appreciate it? Can we prune it every year to keep it at a reasonable height?
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited May 2019
    In theory you can, but your neighbours won't be happy at all. It is illegal to allow it to grow above a certain height.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    vajira said:
    ImpatientGardener said:
    The obvious fast growing evergreen would be leylandii, but many people are against these. Some kind of conifer anyway, they get tall and are evergreen.
    Thank you. People are against this - Do you mean neighbors might not appreciate it? Can we prune it every year to keep it at a reasonable height?
    I Leylandii would be a definite no-no.
    Even with regular pruning it takes up too much space.
    A chap near me has just had to remove his hedge as a stray cigarette butt set fire to most of it.
    He now has 8ft more garden than he had before!
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    B3 said:
    In theory you can, but your neighbours won't be happy at all. It is illegal to allow it to grow above a certain height.
    cheers will stay clear of Leylandii then..
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    madpenguin said:
    vajira said:
    ImpatientGardener said:
    The obvious fast growing evergreen would be leylandii, but many people are against these. Some kind of conifer anyway, they get tall and are evergreen.
    Thank you. People are against this - Do you mean neighbors might not appreciate it? Can we prune it every year to keep it at a reasonable height?
    I Leylandii would be a definite no-no.
    Even with regular pruning it takes up too much space.
    A chap near me has just had to remove his hedge as a stray cigarette butt set fire to most of it.
    He now has 8ft more garden than he had before!
    Yikes! Will stay clear then
  • vajiravajira Posts: 7
    ImpatientGardener said:
    It's illegal?! I didn't know that and had to do a search.
    Don't grow leylandi then, grow a cupressus macrocarpa or some other evergreen tree.
    If it's bloody illegal they should stop selling them. pffffffffft.
    Cheers for the links. Probably best to chose something else. In fact, I've been researching silver birch and I think its the best option. Beautiful trees too. Thank you very much.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Only planting Japanese knotweed would make you less popular. A wise decision😉
    In London. Keen but lazy.
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