Well I, for one, totally understand your need for privacy. We are not all the same in not being bothered about others to be able to see into your garden.,You could ,perhaps ,start by planting out some tall growing shrubs down your fence ie Holly, Pyracantha, griselinia, laurel, dare I say conifer? Go online and search out tall shrubs and /or those which are quite fast growing. The only downside to this though, is that you will have a lot of pruning to do each year to keep on top of them. Also, agree with Glasgowdan in that you would need to widen the border to accommodate any new plants. Good luck. Hopefully others will come along with alternative ideas to planting.
Thank you so much!!! Yes you are right about the privacy! The tall plants and shrubs idea sounds really good to me now thinking about it!!! I don’t think I’d mind the pruning either! I will have a search around! This idea and the extra trellis sounds like a great combination! Thank you again!
BobTheGardener's idea is excellent. Some beautiful crab apple trees would be a manageable scale, and won't require much maintenance while giving you some privacy. Check where the drain goes though (spotted that manhole cover in the bottom corner!)
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I think I would go for strategically-positioned tall shrubs or small trees rather than a hedge. You'll definitely need to take up some slabs to make space to plant in. If you make a nice wide border you could fill in with smaller shrubs and perennials for added colour and interest. Don't forget to check the ultimate spread of whatever you choose as well as the height, and plant them far enough away from the boundary so that they won't overhang the fence when fully grown (if they do, the neighbours on the other side are within their rights to cut back anything that grows over the boundary, which could spoil the shape as well as removing some of the screening effect)
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
There's no easy solution as generally fences are limited to 6 feet high, so in order to block higher than that will require planting of some sort. Bamboo would do it eventually, but you'd have to be sure to contain it as the tall growing varieties also tend to be the most invasive. Trees will potentially block a lot of light, either from your own garden or that of the neighbours. The would also need to be planted some distance in from the boundary or neighbours are likely to be chopping off overhanging branches too.
Another possibility might be a 'sail' awning like the ones in this link. http://www.shade-solutions.com/ They will provide both privacy and shade but can be removed when not required.
We are lucky in that we have a fairly large garden with houses behind us about 200 feet away. We also have 6 foot fences for about 30 feet of the garden before they drop to 4 foot high. High enough to keep annoying small children from seeing over!
Thank you everyone for all of your excellent suggestions and advice! Also thank you for your compliments, I will be sure to put photos up In the next few months once I take action(doing up the inside of the house first) Many thanks again!
Good luck with whatever you choose to do @dsingh95. Look forward to seeing your progress. It looks like your paved area is quite substantial, so that gives you a lot more scope. Bear in mind that, while hedging is probably the easiest route, the neighbours will also need to maintain their side if it's well above the fence. Some might not be thrilled, so you may need a chat with them re the care
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Yes, plenty of scope there! I've just noticed that the fence is north-facing (from the shadows visible in your photo) so be aware that anything tall and dense planted at that boundary will cast shade into your garden, leaving you with less sun and making it more difficult to grow other plants, shrubs and trees. Just another tip to add into your mix!
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
I think @BobTheGardener 's suggestion is a good one if you have the space. You don't neeed a dense screen, just something to break up the sightlines. A couple of decorative trees where he has marked would be lovely. Perhaps a flowering cherry and a crab apple. or a rowan or perhaps some fruit trees. Just bear in mind that if you are going for a plant based suggestion, it will take quite a few years for it to do the job. A 'build' suggestion with or ithout plants, will be instantaneous.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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It looks like your paved area is quite substantial, so that gives you a lot more scope.
Bear in mind that, while hedging is probably the easiest route, the neighbours will also need to maintain their side if it's well above the fence. Some might not be thrilled, so you may need a chat with them re the care
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...