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Screening trees for South facing garden
alexandra.a
Posts: 1
Hello gardeners, I’m hoping you might be able to advise me on trees for screening. I have just bought a Victorian terraced house which has a South facing garden roughly 35ft. The garden is overlooked by flats which make it feel quite exposed.
My concern with planting trees is that at the height they’d need to be to block the windows of the flats behind, would they cast too much shadow over the garden because it’s south facing? I don’t want to end up with a really dark garden.
if trees are a good option, does anyone have experience with using birch or magnolia to screen?
My concern with planting trees is that at the height they’d need to be to block the windows of the flats behind, would they cast too much shadow over the garden because it’s south facing? I don’t want to end up with a really dark garden.
if trees are a good option, does anyone have experience with using birch or magnolia to screen?
0
Posts
I also live in a terrace house with a long South facing garden and have the problem of shade being cast by 6 huge Scots Pines growing around a paddock in front of my house.
I have had to plan the bottom of the garden to cope with this, especially during winter as it is a frost pocket owing to lack of light.
For the fence end at the bottom of the garden, instead of full size trees, consider some pleached trees which are like a hedge on stilts. You can plant these inside the fence without breaking boundary height restrictions. The stems/trunks will be bare up to shoulder or head height and then horizontal branches are trained to grow sideways to provide shade or privacy. They should then cut the view from the windows so you and your children can play without losing light or too much ground.
Have a look at this to see what I mean - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=155
More pictures here - https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pleached+hedge&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjK0NLvmLDlAhX6D2MBHUOoACwQsAR6BAgEEAE&biw=1455&bih=688
Contrary to popular belief most neighbours don't generally stand at their windows all day spying on you!
I'd not plant trees, they'll do more harm than good IMHO. You're lucky to have a lovely sunny garden, why block all that lovely sunshine?
I agree with @madpenguin. Your neighbours probably spent the same amount of time in the bedrooms looking at you, as you spend in your bedroom looking at them.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.