I think I'd put two or even three rectangular troughs spaced out right across, from the side of your living room doors across to the trellis on the other side, filled with a clump forming bamboo. The building looks like an old farmhouse so something like a cattle water trough or lead look-alike would be appropriate and give sufficient depth to plant bamboo. You would need to ensure they had drainage holes in the base and be prepared to keep the bamboo well watered.
That might also give the neighbours something green to look at rather than a plain brick wall, beautiful though that is.
Hi, I agree with JennyJ - speak to your neighbours first - they may already have some ideas, and you can all agree a solution to suit both parties (and even share the costs?)
Who knows, they may simply offer to put up an opaque film on the lower half of their windows, so you don't need to go to the trouble of "barriers".
If they'd hate the idea of your (fake) plan for day-glo orange and pink plastic chairs and a kids's climbing frame and trampoline right outside their windows, anything else you actually install will come as a relief!
@purpletreacle I never knew gardeners were such a devious bunch! That's the new plan, we're going to talk to them about putting a little garden outside the window to suit both of us. Thanks for the help everyone! I'll close this now as it has photos of their house in it.
I would opt for a curtained gazebo at the far end as you only really need to curtain one side of it. A gazebo is showerproof, a sunshade and offers some mozzie protection if you eat outside. Add pretty solar lighting inside for night time dining perhaps.
If that's too pricey and you want the direct sun then a pair of vine eyes (one attached to arch post and another into wall) with either a ready made curtain or adapted linen sheet on a wire. By attaching the wire with two caribiners you could take the curtain down easily.
Whenever I see "Neighbours " and "Overlooking " and " right to light " I think its always pays to get them around and discuss the challenge together to AGREE a way forward.
Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
No such thing a a 'right to light' but people use it all the time as a defence. Unless English law is completely different from here. I don't think @jamesrblann is in any way not considering his neighbours and the problem for both of them. He made that clear by his careful posts re the windows too. No house is perfect either. I can see how both owners would have wanted their respective properties - looks a lovely site. It's about finding a suitable solution for everyone - which he seems absolutely intent on doing
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks for the input from all sides, I didn't expect to get heated!
I spoke to the neighbours about it and we're going to come up with a plan that makes us both happy. Maybe we don't live in a utopia but I don't think altruism between neighbours is completely dead. As I expressed in the original post, the aim is to come up with a solution that doesn't block the neighbours ambient light, but gives us both a little more privacy which I think is achievable, and the suggestion to open the communication channels was certainly a good one.
I’m late to this thread so i have no ideas that’ve not been suggested ... however I’d like to applaud your sense of good neighbourliness ... a pleasant and friendly approach has always been fruitful in my experience ... with the exception of the time we lived next door to a houseful of law students ...the least said about those two years the better 🥴 but at least they moved on after two years ... hopefully they’ve turned into grown ups now ... and perhaps mellowed and learnt a bit about human behaviour too ...?! 😉
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
That might also give the neighbours something green to look at rather than a plain brick wall, beautiful though that is.
That's the new plan, we're going to talk to them about putting a little garden outside the window to suit both of us. Thanks for the help everyone! I'll close this now as it has photos of their house in it.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I would opt for a curtained gazebo at the far end as you only really need to curtain one side of it. A gazebo is showerproof, a sunshade and offers some mozzie protection if you eat outside. Add pretty solar lighting inside for night time dining perhaps.
If that's too pricey and you want the direct sun then a pair of vine eyes (one attached to arch post and another into wall) with either a ready made curtain or adapted linen sheet on a wire. By attaching the wire with two caribiners you could take the curtain down easily.
MLx
I don't think @jamesrblann is in any way not considering his neighbours and the problem for both of them. He made that clear by his careful posts re the windows too.
No house is perfect either. I can see how both owners would have wanted their respective properties - looks a lovely site. It's about finding a suitable solution for everyone - which he seems absolutely intent on doing
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Thanks for the input from all sides, I didn't expect to get heated!
I spoke to the neighbours about it and we're going to come up with a plan that makes us both happy. Maybe we don't live in a utopia but I don't think altruism between neighbours is completely dead. As I expressed in the original post, the aim is to come up with a solution that doesn't block the neighbours ambient light, but gives us both a little more privacy which I think is achievable, and the suggestion to open the communication channels was certainly a good one.
Thanks again.
i have no ideas that’ve not been suggested ... however I’d like to applaud your sense of good neighbourliness ... a pleasant and friendly approach has always been fruitful in my experience ... with the exception of the time we lived next door to a houseful of law students ...the least said about those two years the better 🥴 but at least they moved on after two years ... hopefully they’ve turned into grown ups now ... and perhaps mellowed and learnt a bit about human behaviour too ...?! 😉
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.