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Privacy Screen Ideas
Hi all,
Never been one to be into the whole gardening scene but we do like to be outside in our own green bubble.
Unfortunately it is the typical story this day and age, new build house, an ok size garden but neighbours are too close at the back.
We currently have a woodblocx bed we put in when we moved in around 4 years ago and put in a goldcrest conifer on either side, an olive tree in the middle and a jasmine plant in next to the olive tree.
Everything was a baby height but the olive tree has shot up and created a nice screen as has the jasmine which now has to be moved because it is strangling the olive tree.
What we do have however is a 6ft gap from where the last conifer is and to the fence.
We originally planted it all in the bed when the houses behind us were not built so it was difficult to tell angle etc however now they are up, it's quite obvious there is no privacy.
So to the final question - what would you recommend?
I don't think the bed can move as it stands - it's fairly "bedded in" and the weight now with the olive tree being almost 9ft... But the 6ft gap we have does need to be screened.
We don't want a huge amount of maintenance, want something ideally at fence height already (6ft) so that the neighbours do not suddenly say a massive tree just arrived overnight.
Happy to post pictures if visualising it makes it easier!
Thanks in advance
Never been one to be into the whole gardening scene but we do like to be outside in our own green bubble.
Unfortunately it is the typical story this day and age, new build house, an ok size garden but neighbours are too close at the back.
We currently have a woodblocx bed we put in when we moved in around 4 years ago and put in a goldcrest conifer on either side, an olive tree in the middle and a jasmine plant in next to the olive tree.
Everything was a baby height but the olive tree has shot up and created a nice screen as has the jasmine which now has to be moved because it is strangling the olive tree.
What we do have however is a 6ft gap from where the last conifer is and to the fence.
We originally planted it all in the bed when the houses behind us were not built so it was difficult to tell angle etc however now they are up, it's quite obvious there is no privacy.
So to the final question - what would you recommend?
I don't think the bed can move as it stands - it's fairly "bedded in" and the weight now with the olive tree being almost 9ft... But the 6ft gap we have does need to be screened.
We don't want a huge amount of maintenance, want something ideally at fence height already (6ft) so that the neighbours do not suddenly say a massive tree just arrived overnight.
Happy to post pictures if visualising it makes it easier!
Thanks in advance
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It's the right side where the two potted trees (one as good as RIP now!) are
I hope you are in the South of the UK as they are not always winter hardy and you may lose one in a very bad winter. Whatever you do, please don't plant another conifer or you'll have no end of future problems, most of them do not have any idea of when to stop growing! There are other small trees that might suit, amelanchier, rowans or crabapples perhaps that you might like to look at.
In any case, I think whatever goes there, it will be in another bed. We got the one there from Woodblocx which was really easy to build so it only makes sense getting another from them but this time a rectangle one and then plonking it in there.
Yup South East of England - it's managed to get this far in 4 odd winters so I'm quite happy with it
I have been looking more towards the evergreen. I do want to move the Jasmine but like you said, it can go a little all over the place and so we will move it more to towards the left fence just where it cuts-off as there is a shed there. It can go up it all it wants and that way has something to lean against too (we will put a frame in front of the shed)
Just looked at the small tree suggestions - they look a lot bigger than I was considering and may end up taking over the garden or am I looking at the wrong ones ?
To outline the little research I did and this may be totally wrong so I will go by the expertise here!
Option 1:
Either Campbell Bamboo, Humilis, Black Bamboo or Phyllostachys Nidularia Broom Bamboo- Our neighbour has 10 of these (unsure which) and have made a screen at the back which looks great - after 4 odd years, it is about the height I would want it to be. But it looks good as they went from one end of the garden to the other whereas we would just be looking at that gap. They were all planted in a box.
Option 2:
These seem to already be at height and grown to a steel frame?
Option 3:
Option 4:
Prunus Lusitanica Angustifolia Full Standard Tree
Total height is 8ft so again too big I think to just suddenly go with but unsure if other options exist.
Let me know if the options are more for a 50 acre mansion and totally inappropriate for the garden.
I'll try and take some measurements of the garden to give a general idea of how big/small it is
Thanks again !
Best Wishes!
Pleached trees are lovely (and very expensive!) but are more designed to be a row rather than one individual one. They don't stop growing either, height or spread so would need constant pruning up a ladder!
Sorry to be a bit negative about your possible choices but you did ask!
You can always ignore me, it's your garden after all.
I think a small tree or two staggered to left and right. Half way down the garden would break the line of sight.
The other advantage of these is that the trunks are very attractive and it means you can plant beneath them too.
All the best!