It’s great to have neighbors when you need to borrow a cup of sugar, but when you want to relax with your family in the backyard, pushy neighbors can be a nuisance. Privacy can be a challenge when you live in a densely residential neighborhood.
If your backyard has no cover, sitting back there can feel like you’re trying to take it easy a fishbowl. All that can change with some smart privacy landscaping, however.
Not only does privacy landscaping create a more comfortable environment for your family, but it adds value to the property. Even if you’re not planning to sell your home in the near future, it’s wise to keep resale value in mind whenever you renovate your property.
The features that come with privacy landscaping are attractive to most homebuyers, particularly if they have families. Enclosed backyards provide a safe space for kids to play, and help increase security.
The landscaping also boosts curb appeal, which will attract more interested shoppers. The more people want a home, the more its property value rises.
With that in mind, you might want to think about creating your own version of a private backyard. There are several options when your privacy and great design ideas come into play. Here are just a few.
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Well-Designed Fence or Wall
Well-designed is the operative phrase here. Privacy is desirable, but if you choose a fence that’s poorly made, unsightly, or clashes with the rest of the décor, your resale value may plummet.
Besides, it’ll be uncomfortable for you to have to spend your time around an eyesore. When you’re choosing between a fence and a wall, it almost always comes down to cost.
A wall is the more sophisticated, trendy choice, but it will set you back hundreds or even thousands more than a fence will. If you select a fence for the sake of money, don’t just take the cheapest material and call it good.
It’s worthwhile to choose sturdy, attractive supplies that go well with your landscaping and complement your tastes. An appealing fence will probably cost more, but this is one purchase you’re unlikely to regret.
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Layered Shrubs
A layer of privacy plantings is also a good option, especially if you want a pretty garden as well. By selecting a mixture of leafy and flowering deciduous or evergreen trees, shrubs, and perennials and grouping them in a random order, you can create a wild shrub area that will block any prying eyes.
For the best results, try to stagger taller trees and shrubs in the background and place smaller shrubs and perennials in the foreground to create deep texture and color. Even if the plants are randomly arranged, you’ll have a beautiful garden sector.
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Hedges
A privet hedge is perfect for backyards where space is tight and trees aren’t an option. Hedges grow quickly, and they’ll fuse together to form a sort of natural wall.
They must be watered and carefully monitored during the first year with drip irrigation, but after that, they’ll grow strong and prolifically. The downside to hedges is that there can be a lot of maintenance involved.
They must be regularly pruned in order to keep their form. They don’t naturally grow in the sharp, square shapes you see in pictures, and it requires hard work to maintain that look.
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Trellises and Pergolas
Panels, trellises, pergolas, and other ornamental deck colors can create an enclosed patio area that’s perfect for entertaining. The great thing about pergolas and trellises is their versatility.
If you like a more natural look, let climbing vines cover the open spaces of the gazebo. If you want something less untamed, stretch curtains and a canvas along the frame to create an enclosed space.
The enclosure around your patio can take shape any way you prefer. Obviously, a canvas covering will provide more protection than an ivy-covered pergola, so that’s a consideration.
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Shade Trees
A wall of trees makes a great natural privacy fence, particularly if they’re shade trees. Those tend to have thicker trunks and spread out branches to cover a greater area.
This gives a decent amount of protection both overhead and all around. Shade trees can also improve the efficiency of your home. They block sunshine and wind from penetrating the house, which supports your HVAC system and keeps it from using too much energy.
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Container Gardens
For privacy around a deck or on top of a wall, try a container garden. Potted plants tend to grow together thickly, and create a beautiful wall of flowers that will jazz up the space.
The planters can be placed in any raised pots or casters to heighten the privacy wall as you please. This is an especially good option if you love to change your outdoor décor by season.
It’s easy to switch out summery flowers for autumn leaf-colored shrubs in the fall and evergreens in the winter.
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Curtains
Curtains are perfect if you seek privacy sometimes, but want an unobstructed view at other times. They can be stretched along the edge of a pergola or your deck structure and opened or closed with ease depending on your mood or the current weather.
Curtains also give you creative license on the design. Fabric comes in many patterns and textures that will give you versatility in your choices for privacy.
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Ornamental Ironwork
Ironwork can go with just about anything to give it a classier feel. It’s easily built into masonry walls or even fences to give them a more sophisticated look.
Ironwork designs come in a broad variety as well. The pretty metal shapes can decorate gaps in the wall without entailing an opening into your yard.
One of the many benefits of ironwork is its ability to let in light while maintaining solitude. Sometimes, walls can feel oppressive, dark, and gloomy, which will affect the sense of your entire yard.
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Water Features
Sound is a vital consideration in matters of privacy. When your neighbors live close by, a water feature will help drown the sounds of their television, conversations, and other noises of daily life.
It can also create a sense of peace in your backyard if you live next to a noisy thoroughfare. Water features can also take cover if they’re built high enough.
Some are built into a wall or consist of a tall waterfall. Most homeowners find the sound of rushing water highly soothing.
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Vertical Gardens
Vertical garden plots are easily grown on metal grids, trellises, panels, and lattices to create a wall of greenery. Annuals, perennials, vines, or vegetables can all be harvested while leaving a serene, undisturbed space to relax.
These have become increasingly popular in urban areas where there’s little or no room for a yard and garden, though they’re used in rural neighborhoods as well. Some may find the overgrowth of greenery stifling, but most experience it as tranquil and refreshing.
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Head Cover
Surrounding the yard with a fence, wall, or vertical garden is great for blocking out people on the ground level, but if your neighbors have a second level, head cover may become a necessity as well.
Your options here vary from canvas covers and patio umbrellas to pergolas and small gazebos. You probably wouldn’t want to cover your entire yard, and it would be difficult to that, but a small area where you can escape from the world completely can be energizing.
Get a Consultation with Proactive Landscaping
When you need a little more cover in your yard, Proactive Landscaping can help you design and carry out your plan. We create beautiful outdoor spaces for any yard. Get a free quote today!
