Everyone likes a little privacy. We want to feel like at least some part of our garden is a private oasis, a place where we can go to relax and leave the cares of the world behind. That doesn’t necessarily mean building a fortress of walls around your yard. In fact, there are many creative options for privacy screening.

Here are some things to consider as you begin. First, what are your screening needs?

• Do you prefer a formal hedge or plantings that blend into the landscape?

• Do you need to cover the entire length of your property line or will you screen only one area?

• Do you want to block views from overhead, such as from a neighbor’s deck or windows?

When you have determined your basic screening needs, ask yourself a few more questions:

• Do you want year-round or seasonal coverage?

• How tall and wide would you like your plantings to grow?

Don’t forget to consider multiple angles of coverage as well. View the site from different angles to be sure you are covered from all sides.

You may also want to think about a temporary solution while waiting for your plants to fill in, such as bamboo or brush fencing.

FORMAL HEDGES

These plants offer a dense, geometric screen for formal hedges. They will need regular shearing maintenance (at least twice a year) to retain their shape:

• Cupressus x leylandii

  • An individual specimen can grow to 30’ high x 20’ wide

  • A hedge can be pruned to 8’-10’ high x 4’ wide

  • plant at least 6’ apart

• Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ (evergreen)

  • Individual or hedge, grows to 10′

  • Sun or shade

  • Can be shaped to any form

• INFORMAL HEDGES

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  Less formal but equally as dense, these plants need less shearing and maintenance and have a more natural shape:

  • Fargesiarufa (evergreen)

    • A clumping bamboo that doesn’t spread!

    • Grows to 10′

  • Nandina domestica

    • Individual or hedge

    • Great red/orange winter color

    • The look of bamboo but doesn’t spread

  • Lonicera nitida

    • Try the variety ‘Baggesson’s Gold’

    • Individual or hedge

    • Can be sheared to any width or depth

    • Versatile! Can handle sun, part shade, or shade