Low maintenance options for garden privacy

Hi all,

I'd appreciate some advice if possible as I am quite possibly the worlds worst gardener...

I am buying a new house which has quite a big garden with neighbours to the rear and on both sides. Currently, the fence is around 5ft high, and stretches around the garden which is apprx 18 metres long and 10 metres wide.

My issue is that there is very little privacy - particularly at the rear of the garden. I am hoping that someone could give me an idea on how to make the garden space more private without spending thousands of pounds! (The garden is NE facing so sun in the afternoon will be at the back of the garden).

If anyone could offer any tips or advice it would be most appreciated.

Thanks

 

You're probably thinking about hedging.

What about bamboo? Mix up different types to get a variation in look.

 

Thanks for the swift reply. Bamboo seems like a good option, but if I was looking to add trees or hedges (particularly at the rear) which should I go for and is it likely to be v expensive?

Thx

 

46 metres. At a metre spacing between plants, that's 50 units at whatever price each that they cost you.

Bareroot trees and hedging are the cheapest way to go but you only have a couple of weeks or so left to plant them. Plants that are in pots can be put in at anytime of the year.

Are you in a very cold area? or a warmer spot? A lot of my plants have sucuumbed to frost this winter as they were unable to cope with minus 12 for a long length of time. So you may need hardy specimens, although most normal hedging is hardy.

 

Some suggestions for you to look at,

Aucuba Japonica, lovely but slow growing.

Cotoneaster Lacteus, white flowers, red fruit. 18" per year.

Escallonia, lovely flowers, beautiful hedge, never leaves a gap at the ground.

Griselinia, hard frost can hit it.

Ilex, lovely but slow growing.

Portugese Laurel.

Thujan Pliata, "Dura."

Just some to look at.

 

Thanks for that - great info.

I'm in NE England near the coast - no -12 temps experienced here but quite cold all the same!

I'll have to check out the hedging option, but I have just bought the house and have extensive building work to follow - which means I probably won't get round to the garden until Sept if honest... If I'm still solvent (

When is it ok to plant these things as the next 2 weeks isn't an option for me? I'm also wondering what kind of size plants I should buy if the fence is apprx 5ft high - ideally I'd like cover around 8ft or so - neighbours land is raised above me on 2 sides.

Really appreciate your advice so far - thanks.

Nice boat btw!

 

How about some trellis here and there, say 8 ft wide 6ft high, with some clematis or honeysuckle or passion flower etc. You could put the plants in now ahead of the trellis, if cash flow is a problem

You could also plant a few fruit trees and train them along wires above the existing fence, that way you can harvest the fruit and even share with the neighbours.

If possible I always like to get something back for my investment, rather than a job creation scheme.

 

Instant would be a large pergola at the back of the garden and at the back of the house and covering the sitting-out areas. Sow fast-growing climbing annuals to provide colour - morning glory.

Speaking to you neighbours about increasing the height of the fence.

remember that your trees /hedge can mean unwanted shade to your neighbours

 

Prunus laurocerasus, the Cherry Laurel.

Grows anywhere, sun or shade, in any soil. Fast growing bushy shrub / hedge, low maintainence, cheap, available and looks great. You can't go wrong!

 

Has Bean Counter's advice is good. Talk to your neighbours on all sides first so that you're all singing from the same hymn sheet. Maybe some of them are thinking about putting in something (plants or construction) on their side and that might save you time and money.

You can plant plants from pots anytime of the year (excluding times of hard frost). Sometimes a smaller plant will get going faster and beat a larger plant if they're planted at the same time. To get 8 feet high coverage with most types of hedge, it's going to take realistically five years, if you buy normal sized plants at a garden centre. Bamboo would be faster than that, though.

If you want privacy sooner, you'll have to go the wall, fence, pergola, trellis etc, route. But that'll be more expensive.

 

Thanks so much to all - some great advice here and many 'leads' and options to follow up. (Now I can spend time researching costs and specifics of each as opposed to the overall options...)

I'll have a good look into the recommendations and update you all.

Once again, thank you all for your time, input, and the borrowed knowledge!

 

Not that knowledgeable myself but pyracntha is quite dense for the back of the fence and quite prickly in case of unwanted visitors