Landscaping Techniques for Privacy
There's something special about a private and secluded garden, a tucked away space to relax and get away from it all. If you're feeling overlooked, here are some landscaping techniques which may help solve the problem.
A common request from clients when designing their garden is the need for more privacy. There are lots of reasons why more privacy may be needed, but some of the problems we come accross are:
- Overlooking neighbouring windows.
- Unsightly neighbouring buildings.
- Low boundaries between neighbours.
- Nearby public spaces such as parks, schools, roads, or public footpaths.
- Privacy around seating areas, especially hot tubs.
Fortunately, at ALDA we are used to solving problems such as these! And there lots of options for creating your own private space with hardscaping and plants. If you would like to discuss your project with us in detail, please get in touch. Or to find out more about this subject, you might like to take a look at our related blogs on garden screens and screening plants and ideas for confined spaces.
Meanwhile, to get you started, here are some key landscaping techniques which can be used to create privacy in your garden:
Trellis
- The main issue clients have with privacy is the lack of height around their boundary. Most boundaries have basic 1.8m high fencing which often doesn’t screen from overlooking windows or create enough privacy from publicly used spaces.
- Adding trellis or a higher fence in front of this can give a seamless screen. Our most popular option at the moment is slatted fencing which adds a clean and contemporary touch to a design.
Trees
- If more height is needed than trellis alone can add, planting trees can be a great way to create privacy. This could be a single well-placed tree to obscure a window, which would not only create privacy but also add a beautiful focal point.
- If a longer line of privacy is needed or the design is for a smaller space, then pleached trees may be a better choice. Pleached trees take up less room than a standard tree and can give you the clean line of a hedge above a fence.
Hedging
- Hedges are a well known and popluar solution for privacy screening. Take time to consider the most suitable hedge species, thinking about the size of garden and how quickly you need the privacy screen.
- For example, a quick growing hedge such as Laurel can become difficult to manage in a small space. A slower growing species such as Yew may take a long time to reach the preferred height.
Structures
- Structures within a design can help make a seating area feel more secluded and private. As well as providing shade, a pergola positioned over a seating area can create an intimate space for entertaining. Similarly, arbours placed over benches or smaller seating areas create a pausing point for privacy within the wider design of a garden.
- Garden buildings are becoming a very popular feature within gardens, and these can create places for privacy within a design if well placed, facing away from the boundary.
Sunken Gardens
- Another option is to simply lower a section of your garden. This can offer some seclusion and give a whole new perspective. This is also a great way to utilise areas of the garden that may already be on a slope.
- You can create the look and feel of a sunken seating space by adding raised planters and/or tall planting, around a patio. This affords you the pleasure of a hidden tucked away area and gives you a different angle from which to view your plants.
Water Features
- Water features may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of garden privacy ideas, however screening noise in a garden can be crucial for a tranquil ambience.
- The trickling noise of water creates a peaceful environment close to seating areas and adds a lovely feature to any design. There are many options when choosing a water feature, so any size, shape or style can be incorporated into a design.
Planting Scheme
- If you’re looking for a softer way of enclosing your garden, then a carefully curated planting recipe is a fabulous way of breaking up your landscape so that any part of your garden can be subtly hazed and hidden from view.
- For example, well placed evergreen shrubs can be used to fill gaps in boundaries or taller ornamental grasses can be good for adding height and structure and blocking your seating / sunbathing area from view. With their wispy forms they won’t feel as heavy and oppressive as a fence or larger shrubs.
Whatever the size of your garden there are a huge range of options to make your outdoor space more private and secluded. If you are interested in adding screening to your garden and live in the Reading and Newbury area, we’d love to meet and discuss your project in detail – book your free no-obligation garden consultation today.
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