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Where houses are close together, privacy fences become a ‘must have’ on every homeowner’s wish list. Before you build, however, pause for a moment and consider whether a planted screen would do the trick for you.
Screening plants have a generally softer appearance than a fence or wall. While privacy fences are usually just six feet tall (often heights are limited by local ordinances), a juniper or cypress can reach 12 to 18 feet, ensuring your privacy even from a second story window next door. Tall screens can also block undesirable views with lush greenery. They can add a measure of security by controlling passageways and limiting access to an area. In cold climates, they can reduce drafts by acting as a windbreak. They block sound from traffic better than a fence ever could. And they can serve as a backdrop for other plantings.
However, fences and walls do have some advantages over screens. For one thing, the privacy they offer is immediate – no waiting for plants and hedges to mature. Fences take up less room than hedges and don’t require any watering or pruning – though an occasional loose board may need attention, and some types of wood require sealing.
Consider planted screens not only for property lines, but for separating a parking or utility area from the rest of the yard or screening a tool shed from view.
The most common mistake made in planting a screen is starting with very small plants and spacing them too close together. It’s important to consider the plant’s mature size at planting time and to space accordingly – even if the plants look very spread out. But don’t err too far the other way, either. If a shrub has a mature width of 5 feet, plant them 3-1/2 to 4 feet apart, to achieve density. If you plant closer than this for immediate results, you’ll eventually have to remove plants. Remember also that plants expand in all directions—so leave plenty of room between the young plants and the property line. For best results, start with the largest sized plants you can afford – a minimum of 3 feet (not counting the height of the pot) is recommended.
Formal screens are generally hedges of one type of plant, and often are pruned to a symmetrical shape. Mass plantings, or hedgerows, consist of many different types of plants (not all of them evergreen) and are planted in layers. They tend to be more informal in nature and less of a distinct design element. Hedgerows might consist of evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs, in staggered plantings that are reminiscent of the edge of a woodland. Because they are layered, they take up a lot of space and so are most suitable for large properties. They provide excellent shelter for birds and small animals like chipmunks. If you are interested in attracting wildlife to your garden with a hedgerow habitat, be sure to incorporate fruiting plants that provide a natural source of food.
A compromise between the formal and informal styles would be a hedge of shrubs like the Savannah Holly. This holly reaches 12 feet in five years but acquires a pyramidal, Christmas tree-like shape that looks wonderful without pruning. Hemlock is a needle-leaf evergreen that can be grown naturally, pruned slightly, or pruned to a uniform shape.
Other evergreens for tall privacy screens include Leyland cypress and skyrocket junipers. Hemlock and hollies tend to be somewhat shade tolerant, while cypress and juniper require a minimum of six to eight hours of sun. Hollies have the advantage of colorful berries in winter.
Remember, pruned hedges are somewhat high maintenance. Always prune so the bottom of the hedge is somewhat wider than the top – otherwise, top branches will shade the lower ones and cause them to thin out, giving a scraggly, unkempt look to the bottom of the hedge.
When installing a hedge against the property line, it would be courteous to consult with your neighbor and perhaps bring him in on the design process. Remember, the screen will also block his views and limit his access.
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