How to add boundaries/privacy to our open garden

3 years ago

Hi there.

I’ve been trying to figure out what to do with our garden for a while now. We are back onto a field which is popular with dog walkers. Through the trees on the photos the land is higher than our garden and we can often clearly see people walking their dogs from our back garden, kind of looking down and in. This is particularly bad in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees. On the other photos where you can see the land drop away- that is the edge of our garden and there is no access to that part by the walkers but we do sometimes get dogs running into the back garden after making their way through the undergrowth which is not ideal when we have two cats. Does anyone have any idea what kind of plants or fencing or any other solution that we might be able to put in place so that people can’t see directly into our bedroom in the winter. Also in dire need of any ideas for the actual garden - I’m thinking having a solid boundary might help with that too.....at present we have road planings on the dark area, a double garage in the grey area and the rest is just clay soil which at the moment you can’t even walk on! Any help would be appreciated. Can take more photos, try to explain better. Thank you

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Comments (4)

Emma
Original Author
3 years ago
The plot
Charlotte
3 years ago
Looks like you have a really great spot there ! Others will likely have good ideas for more permanent barriers / boundaries but my plant based suggestion for a screening plant is firethorn (pyracantha). As the name suggests it’s thorny which is good for deterring intruders, though may not suit everyone. Its cheap to buy, can grow in most locations , is evergreen with lovely berries in autumn, good for wildlife and is quick growing. If you Google firethorn ‘ green screen’ or ‘espeliar’ you can get an idea, the natural shape of the shrub is bushy but with pruning to remove new growth that is sticking in the direction you don’t want, or by bending young growth in be direction you’d like it and tying it in, it can easily be grown as a vertical / horizontal screening plant. Best supported by wires / some form of structure. I have 3 fire thrown plants growing against my 4ft front garden wall that has flourished from 1 ft tall to nearly 5ft in 3 years (with sun), covering nearly 3m width already.
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Emma
Original Author
3 years ago
Thanks Charlotte, I’ll definitely look into that!
PRO
The Rooted Concept Garden Designs
3 years ago
Hi Emma,

So nice to see a large space like this!

I think that in your case, fencing would be the best option to avoid the dogs coming into your garden. You can always plant trees in front of it or even train climbers (such as the pyracantha that Charlotte suggested) on it in order to naturalise it a bit.

In terms of avoiding the dog walkers being able to look into your bedroom, I would suggest that you use a strategically positioned tall evergreen tree that tolerates your clay soil, such as Eucalyptus. My neighbour has one in his garden to avoid the opposite (that we can look from our bedrooms on the third floor, into his garden, and it works year around!).

As for your clay soil, I would suggest that you build paths around the garden so that you avoid walking over and compacting it during winter, and that you use planting on the ground in your garden that is able to tolerate this type of soil. These include the Eucalyptus, dogwoods, hydrangeas, budlejas, forsythias and the pyracantha. You can also build raised beds (the height aids drainage), bring some soil in and have plants in it that you like but that do not necessarily tolerate clay soil. Raised beds are also a great way to create inbuilt seating, bring height to the garden and much easier on your back to garden on.

If you need any further help, I provide a range of online affordable garden design services from garden sketches to planting plans and 3D visuals. Do not hesitate to contact me if you would like to learn more.

Good luck with your garden!

Deborah

The Rooted Concept Garden Designs

How to add boundaries/privacy to our open garden

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Emma
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Charlotte

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How to add boundaries/privacy to our open garden

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EmmaOriginal Author

Charlotte

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