If you want privacy at the front of your home to stop people to seeing in, then you could either change your gates to completely enclosed the area and have a CCTV system set up so visitors can alert you when they arrive. Or preferably, you could separate the two drives by erecting a fence between the two garage doors and plant a nice tall hedge 3/4 of the way along the front boundary to obscure the view of the main house. You could then reverse round the hedgerow and park the car at an angle so it is partially obscured by the hedgerow, with CCTV and security lights shining down from the top of the garage to give you peace of mind. It would be lovely to remove the gates and be able to look out of your front door and see the hedgerows, and they would also help to muffle the sound of the traffic

You need to know the orientation of your garden before you plant anything. Where do you get morning sun, where do you get evening sun? If you want to use the trellis you will have to put some tension wires along the wall to help your climber reach it, unless you grow something like ivy which will cling without support, but in the long term will undermine your wall. There are quick growing climbers and often younger plants take root quicker than larger ones, because the larger ones can resent being moved. Try not to be in too much of a hurry. Half the fun is in the doing and watching things grow.

Do not despair, there is a lot you can do to make your garden more secluded with new fencing and clever planting. Is this your only garden? Can I ask whether there is any covenant preventing you from having a taller fence? If not, then can I suggest a 5’ solid fence all round, with a gate. Most dogs will easily jump over your current fence and I’m sure you want to keep your dog safe. If a solid fence is not allowed, then a tall picket fence will do the job, or add taller panels to your current fence as in the second pic. I think a pergola in one corner will give you some more privacy, and you can plant climbers on it for even more privacy (first pic). You can buy them as a flat pack or get a carpenter to make and build one for you. You can add comfy seating, and a doggy bed, under it so you can enjoy your garden on warm days. Now for the planting. I think tall shrubs will create a secret garden effect which will drown out traffic noise and visitor noise! Things like evergreens Viburnum tinus, Ceanothus, Photinia and Choisya ternata Sundance. They can be the bones of your garden. Then add shrubs that are deciduous but add colour in the spring and summer, things like Shrub Roses, Hibiscus, dwarf Lilac, Cotinus and Climbers like Clematis, Star Jasmine, Honeysuckle and climbing roses. These need a wall or trellis or an obelisk to climb up. I can see you have some planting already which is great. The final addition to the planting is perennial flowers and bulbs, but the planting above will create a cosy garden, if you don’t want more planting. Here’s a few pics to inspire you and hopefully reduce your despair! 😊

Oh my word! Dyson is adorable! so ickle!! Now I wanna find a Rune (his name - like rune stones.. not like Rooney 😂) sized box to put him in. Thanks for the 3rd design! I'm always impressed how you come up with such interesting designs (compared to my rectangle of grass with straight boarders I'd envisioned) I think we still prefer the 1st design in part because Chris want's to keep more of the grass. I'd be tempted though to put some sort of low fence to deter Rune from eating crops so maybe I could put some plants against it and growing up that to help disguise? I think the old paving slabs is the best way forward atm instead of the stones... I never truly appreciated how many stones there were just around the garden... just around on the grass.. close to the house and rubble left from the building work, random ones on the small remaining bit of patio that I think have been kicked in from the driveway... Ironically the pile of new ones all in one place are the easiest to keep him away from! (doing the driveway has also jumped up to a higher priority for the year! 🙈) Does Dyson like your Dyson? (assuming you have one) I managed to terrify him the other day when I tried to clear up some of the bits of grass we'd brought back in with us (despite having a treat at the time!)