skip to main content

Small Spaces / Urban Gardening

Windbreak, Privacy Screen, City Lot, Wet Feet - Zone 7

9 years ago

Hello - I need some ideas for what to do along the back fence of this property. As you can see the view is lovely. It is North-facing, so there needs to be a windbreak, and it is low-lying and can get boggy from time to time, so whatever is there needs to tolerate wet feet. The lot is 50 x 165, so it is a tight space as well. So basically - something tall, dense, tolerant of moist soil and good for a compact space. Any ideas?

Featured Answer

PRO

User

9 years ago

Arbutus undo 'Compacta,' dwarf strawberry tree is a good evergreen option, along with Myrica californica (Pacific Wax Myrtle) or Thuja plicata 'Excelsa' (Dwarf Western Red Cedar). Some deciduous trees that will work in these conditions are Amelanchier (Serviceberry) or Betula (Birch). Don't plant your trees in a row as this will only draw attention to the edge of the yard and make it seem smaller.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

Tina D
Original Author
9 years ago
How tall does the Dwarf Strawberry Tree grow? Serviceberry is on my list, along with Black Tupelo, and I was thinking of some large arborvitae do the main screening and wind work, and then add some deciduous in too (everything staggered like you said). Should probably move that shed. Not sure why it is in the lowest spot on the lot, but there it is. Oh - it can get dark back there in the summer - actually it used to be much darker, but the property behind cut down a large tree along the border that was doing some of the screening originally.
Related Discussions
Compact evergreen privacy screen
Q
Comments (2)
J. chinensis (Lou's suggestion) 'Spartan' might work. I was at Twin City Nursery in White Bear Lake last summer and they had a nice inventory of these at a reasonable price. Here is a link that might be useful: 'Spartan' Chinese Juniper
...See More
Looking for a residential privacy screen rec. for Zone 6/7
Q
Comments (5)
JC: I am not completely certain my suggestion would work in your space but what the heck. You might consider Black Nigra bamboo. I grow it here in Northern CA and we get as low as 10 - 12 degrees during the winter although that is rare. Normaly around low to mid 20's is the lowest. At any rate I find this bamboo to be truly gorgeous at our place. I just love it. My growing conditions are a bit different. It receives mostly filtered morning sun and a bit of filtered late afternoon sun. So far so good. Providing a link below for more info at Dave's Garden on this bamboo. Hope this helps. Kate Here is a link that might be useful: Black Nigra bamboo
...See More
Help with a privacy screen please!
Q
Comments (10)
I am not that far from you. We use Magnolia grandifloras here. You need to plant cultivars resistant to wet, snow loads. (More important than cold temp minimums.) My favorites are Magnolia grandiflora..., 'Victoria'..., 'Edith Bogue' and 'Majestic Beauty'. We also have Teddy Bears, but they don't tolerate wet snow as well as the others (in my experience). Brackens Brown, I do not have, but they are supposedly very tolerate to both cold and wet snow. If you want pics..., I can post. Deer love to rut ALL species of Mags (Northern/Southern...) , but we let ours grow to the ground..., deer cannot get near the trunks. Cryptomeria will work well too and I love 'em too. I wish I had room for a Cryptomeria. Good luck and Happy Holidays! P.S., I live among HERDS of deer..., if you know what to plant, and you can still have a LUSH garden.
...See More
Privacy Screen Question (Landscaping)
Q
Comments (50)
I wouldn't worry about the space you indicated being too shady for the EG arb - that's not enough shade to be a concern. But it is an extremely boring, overly functional choice (a reason why you find them big and cheap around here :-)) that is more typically used as a screening hedge than as a specimen plant. And our winter was a piece of cake until February! It is hard to reconcile a record breaking snowfall with a more typical winter here where we receive only a few inches of snow - if that - that is melted by the next day. A once in a 10-20 year freak snowfall would not deter me from planting the yew and the damage it might incur should that happen would be present elsewhere in your garden as well......like with the evergreen magnolias. But it is your garden and your choice :-) btw, the siting of the JM should be fine. It was just hard to see from the photo alone how close or distant it was from the side of the structure.
...See More
PRO
User
9 years ago
The dwarf strawberry tree gets to 10 - 15 feet in 10 years. The dwarf western red cedar I mentioned grows to 20 feet in 10 years. There is also a taller, narrower cultivar, Thuja plicata 'Green Giant.' This might deal with that billboard issue.

Yes, you should move the shed to the higher corner of the yard, which also looks like the darkest. Then it will block out that building but pull the deciduous tree in the distance into your view.
Tina D
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you. that is a good idea to shift the shed to the other corner! Green Giant was what I was considering as well. Honestly I would love to border the entire yard in arborvitae, but I'm scared there will be no yard left. lol
PRO
Cascio Associates - Site Planning - Landscape Arch
9 years ago
A simple row of hemlocks, with birches in front for interest, all fairly surface rooted.

cascio.offsite@gmail.com
s8us89ds
8 years ago
I see a handful of trees in the picture and those are all "money in the bank" if they're native and produce seed. I'd ID every one of them before you went out and bought any alien, chemically-accustomed horticultural specimens. Remember 75% to 90% of stock sold by nurseries to homeowners ends up dying prematurely, generally in the first few years. Mid-to-large container specimens also rarely grow as fast as ones started from seed or seedlings on the site. I like your picks of Black Tupelo and Serviceberry! Black Tupelo is one if my favorite. Swampy, shady sites can be wonderful if you let nature grow things that thrive in that environment.

Related Stories

LANDSCAPE DESIGN The 7 Best Plant Types for Creating Privacy and How to Use Them

By Falon Mihalic

Follow these tips for using different kinds of plants as living privacy screens

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Warm Up Your Home With an Evergreen Windbreak

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Plant tall trees for more warmth in winter, serenity in summer and good looks all year long

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Grow a Lush Privacy Screen

By Christine Tusher

No need to wait forever for patio privacy the green way. These 10 ideas will get your screening up and running in no time

GARDENING GUIDES Grow Your Own Privacy: How to Screen With Plants and Trees

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Use living walls to lower your home and garden's exposure while boosting natural beauty in your landscape

HOUZZ TOURS 13 Character-Filled Homes Between 1,000 and 1,500 Square Feet

By Mitchell Parker

See how homeowners have channeled their creativity into homes that are bright, inviting and one of a kind

SMALL HOMES Can You Live a Full Life in 220 Square Feet?

Adjusting mind-sets along with furniture may be the key to happiness for tiny-home dwellers

SMALL HOMES Houzz Tour: Sustainable, Comfy Living in 196 Square Feet

By Vanessa Brunner

Solar panels, ship-inspired features and minimal possessions make this tiny Washington home kind to the earth and cozy for the owners

SMALL SPACES Life Lessons From 10 Years of Living in 84 Square Feet

By Mitchell Parker

Dee Williams was looking for a richer life. She found it by moving into a very tiny house

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Plant Ilex Cassine for a Privacy Screen That Feeds the Birds

By Falon Mihalic

Dahoon and its hybrids provide lovely evergreen foliage in southeastern U.S. gardens

GARDENING GUIDES Great Garden Combo: 3 Wonderful Plants for a Deer-Resistant Screen

Protect your privacy and keep deer at bay with a planting trio that turns a problem garden area into a highlight