Attractive living privacy fence with maximum visual obstruction
Comments (12)
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
8 years ago
missionary7
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoOops. I meant to say that we're in Southeast Tennessee, not far from Chattanooga. There are definitely 4 seasons here. Winters are far more mild than up north. We still get snow, but it usually melts off the next day. Privacy is paramount for my wife, and while I am more engaging with neighbors, I grew up in the country, on a dead end road, with the closest neighbor a full mile away. So I don't really like the property so open that everyone can just look in on us at will. As such, having a living fence that maintains privacy levels year round is important. Dropping all its leaves in the winter would not be favourable. :-)
As for neatness, that's definitely preferred, though a little naturalness is ok. I can handle some minor trimming if necessary, but I have a back injury which makes it difficult for me to walk sometimes, so weekly trimming would be too much. Once per month would be ok.
As for shading, the front of the house (southeast side) is totally open with no significant shading. The back of the house (northwest side) has shading from the woods at the back of the property in the early morning, and shading from our house in the late evening. The property line on the northeast side has shading from the woods in the morning, but is open the rest of the day. The southwest side has shading from about 3 p.m. onward.
We'll eventually be getting a dog too, so we'll eventually have to add an artificial fence of some kind, which we will then want to conceal, since we both really want to keep a more "natural" look to the property line.
I'm also attaching some photos of shrubs on our property and the neighbours' properties that offer some properties I either like, or at least don't mind. As far as I know, none of these grow tall enough to suffice on their own, but could be used to cover am open gap beneath tree limbs if necessary.
The first is right against our house.
Neighbor's shrub and house to the northeast of our house. Our house is just off the left side of this photo.
This is also the same neighbor's shrub. But of these are a good density for visual restriction, but I have no idea how tall they can grow, or how much maintenance they require. The neighbor is an 87 year old lady, so she hires a company to do her lawn, and probably shrubs too, though I never get a chance to observe them at the times when they come.
These two photos are from the neighbor on the other side of my house. That's my house on the right of the photo.
These next two photos are a live of shrubs the previous owner of my house planted along a drainage ditch between my house and the neighbor on the southwest side of my house (with the evergreen shrub). These never get maintained, and have a more natural look, but they're kinda thin for my tastes, and don't offer enough visual restriction for me. If they were a little more visually restrictive and taller, they'd be perfect.
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Ideas for LONG privacy fence??
Comments (17)>I'd like to eventually make deeper beds with more roses and other lovelies but for now I just want to get these started. Our soil is SAND SAND SAND. Did I tell you we have SAND for earth??? I will ammend well and it's nearly 100% sunny. Hi Sunny, I've done some more thinking about your situation and enjoying imagining doing some landscaping there... We built our house too, a very long time ago. I know you've heard this plenty of times already, but it's so true: the best time to do planning for major things is when you're building, so plan ahead now and do as much of that as you can now, while it will be cheaper than doing it as a separate job. We did do that, for the most part, but there came a time when we couldn't afford to do everything that might have been wise to get done right away. We did plan ahead, however, and saw that it would be smart to make some design changes initially based on plans for the future. If you haven't yet run out of money for last-minute inspirations, consider ordering some truckloads of screened red clay dirt now, or, as they call it around here, "screened red dirt." Manure, etc. will be excellent amendments, but it does tend to decompose and when all the organics decompose the soil will still drain too easily. Adding some clay now in planting spots would make all the plants a lot happier, even the azaleas, and especially the roses. The trucks can bring in the dirt now much more easily than they ever could later, after you've started landscaping and have plants in the way of having the delivery trucks bring the dirt back near the spots you have in mind for using the dirt. If your builder has any equipment there already that can shove dirt around, also consider having some extra dirt shoving done to create some three-dimensional spaces so that no matter how flat your yard might have started out, you have some berms and slopes to create focal points and a much more interesting yard. The best architects for houses think of interior space in three dimensions and that's true for landscape architects as well. It's *hard* to do this kind of work yourself later (Guess how I know that???) but doesn't cost any noticeable amount more to take an extra half hour on the part of the operator of the front-end loader to scoop some lower areas and pile that dirt into higher areas. Imagining now... If the front-end loader is around, here's one scheme you could try: create a path including some (brick, etc.) steps down into a sitting area surrounded by higher berms all around, so that as you look around from that lower seated garden focal point, you see a longer cascade of blooms than you could see surrounding you on flat ground. Brick steps detail: extend some brick spots laterally to sit large pots of evergreens and perennials on.) Another possible feature: use rosy berms to line portions of each side of a path, so that you feel a bit as if you're walking through a scooped-out hallway of roses, or even better, roses and evergreens. Some camellias can take full sun well and would provide some nice foliage contrast. Kanjiro and Shishigashira would both work there.) >carolinamary - I LOVE Marie Van Houtte!!! When my sister (who MADE me become addicted to OGR - lol) visited ARE in Brenham I fell in love and each adn every photo I see makes me love it more. Would the colors work if I went more neutral since it has both pinks and yellow? She could be a deciding factor in what is the main attraction there. Although it's exciting I'm a little overwhelmed by all we have to do. Thank you for the link. What a beautiful flower! The short answer is YES. Your yard is so large that you have many opportunities for developing multiple garden rooms. So you aren't constrained into an either-or kind of color-scheme choice here as if it would be your only place for roses. What a luxury! It might help some if you can come to some conclusions as to whether you prefer a single-colored bloom color scheme here or something with much more contrast in the color choices. You might like both a whole lot, and you're lucky in having that large yard with more than one spot that is appropriate for roses. If you narrow the thinking down to just this one area, though, think a bit about what your favorite kind of color scheme is.... I can easily imagine being happy with the pale yellow (that Marie Van Houtte primarily is) combined with other roses that bloom in a yellow, including a yellow so pale that they might be considered warm whites (like Lamarque), or something with that same general overall off-white feeling like Buff Beauty. The pink area on the blooms of Marie Van Houtte doesn't make a noticeable contribution to the whole feeling about the color most of the times of the year. In a one-color scheme, make sure to have variations on foliage sizes, forms, and textures, as well as variety in the bloom forms and sizes. I've been planning on a Ghislaine De Feligonde to go near some Mrs. Dudley Cross varieties, so I'm guessing that they'll look good together, and that the contrast in bloom size as well as foliage types will be nice. Belmont Yellow is a polyantha rose that is closer to white than yellow unless you are looking just at the buds, and it would easily fit into a scheme like that too. If you really end up wanting a noticeably yellow place, some Julia Child roses might be really nice too. For little dots of white: Little White Pet, or for little dots of yellow: Rise 'N' Shine. If for any reason you want a smaller version of Marie Van Houtte, Mrs. Dudley Cross would be a good choice. (Similar gorgeous blooms, and not a small rose either; just smaller and very low in thorns.) If you decided to take off on the pink edges of Marie Van Houtte, some roses that might go well: Duchesse De Brabant, Le Vesuve, Maman Cochet, Belinda's Dream, Pink Rosette, Climbing Pinkie, Renae, Annie Laurie MacDowell, Carefree Wonder, Carefree Beauty. If you get in the mood for spectacular contrast with Marie Van Houtte, Red Cascade on the arches might do the contrast job nicely in multiple respects. Other ideas for plants that aren't roses: Little Gem magnolia, and all types of Japanese maples. The crepe myrtles in either white or pink would be wonderful. The magnolia is evergreen and can become a tallish focal point too. Well, Sunny, I hope you have a really good a time imagining your yard's possibilities and planning! Best wishes, Mary...See MoreA living fence
Comments (20)Eduarda, I think you're in my head. I just spent the day hauling mulch for the North Bed on the other side of the house. When I finished, I moved 6 euonymous plants to the "fence" area. They're 8' apart and set back 2' from the edge of the driveway. I know it will take years to reach a 6' height, but with proper water, strategic pruning, and fertilizer, I can work wonders. I also checked on the wintersown shrubs I put out in Dec. I have lilac, mock orange, and rose of sharon seedlings. I really want a fair amount of evergreen in there, but I'm willing to compromise. For the most part, the backyard will only be used in the summer. That's when I really need the hedge for privacy. Otherwise, it's just a barrier from the street to the "lawn". I was even thinking this year of planting some datura, lantana, and pineapple sage. If I deadhead before they set seeds, I can treat all that as annuals. That gives me a year of rather large plants while my shrubs set their roots. I also have buddelia and Carolina allspice planted. I have white crepe myrtles too. And lavender crepes that I'm trying to propagate through root and hardwood cuttings. I've got wigelia cuttings I'm rooting. And forsythia and quince for spring blooms. And pyracantha in the cloner that have already callused. I can even add in a couple gardenias on the shadier end. With all I have going for me, the idea of planting a boring green wall of euonymous sounds kind of lazy. I think I'll get out with the tiller tomorrow and break up the rest of the area. I think 8' wide should be plenty of space to create a nice border garden. That will mean two loads of leaf mulch from the landfill one day next week. If I use enough trees, I can even create a semi-shade garden on the East side. It would only get morning light. On the driveway side I have roses that I'm propagate too. Since they are patented, it would be illegal to sell them. I didn't know what I could do with them. I think a nice bright red border on that side would work nicely to stop the traffic at the end of the driveway. And of course I need an arbor now to mark the access point. And some climbing roses or maybe a clematis. Oh, I have rooted cuttings of Confederate Jasmine. See...this is why I ask you guys for opinions. I'll get my evergreen base and accent with flowering trees, shrubs, add some perennials, some roses, and suddenly, it's not just a green hedge. Thanks everyone for the suggestions....See MoreFence/Hedge/Privacy Screen, Help!
Comments (8)If you are looking at a maximum height of only 6-8', then you are looking at shrubs, not trees. 'Full privacy' typically means evergreen and I am unfamiliar with what broadleaved evergreen shrubs are best suited to your area. However, a mixed shrub 'hedgerow' type planting that includes both evergreen and deciduous plants will provide excellent (if not "full privacy") screening plus offer extended seasonal interest as well as wildlife habitat. And eliminates any 'gaps' that could occur from the failure of a single plant in a monoculture hedge. Since you have a mixture of light conditions, that broadens the selections available. I would consider rhododendrons, pieris and kalmia as evergreen suggestions (possibly boxwood or Japanese hollies also) if sufficiently hardy, mixed with fothergilla, hydrangea, spirea, clethra, shrub dogwoods and dwarf lilac for the deciduous components but the choice is up to you and there are almost endless possibilities. Also, dwarf conifers could be included as well....See MoreReplace fence or living fence for privacy
Comments (16)It's expensive to "level" ground as it requires a retaining wall. A slope is the less expensive way of dealing with grade change. That said, you're probably stuck with the grade you have. But you indicate there's planting space that you control on the other side of the fence ...? You need planting on one or both sides that grows above the fence height. Large shrubs (8' to 16') strategically placed would screen out all of the unwanted view above the fence. The planting could be a mixture of shrub variety for a very casual look, or or it could be a single species (as long as the light conditions are consistent) for a tidier, more tailored look....See Moredowlinggram
8 years ago
woodyoak zone 5 southern Ont., Canada
8 years agoUser
8 years agolaceyvail 6A, WV
8 years agoUser
8 years ago
Kirstin Zone 5a NW Chicago
8 years agomissionary7
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agomissionary7
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
Mary Leek
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoRegarding the time it would take to grow a 6 ft Sweet Olive hedge would depend on the height you used when planting. I have some growing and I'd guess maybe a foot to 14 inches per year. I think they were about 3 ft tall when I planted them about seven years ago. They are now about 9 ft tall.
A faster growing plant would be Emerald Green Arborvitae or perhaps Emerald Green Thuja and they make a pretty privacy screen. They are used a lot on the west coast as privacy screens for property and would be evergreen for you. Then use a few Sweet Olive in selective locations for the fragrance. However, anything you grow will take a while to develop the height you are looking for unless you're willing to spend a lot of money to purchase large plants.
We used the Arborvitae to screen a swimming pool from a house that built above us on a mountain side and these plants grew and filled in quickly but it's not something that will make a tall privacy fence for you in a year or two. These plants are fairly cheap as plants go and I'd think if you started with about a 30 inch plant, you'd see 6 ft by the end of the second growing season (and then it will just keep going). I'll paste in two photos to show you how tall they can get.
In the upper left hand corner of the first photo, you'll notice a 6 privacy fence. It is dwarfed by our privacy hedge. You'll also notice in that same corner a few young ones that we'd just planted the past summer and they were almost as tall as the fence without any special care (as they were growing on the side of the mountain and no way to easily get water up to them.)
The second photo, you can see just how high those taller plants are if you look to the top left of the second photo. I took that photo standing on the back deck looking up the cliff at the swimming pool, which is in ground (rock) behind that picket fence. The hedge is still showing, even from that extreme angle. I don't know how tall they were but had to be around 20 ft, I'd think. They sure blocked the two story house up behind us, though. :-) Well, the second photo is cut off but perhaps if you click on it, it will show the entire photo.
There is a newer variety that states they will mature out at about 8-12 ft but of course, you will pay more per plant for this variety. Maybe you could just plant a section a year, beginning with the most needed area first. Hopefully, someone will come along with more or better suggestions.
Click here for Emerald Green Thuja informationMary
Mary Leek