No Peeking
It’s not an outdoor retreat if your neighbors have front-row seats. Here’s how to keep your personal time private
Image courtesy Smith & Hawken
Mimic the privacy that your home’s four walls provide to create a backyard that’s for your family’s eyes only. Follow these expert ideas to keep nosy neighbors at bay.
1. Choose evergreens
Select affordable and manageable evergreens, says New York City exterior designer Jamie Gibbs. “Some evergreens can create a great screen in between properties,” Gibbs says. He suggests transplanting evergreens in July or August, while they are dormant.
2. Cover the seasons
Mix and match different flowers and vines to create a longer lasting trellis. “Most vines have a very distinct bloom period,” Gibbs says. He advises homeowners to mix clematis, which blooms in the late spring and fall, with a summer blooming honeysuckle.
3. Embrace your garage
Don’t neglect your garage as a privacy screen, says Christy Webber of Chicago-based Christy Webber Landscapes. “Paint it, trellis it, hang art on it, make fake windows and pretend it’s a cottage but do something with it.”
4. Rise to the occasion
Though roses can prove to be a challenge, rambling or climbing roses are low maintenance. “They actually prefer to be left alone,” Gibbs says. “Cut off the deadwood from the winter in the spring and fertilize, then cut them in the fall to keep them back.”
5. Consider color
“Retractable awnings have really come a long way,” Gibbs says. “Solar and sunscreen fabrics have holes that allow breezes to come through while also being rainproof.” Just don’t go crazy with the design, allow your color choice to blend into the house.
Value-added privacy
Low-maintenance evergreens go the distance to add privacy. Here are three kinds you should know about:
1. Skyrocket Jumpers are a great option for smaller spaces and don’t bottom out like many other evergreens.
2. Leyland cypresses are a beautiful emerald green, grow fast and take well to pruning.
3. Columnar Taxus grow upright to give you height versus girth.
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