Private screening in your own backyard

Are you yearning for a little more privacy outdoors? Get to know the best ways to screen your scene

Having nice neighbours is great, butt hat doesn’t mean you want to see themevery time you step outside. Privacy and enclosure are such an important part of creating a garden, helping to transform your outdoor space into a private retreat from the world. Whether your garden is large or small, a balcony or a courtyard, there are plenty of ways to create privacy, from plants and hedging to structured screens, climbing frames, and more. As housing blocks become smaller, and more of us live in townhouses and apartments, screening is more important than ever, and it’s something you can introduce atany stage of a garden’s life.







A dense screen of slender weavers bamboo (Bambusa textilis "Gracilis") trasnforms this garden into a lush, private retreat.

Choosing green screensl

1. Which views need hiding? Stepoutside and consider your sightlines – It might be the neighbour’s washing line you want to obscure, a view of a nearby building, or perhaps you want to screen your outdoor living area from view. In many cases, the best and easiest solution will be green screens and hedges, and it’s important to make the right plant choices upfront.

2. Look for dense varieties with dense evergreen foliage, such as lilly pilly, murraya, viburnum and conifers and factor in at least annual (or bi-annual) trimming to keep them at your desired height. Many nurseries these days have sections dedicated to screening plants, so use these for planting inspiration.

3. If you want seasonal colour with your planted screen, consider flowering options such as sasanqua camellias for an autumn display, or native callistemons for their explosion of red and pink bottlebrush blooms in spring.

4. For lighter structured plants, some of the larger grevilleas, like ‘Misty Pink’or ‘Honey Gem’, can provide excellent height (to around 3 or 4m), while offering a lighter, more see-through foliage structure, which is still good for obscuring the view beyond.

A lilly pilly grows into a dense screen and makes a wonderful backdrop to smaller plantings.

A double hedge of camellias and buxus creates a rich, layered effect, offering both an attractive visual barrier and seasonal colour.

How to get the best results

There’s a protocol to choosing and planting screening plants, so you get the best results in the shortest time. Start by selecting uniform plants of similar height and girth, and space them at about half their mature width – check the plant label for growth details.

Plant into wellprepared holes, which are a little deeper than the root ball and twice as wide. Improve the excavated soil with additions of cow manure, then backfill and water in well. Give your new screening plants a strong start by watering them regularly for at least the first year, until their root systems are well established and they become more drought-hard.

A double hedge of magnolias and murrayas encloses the space, creating a sense of depth and intimacy. The open pergola enhances this feeling, inviting you to relax and enjoy the lush surroundings.









In small spaces, a hedge can be too bulky. Instead, train a climber like Ivy on a trellis or fence for a similar effects.

 

More ideas for privacy

1. Fence extension panels are another privacy solution, adding an extra 50-60cm of height to an existing fence. Designs include slatted timber, lattice and laser-cut metal. Just remember you’ll need to discuss it with your neighbours, and check your local council regulations.

2. For courtyard and balcony spaces, consider using large hanging baskets to block out obtrusive sightlines. Plant them with bushy flowers or foliage plants such as voluptuous petunias, Boston ferns, bromeliads or ornamental grasses.

3. You can create ‘aural privacy’ in your garden space too, by adding a water feature to drown out surrounding noise. It’s amazing what a change of atmosphere trickling water can create.

Consider structural screening

Sometimes, it’s not the neighbours you want to screen off, but utilities within the garden, like clothes lines or bin storage areas. That’s where screening panels can provide a neat solution.



There’s a great range of ready-to-use panels available through landscape suppliers and hardware stores, which can either be used as free-standing dividers, or alternatively screwed to existing fences or walls to add interest.



Laser-cut metal and plastic options come in a range of interesting patterns and in heights ranging from 1.8–2.5m.



Slatted timber screens are another elegant solution to blocking out views or, for a more natural look, consider using materials like bamboo, reed or brushwood.



Classic lattice is a true survivor when it comes to garden screening – its airy criss-cross pattern has never gone out of fashion. Because lattice pairs so well with climbing plants, it’s a great option for confined spaces such as courtyards or side gardens, where you can still enjoy a screenof greenery, but without the bulk of shrubs.



Climbing plant options are many, ranging from star jasmine and hardenbergia for semi-shaded areas, to pandorea, jasmine, orange trumpet vine( Pyrostegia) and bougainvillea in sunnier aspects. If you decide to use a deciduous climber, such as wisteria, Virginia creeper or clematis, just remember that when the leaves fall in autumn, the view you’ret rying to obscure will reappear for several months.

Laser-cut corten steel makes for an appealing privacy screen, combining artistic design with durability to enhance your outdoor space.