How to Create Privacy in a Garden
Privacy can completely change how comfortable and usable a garden feels. Whether you are dealing with neighbouring windows, an exposed boundary or a newly built development, the right screening can make your garden feel more secluded without making it dark or enclosed.
The best solution depends on where the overlooking occurs, the height required, the available planting space and how quickly you need the screening to work. Hedging, specimen trees, pleached trees and fencing can all help, but each offers something different.
Begin by Identifying Where Privacy Is Needed
Before choosing plants or screening, look carefully at the direction from which your garden is overlooked.
Privacy may be needed:
Along an exposed garden boundary
Around a patio or seating area
Between neighbouring properties
In front of an upstairs window
Around a hot tub, outdoor kitchen or entertaining area
To disguise an unattractive building or view
Try to screen the specific line of sight rather than surrounding the whole garden unnecessarily. A carefully positioned tree or short section of pleached hedging may provide better results than installing a tall screen along every boundary.
If the problem is an unattractive building, fence or neighbouring structure rather than general overlooking, read our guide to hiding an ugly view in the garden.
How High Does Your Garden Screening Need to Be?
The required height is one of the most important considerations.
A conventional hedge may be enough to provide privacy at ground level. However, screening an upstairs window or a property on higher ground may require a taller solution, such as a specimen tree or pleached tree.
Remember that extremely tall, dense screening can reduce daylight and make a small garden feel enclosed. The aim should be to interrupt the view while retaining as much light and openness as possible.
For advice about a particular overlooking problem, see:
Should You Use Hedging, Trees or Fencing?
There is no single screening solution that suits every garden. Your decision should take account of space, appearance, maintenance, budget and the speed at which privacy is required.
Our guide to trees, hedging and fencing for garden screening provides a detailed comparison of the main options.
Hedging for Garden Privacy
A hedge creates a natural boundary while softening the garden and providing shelter and wildlife value. Evergreen hedging can offer year-round screening, while deciduous hedging often provides a more seasonal and informal appearance.
Popular privacy hedging choices include:
Yew
Cherry laurel
Portuguese laurel
Holly
Privet
Hornbeam
Beech
Some hedges require more space and maintenance than others. Consider the mature width of the plants, their growth rate and how often the hedge will need trimming.
Explore our hedging plants and professionally planted hedge options.
Specimen Trees for Screening
Trees are particularly useful where privacy is needed above the height of a normal fence or hedge. Their canopies can interrupt views from neighbouring windows while retaining useful space beneath.
A well-positioned tree can also provide seasonal interest, shade, wildlife value and a strong focal point within the garden.
The eventual size and spread of the tree must be considered carefully. A tree that is appropriate for a large garden may eventually overwhelm a smaller space or block more light than intended.
View our guide to the best specimen trees for privacy.
Pleached Trees and Pleached Hedging
Pleached trees have clear stems supporting a trained framework of branches. They create an elevated screen that can provide privacy above a wall or fence without occupying as much ground-level space as a large hedge.
They are especially useful for:
Screening neighbouring windows
Creating privacy around patios
Dividing different parts of the garden
Adding formal structure
Screening above an existing wall or fence
Explore our pleached hedging options.
Fencing and Decorative Screening
Fencing provides immediate privacy and takes up less space than most hedging. It can be particularly useful in narrow gardens or where space along the boundary is limited.
Decorative screens and slatted fencing can also create targeted privacy around a seating area without enclosing the entire garden.
Before installing a tall fence or screen, check whether planning permission or other restrictions apply. This is particularly important where the proposed screening exceeds normal permitted boundary heights.
Evergreen or Deciduous Screening?
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year and are usually the first choice where continuous privacy is required. Yew, holly, Portuguese laurel and cherry laurel can all provide effective evergreen screening, although their appearance, growth rate and maintenance requirements differ considerably.
Deciduous trees and hedging lose their leaves during winter, but they can still provide useful screening through their branches. Beech and hornbeam may retain a proportion of their old leaves through winter when regularly clipped, particularly in sheltered locations.
Deciduous planting can be a good choice where summer privacy is the priority but additional winter light would be beneficial.
The right choice depends on whether you require complete year-round coverage or would prefer a lighter, more seasonal effect.
Consider the Effect on Light
A privacy solution should interrupt an unwanted view without unnecessarily darkening your garden or neighbouring properties.
Dense evergreen hedging can provide excellent coverage, but an excessively tall or wide hedge may reduce daylight and make a smaller garden feel enclosed. Large trees positioned too close to a house can cause similar problems as their canopies develop.
Pleached trees can sometimes provide a better balance. Their clear stems allow light and views beneath the trained canopy, while the elevated framework screens overlooking windows.
Before selecting a plant, consider:
The direction of the sun
The mature height and spread of the plant
How close it will be to the house
Whether neighbouring gardens will be affected
How the screening will change through the seasons
Whether the plant will require regular pruning
Consider the Available Space
The amount of planting space available will influence which privacy solution is practical.
A conventional hedge needs sufficient width to develop properly. Some fast-growing varieties can become very broad unless they are regularly trimmed.
Where the boundary is narrow, consider:
Yew or another hedge that responds well to clipping
Pleached trees with clear stems
A narrow, upright tree
Slatted fencing
Decorative screening panels
Climbing plants supported by a suitable structure
A combination of fencing and planting
Choosing an appropriately sized plant is usually better than relying on frequent pruning to contain something that naturally wants to become much larger.
How Quickly Do You Need Privacy?
Fencing and screening panels provide an immediate result. Trees and hedging normally need time to establish, although purchasing larger plants can reduce the waiting period.
Options for quicker privacy include:
Rootballed hedging
Larger container-grown hedging
Instant hedge sections
Mature specimen trees
Pleached trees
A temporary screen combined with younger planting
Larger plants create greater initial impact, but they are more expensive and can require specialist delivery, handling and planting. They also need careful watering while establishing.
Our guide to hedging plant sizes explains the differences between the principal stock types and sizes.
Think About Maintenance
Every privacy solution requires some level of care.
Hedging will usually need trimming once or twice a year. Fast-growing varieties may require more frequent attention, while slower-growing species can be easier to manage but take longer to establish.
Pleached trees need their trained frameworks maintained and new growth tied in or pruned. Specimen trees may require formative pruning, watering and periodic inspection as they establish.
Fencing requires less routine cutting but will eventually need cleaning, treatment or repair, depending on the material used.
Before choosing, consider how much time you realistically want to spend maintaining the screen and whether professional aftercare will be required.
Privacy in New-Build Gardens
New-build gardens often present particular privacy problems. Houses may be positioned close together, boundaries can be exposed and young planting provides little immediate screening.
The best solution may involve a combination of:
Carefully positioned specimen trees
Pleached trees above the boundary
Evergreen hedging
Slatted screens around seating areas
Pergolas or overhead structures
Layered planting at different heights
Read our guide to new-build garden screening for more detailed advice.
Do You Need Planning Permission?
Normal boundary fences are subject to height restrictions, particularly where they are adjacent to a road or footpath. Taller screens, raised structures and some garden buildings may require planning permission.
Trees and hedging are treated differently from constructed fences, but high hedges can still be subject to complaints and formal action in certain circumstances.
Planning requirements depend on the property, its location and the proposed structure. Listed buildings, conservation areas and properties subject to restrictive covenants may have additional restrictions.
If you are uncertain, obtain advice from your local planning authority before installing a permanent structure.
Choosing the Right Privacy Solution
The best privacy solution is the one that addresses the particular line of sight without creating unnecessary problems elsewhere.
Begin by asking:
Where is the overlooking coming from?
At what height is screening required?
Is privacy needed throughout the year?
How much space is available?
How quickly is the result required?
How much light can the garden afford to lose?
What level of maintenance is acceptable?
Is access available for larger plants or machinery?
What is the realistic project budget?
In many gardens, the best answer is a combination of solutions rather than a single continuous screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Fastest Way to Create Garden Privacy?
A solid fence or screening panel provides the fastest result at ground level. For privacy above a normal fence, mature trees or pleached trees can provide a more immediate elevated screen.
What Is the Best Evergreen Hedge for Privacy?
Yew, Portuguese laurel, cherry laurel and holly can all provide evergreen screening. The best option depends on the soil, available space, required height, light levels and preferred appearance.
Can Trees Screen an Overlooking Window?
Yes. A tree canopy can be positioned to interrupt the line of sight from an upstairs window while retaining usable space beneath. The eventual size and position of the tree must be carefully considered.
Are Pleached Trees Suitable for Small Gardens?
Pleached trees can be useful in smaller gardens because they create screening at an elevated level without occupying as much ground-level space as a broad hedge or large tree canopy.
Will Privacy Hedging Make My Garden Dark?
Dense or excessively tall hedging can reduce daylight. Choose the height and species carefully and screen the specific view rather than automatically planting a tall hedge around every boundary.
How Close Can I Plant Screening Trees to a Boundary?
There is no single distance suitable for every tree. Consider the mature canopy, root development, access for maintenance and the effect on neighbouring properties. Larger trees should be positioned with professional advice.
Privacy Trees and Hedging Supplied and Planted
Landscaping Emporium supplies hedging, specimen trees and pleached trees for privacy projects throughout North West England.
Professional planting is available across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire and Merseyside, including Blackburn, Bolton, Chorley, Clitheroe, Preston, Wigan, Warrington, Manchester, Liverpool and the Ribble Valley.
If you would like help choosing the most appropriate solution, send us photographs of the garden and the view you want to screen. Where necessary, we can arrange a site visit to assess the required height, sightlines, access and available planting space.
Call 01942 604976 or email hello@landscapingemporium.co.uk to discuss your garden.