Trees For Screening

Trees for Screening

Trees are one of the most effective ways to screen unwanted views while adding height, structure and character to a garden.

A carefully selected specimen tree can soften a neighbouring building, disguise an unattractive structure, reduce views towards roads or developments and create a much more attractive outlook from both the garden and the house.

Unlike a solid fence or screen, trees do not necessarily need to completely hide an object to transform the view. Their trunks, branches and foliage can interrupt, soften and filter what you see, allowing the planting to become part of the garden rather than simply a barrier.

Kirman Design supplies and professionally plants trees for screening across North West England, including mature specimen trees, evergreen screening trees, deciduous trees, multi-stem specimens and trees for elevated screening.

The objective is not simply to plant the tallest tree available. It is to put the right foliage in the right place to interrupt the view you do not want to see.

What Can Trees Be Used to Screen?

Screening trees can be used to reduce the visual impact of:

Neighbouring houses
First-floor windows
New housing developments
Extensions
Garages
Sheds
Outbuildings
Roads
Footpaths
Car parks
Commercial buildings
Industrial buildings
Utility areas
Garden boundaries
Rooflines
Walls and fencing
Unattractive views

The appropriate tree depends on the height, width and distance of whatever needs to be screened.

Screening Is Not Always the Same as Privacy

Screening and privacy are closely related, but they are not identical.

Privacy planting is primarily intended to prevent or reduce views into a garden.

Screening planting has a wider purpose.

You may have complete privacy but still want to hide a neighbouring garage, soften a large building or prevent a road from dominating the view.

In these situations, complete concealment may not even be necessary.

A well-positioned tree can break up the unwanted view sufficiently for it to become far less noticeable.

Trees for Screening Neighbouring Houses

Neighbouring properties can dominate the outlook from a garden, particularly where houses are positioned relatively close to the boundary.

Trees can help reduce their visual impact by placing foliage between important viewpoints and the building.

This can be particularly effective when viewed:

From the house
From a kitchen window
From a living room
From a patio
From an outdoor dining area
Across a lawn

Rather than trying to hide the entire neighbouring property, it is often better to identify the parts of the building that have the greatest visual impact.

Trees for Screening First-Floor Windows

First-floor windows present a particular screening challenge because they sit above conventional fence and hedge height.

Standard specimen trees can be extremely useful in these situations.

The clear stem allows the tree to remain relatively open at lower levels, while the crown places foliage at the height where screening is required.

This can provide elevated screening without creating a dense wall of vegetation around the entire garden.

Trees for Screening New Housing Developments

A new housing development can dramatically change an established garden.

An outlook that previously faced fields or open space may suddenly contain:

Houses
Rooflines
Windows
Roads
Street lighting
Parking

Trees can help integrate these changes into the landscape.

Rather than attempting to create a solid wall of vegetation, specimen trees can interrupt the most prominent views and create a more attractive foreground.

Trees for Screening Buildings

Large buildings can dominate a garden even when they do not directly overlook it.

Strategically positioned trees can reduce their apparent scale.

Their foliage can break up:

Large elevations
Blank walls
Rooflines
Windows
Architectural features

The building may still be partially visible, but the eye is drawn towards the planting rather than the structure beyond.

Trees for Screening a Garage

A neighbouring garage or large garden building can become a significant visual feature, particularly when positioned close to the boundary.

A specimen tree can soften the structure without necessarily taking up the width required by a substantial hedge.

Multi-stem trees can work particularly well because their trunks and foliage create visual filtering at several heights.

Trees for Screening Sheds and Outbuildings

Sheds, workshops and other outbuildings can often be screened effectively with relatively modest planting.

The objective may be to disguise the roofline rather than hide the entire building.

Trees can also be combined with shrubs and climbers to create several layers of screening.

This usually produces a more natural result than one dense screen.

Trees for Screening Roads

Roads can create both visual intrusion and a feeling of exposure.

Trees can help soften:

Moving vehicles
Road infrastructure
Street lighting
Signs
Surrounding buildings

Where screening is required throughout the year, evergreen trees may be particularly valuable.

A combination of trees and hedging can provide screening at several heights.

Trees for Screening Car Parks

Car parks and parked vehicles can create unattractive views from gardens and properties.

Trees can break up the view while retaining a softer landscape character.

Depending on the situation, the planting may include:

Evergreen trees
Deciduous standards
Multi-stem specimens
Hedging
Shrubs

Layered planting is often particularly effective because vehicles occupy the lower part of the view while surrounding buildings may require higher screening.

Trees for Screening Commercial Buildings

Gardens adjoining commercial or industrial areas can require larger-scale screening.

Trees can help reduce the visual impact of:

Warehouses
Offices
Industrial buildings
Service yards
Parking
Plant equipment

The scale of the planting should be appropriate to the scale of the building.

A small ornamental tree may have little visual effect against a substantial commercial structure.

Evergreen Trees for Screening

Evergreen trees retain foliage throughout the year, making them particularly useful where the unwanted view needs to be screened during winter as well as summer.

They can provide:

Permanent foliage
Year-round structure
Dense screening
Winter interest
Strong green backdrops

However, dense evergreen trees can also create significant shade.

Their ultimate dimensions and position should therefore be carefully considered.

Deciduous Trees for Screening

Deciduous trees can provide excellent screening during spring and summer.

They are particularly useful where the unwanted view is less important during winter or where maintaining winter daylight is a priority.

Once the leaves fall, the branches continue to filter views while allowing more light through.

Deciduous trees can also provide:

Blossom
Autumn colour
Attractive bark
Fruit
Seasonal change

This allows screening to become part of the ornamental character of the garden.

Mature Trees for Screening

Where screening is required quickly, mature specimen trees can provide substantially greater immediate impact.

Larger nursery-grown trees already have established height and crown development.

They can be particularly useful where:

A new building has appeared
An existing tree has been removed
A new development requires immediate softening
A completed garden needs established structure
Waiting many years for screening is undesirable

Mature trees effectively allow you to purchase years of nursery growth.

Large Trees for Immediate Screening

Large trees can provide significant screening from the moment they are planted.

However, tree size needs to be balanced against practical considerations.

As specimens become larger, so do:

Rootballs
Weight
Cost
Delivery requirements
Machinery requirements
Water requirements
Establishment requirements

The aim should be to select the smallest tree capable of achieving the required immediate effect while providing the right long-term result.

Standard Trees for Screening

Standard trees have a clear stem with a developed crown above.

They are particularly useful where screening is needed at a specific elevated height.

Potential applications include:

First-floor windows
Rooflines
Buildings above fencing
Views over existing hedges

Because the lower trunk remains relatively clear, they can provide screening without completely enclosing the garden at ground level.

Feathered Trees for Screening

Feathered trees retain branches lower down the main stem.

This creates foliage across a greater proportion of the tree's height.

They can be particularly effective where screening is required from relatively low levels upwards.

Potential uses include:

Boundaries
Roads
Buildings
Large gardens
Rural properties

Their greater width should be considered when determining planting positions.

Multi-Stem Trees for Screening

Multi-stem trees can create attractive, informal screening.

Their combination of several trunks, branching and foliage creates visual complexity.

This can make the object beyond much less noticeable without forming a completely solid barrier.

They can work particularly well:

Around terraces
Within large borders
Beside lawns
Around outdoor living spaces
In contemporary and naturalistic gardens

They also remain visually interesting when used as specimen plants in their own right.

Pleached Trees for Screening

Pleached trees can provide highly controlled elevated screening.

Their crowns are trained onto frameworks above clear stems, creating a raised panel of foliage.

They are particularly useful where:

Space is restricted
Screening is required above fencing
First-floor windows need obscuring
A formal appearance is desired
A narrow boundary needs elevated foliage

A row of pleached trees can provide a very effective screen without the width of conventional broad-canopied trees.

Columnar Trees for Screening

Narrow or columnar tree forms can be particularly useful where available width is limited.

Their upright growth allows height to be introduced without creating an excessively broad crown.

They may be suitable:

Along narrow boundaries
Between properties
Beside driveways
In smaller gardens

The eventual dimensions should still be checked carefully because "columnar" does not mean the tree remains narrow indefinitely.

Screening Trees for Small Gardens

Small gardens require careful selection.

A tree may solve an unwanted view initially but become a problem if its mature crown eventually dominates the garden.

Important considerations include:

Ultimate height
Ultimate spread
Crown shape
Rooting space
Shade
Maintenance
Proximity to buildings

A smaller number of strategically positioned trees is often better than planting an entire row.

Screening Trees for Large Gardens

Larger gardens provide more opportunities for naturalistic screening.

Rather than creating one continuous line of trees, specimens can be staggered and incorporated into wider planting.

This creates depth.

From important viewpoints, the combination of foreground and background planting can disguise unwanted views extremely effectively.

Trees for Screening Above a Fence

A fence may already provide adequate screening at lower levels.

The problem often begins above it.

Standard or pleached trees can place foliage above fence height while allowing the existing boundary to continue performing the lower-level screening.

This can be more attractive than simply attempting to increase the height of the fence.

Trees for Screening Above a Hedge

The same principle applies to existing hedging.

A hedge may provide an excellent green screen up to its maintained height.

Specimen trees can then provide additional foliage above it where specific views need interrupting.

This can avoid allowing the entire hedge to become excessively tall.

Trees and Hedging for Screening

Trees and hedging work particularly well together.

A hedge provides:

continuous lower-level screening.

Trees provide:

height and elevated screening.

Together they can create a layered green boundary capable of screening objects at several different heights.

Screening Without Creating Too Much Shade

One of the risks of screening planting is excessive shade.

A continuous line of dense evergreen trees may hide the unwanted view but also block valuable sunlight.

Strategic planting can provide a better solution.

Identify exactly which parts of the view need to be interrupted and position foliage accordingly.

Deciduous trees can also provide summer screening while allowing more winter light into the garden.

Screening Without Completely Blocking the View

Screening does not necessarily mean concealment.

Often, partial screening is more attractive.

Branches and foliage can fragment a view sufficiently that the building or structure beyond stops dominating the landscape.

This approach is known as visual filtering.

It allows the garden to retain depth while reducing the impact of unwanted features.

Layered Screening Planting

Layering plants at different heights can create extremely effective screening.

For example:

Hedging screens the lowest part of the view.

Shrubs provide intermediate foliage.

Specimen trees screen higher structures and windows.

The result can look like a designed planting scheme rather than a defensive barrier.

Screening Important Views From Inside the House

Screening should not be considered only from within the garden.

Some of the most important views are from inside the property.

Consider what you see from:

Kitchen windows
Dining rooms
Living rooms
Bedrooms
Garden rooms
Large glazed doors

A strategically positioned tree can replace an unattractive external view with foliage, blossom, autumn colour or architectural branches.

Creating a Better View Rather Than Simply Hiding a Bad One

This is one of the most important principles of screening.

The objective should not simply be:

"How do we hide that building?"

A better question is:

"What would we like to see instead?"

A beautiful specimen tree can become the new focal point.

The unwanted building may remain partly visible, but it becomes visually secondary.

This turns screening into garden design rather than simple concealment.

How Tall Should a Screening Tree Be?

Tree height depends on the object being screened and the relevant viewpoint.

Consider:

Height of the unwanted feature
Distance to the feature
Position of the viewer
Position of the tree
Clear stem height
Crown height
Crown width

Overall tree height alone tells only part of the story.

For many screening situations, the position of the crown is more important than total height.

Where Should Screening Trees Be Positioned?

The boundary is not automatically the best location.

The closer a tree is positioned to the viewpoint, the greater proportion of the distant view its crown can potentially obscure.

This means a carefully positioned tree within the garden can sometimes screen a large distant building more effectively than a larger tree planted directly against the boundary.

Position should therefore be determined using sightlines rather than assumptions.

How Many Screening Trees Do I Need?

Potentially fewer than expected.

If there is one particularly intrusive view, a single specimen may be sufficient.

Several trees may be appropriate where:

A large building needs softening
Several windows require screening
A development extends across a wide view
A layered landscape effect is desired

The number should be determined by the actual view rather than automatically planting trees at regular intervals.

Choosing the Right Screening Tree

Before selecting a species, consider:

What needs screening?
From where will it be viewed?
At what height is foliage needed?
Is year-round screening essential?
How much space is available?
How much shade is acceptable?
What are the soil conditions?
Is the site exposed?
How quickly is screening required?
What maintenance is acceptable?

These factors determine the appropriate species, form, size and position.

Tree Form Matters

Two trees of exactly the same overall height can provide completely different levels of screening.

One may have a tall clear stem and small crown.

Another may be feathered almost to ground level.

Tree forms may include:

Standard
Half-standard
Feathered
Multi-stem
Pleached
Columnar
Broad-canopied

The correct form should be selected according to the height and width of the unwanted view.

Choosing the Right Size Screening Tree

Larger trees provide more immediate impact, but the specification should be considered carefully.

Depending on tree form, this may include:

Overall height
Trunk girth
Clear stem height
Crown width
Crown height
Rootball size
Container size
Number of stems

For screening purposes, crown dimensions are often more useful than overall height alone.

Rootballed Screening Trees

Many larger specimen trees are field-grown and supplied as rootballed stock.

The trees are lifted with soil retained around their roots during the appropriate season.

This allows substantial established specimens to be transplanted.

Large rootballs can be extremely heavy and may require mechanical handling.

Container-Grown Screening Trees

Container-grown trees offer greater flexibility over planting time.

They can generally be planted across a wider part of the year provided ground and weather conditions are appropriate.

Large container-grown trees can require significant irrigation, particularly when planted during warmer weather.

Access for Large Screening Trees

Large specimen trees require careful delivery and handling.

Before choosing the final tree size, consider:

Delivery vehicle access
Driveway width
Gate widths
Side passages
Steps
Level changes
Existing paving
Lawns
Retaining walls
Overhead cables
Machinery access
Distance from unloading point

Access can determine the maximum practical specimen size.

Ground Preparation

Successful screening depends on healthy long-term tree development.

The planting area should therefore be assessed for:

Soil structure
Compaction
Drainage
Rooting space
Planting depth
Irrigation requirements

Good ground preparation helps encourage roots to establish into the surrounding soil.

Watering Newly Planted Screening Trees

Larger trees have established crowns but relatively restricted root systems immediately after transplantation.

Careful watering is therefore essential.

Requirements depend on:

Species
Tree size
Soil
Drainage
Exposure
Weather
Planting season

Rainfall should not automatically be assumed to provide sufficient moisture.

Establishing Screening Trees

The first growing seasons are particularly important.

Aftercare may include:

Regular watering
Mulching
Soil moisture monitoring
Checking supports
Formative pruning
Monitoring tree health

Good establishment helps the tree develop the healthy crown required for effective long-term screening.

Screening Trees as Part of a Garden Design

The most successful screening tree should do more than hide something.

It should contribute positively to the garden.

A tree can provide:

Blossom
Autumn colour
Attractive foliage
Bark
Fruit
Wildlife value
Shade
Winter structure
A focal point

This transforms a practical screening requirement into an opportunity to improve the landscape.

Professional Screening Tree Supply and Planting

Kirman Design supplies and professionally plants screening trees across North West England.

We can consider the unwanted view and relevant sightlines before selecting an appropriate tree species, form, size and position.

Whether you need to soften a neighbouring building, screen first-floor windows, disguise a garage, reduce views towards a new development or create a more attractive outlook, we can help identify an appropriate planting solution.

Trees for Screening Supplied and Planted Across North West England

Our screening tree service can include:

Site assessment
Screening advice
Species selection
Tree specification
Mature tree sourcing
Access assessment
Delivery planning
Ground preparation
Professional planting
Tree support
Establishment advice

From individual specimen trees to larger screening schemes combining trees and hedging, the aim is to provide effective screening while improving the overall quality of the garden.

Need to Screen an Unwanted View?

If a neighbouring building, window, road or development dominates your garden, trees can provide an attractive long-term solution.

Complete concealment is not always necessary.

The right tree can interrupt the view, create a new focal point and make what lies beyond considerably less noticeable.

Kirman Design supplies and professionally plants trees for screening across North West England.