Hedges for Screening and Privacy

Privacy and screening are the most common motives for planting a new hedge, especially at the boundary of your property, or to divide front and back. Take a look at our list of evergreen and leaf retaining plants that are ideal.

Hedges for screening and privacy – There are lots of ways in which plants can be used to increase privacy and to provide a screen. The selection of plants that can be used will vary greatly depending on what they are being required to provide and the space in which they are to be planted.

A smaller area may require more upright growth habit (such as Caucasica Laurel or Griselinia hedging plants) whereas a larger space could be planted with a variety of trees and shrubs some with spreading habit to go alongside the more vertical. Magnolia can be a fantastic evergreen option, along with deciduous trees such as Oak with its beautiful crowned canopy or Liquidamber giving the most incredibly autumnal colour. Shrubs possibly a lilac or a small tree like Parrotia Perisca can be planted along side these to give more cover and interest over a large proportion of the year.

If wanting complete year round privacy, an evergreen hedging species should be selected and which evergreen will then depend on the space available, ultimate height that is needed and the speed of which privacy or screening needs to be achieved. Thuja Plicata Atrovirens is an extremely useful and popular evergreen with a reasonable growth rate creating very dense cover, able to grow to some size if wanting a plant on its own to block a view.

Practical solutions for a much smaller garden could be to train Pyracantha up trellis panels, pleach trees such a Beech or Hornbeam or pollard a colourful variety of willow, not only giving excellent summer screening above a fence or wall, these will add architectural interest. When pollarding or pleaching, these methods over time will also provide decent year round screening as the branches become denser, such stilted hedges for screening and privacy may be incorporated into smaller spaces than otherwise possible.

Leylandii hedges also provide excellent screening for your home or back garden. They can be trimmed once a year or perhaps more, depending on your requirements.

The huge variety of hedges for screening and privacy available to interrupt unsightly views, break up a space or divert the eye, means that, apart from the obvious of “will it grow on the proposed site” comes down to personal preference. However, it should also be noted that there are legal regulations which limit the height that you can grow your hedge. Take a look at our useful hedge height guide to find out more.

You can browse our complete range of hedging plants for screening and privacy below, if you have any further questions or would like a special quote for a large order over £1000 please get in touch or call our freindly team of hedging experts on 01580 765600.