With the goal of as undisturbed peace and privacy as possible on their own garden property, many hobby gardeners ask themselves which hedge offers the best protection from prying eyes and at the same time does not require more care than absolutely necessary. The answer to this question, however, depends on various factors.

The Thuja occidentalis offers an evergreen privacy screen

Pros and cons of natural privacy solutions

It does not only depend on legal regulations whether a property is bordered with relatively permanent structural measures such as a stone wall made of gabions, or whether the natural character of a garden designed for relaxation and nature experience is taken into account by planting a living fence. In many cases, natural privacy protection does not offer total privacy protection in the sense of an opaque wall, either temporarily or permanently, but living privacy protection variants can score points with positive effects on flora and fauna and with a thoroughly pleasant and attractive aesthetic. Ultimately, the following parameters decide which hedge will ultimately frame your own garden and allow it to become a haven of relaxation and seclusion:

  • the site conditions in the garden (temperature, soil, lighting conditions)
  • the growth behavior of the selected hedge plants
  • the price and the number and size of the hedge plants to be used
  • the relationship with the neighbors
  • the available space

Privacy hedges with evergreen foliage and needles

The absolute standard catalog of proven evergreen hedge plants includes some plant species that have shaped the visual aesthetics of suburban settlements for decades:

  • Thuja occidentalis (in its various subspecies)
  • cherry laurel
  • liguster
  • fir
  • Spruce
  • yew

In addition, there are other hedge plants such as the beech, whose leaves remain on the branches after they have died until new growth occurs, thus ensuring a relatively opaque characteristic of corresponding privacy hedges. Before planting an evergreen privacy hedge, you should ask yourself certain questions when choosing plants, not only with regard to the site conditions on site, but also with regard to the respective maintenance effort. This also includes the growth of the selected hedge plants, after all, a labor-intensive pruning can be necessary about two to three times a year with a relatively precisely cut Thuja hedge. Spruce and fir trees should only be used for a deliberately high level of privacy protection, for which a sufficiently generously dimensioned area is available in terms of plant width without the risk of root damage.

The alternative privacy hedge is creative and innovative

Which hedge should gardeners with a very small garden plot or plant lovers who are limited to their own balcony or terrace opt for? Flowering climbing plants require very little space, usually grow very quickly and, as annual or perennial climbers, can be flexibly set up and staged as a privacy hedge with the appropriate climbing aid. A natural privacy screen made of bamboo can also be considered if the appropriate root barriers are provided in the ground for proliferating subspecies. Even a fence woven from willow branches requires hardly any space and can be set up both cheaply and quickly and used for several years as an attractive, natural privacy screen.

tips

In many a terraced house garden, space is scarce and should therefore be used sparingly for the various aspects of garden use. A blooming privacy wall made of climbing plants not only offers protection from traffic noise and curious onlookers, but also provides valuable beneficial insects such as beetles, wild bees and parasitic wasps (€22.99) food and habitat.

Category:

Garden design