Hedges and Shrubs as Privacy Screens

The best feeling you want to get from your garden is a sense of peace, quiet, and privacy. You can achieve all of these by putting a boundary between your space and your neighbors. Putting hedges and shrubs around your place is a perfect idea to make solitude in your home. This blocks the noise and peery eyes of neighbors or passersby. Putting hedges and shrubs can also make your garden beautiful and can even provide homes for little animals. Hedges and shrubs come in different sizes too, which means you have many options to choose from.

Related Readings: Two Perennials That Require The Least Maintenance

Factors to Consider for your Privacy Hedges and Shrubs

1. Density
2. Height
3. Evergreen

Density

It would be best if you had hedges that are tightly branched to avoid gaps. You can achieve this in two ways: choosing a privacy hedge with very dense branches or trimming thin hedges every year.

Height

Since hedges and shrubs come in different sizes, so it is also important to consider how high you want your hedges to be. You can grow hedges that can even cover your second-floor window. Good thing privacy hedges are allowed to grow taller than allowed. However, you need to take note of the CC&Rs of your homeowners’ organization to allow it.

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Evergreen

Evergreen is a plant or tree that stays green all year and does not shed its leaves even in the winter. If you want to install hedges just for summertime, it is better to use deciduous hedges.

Here is a list of famous hedges and shrubs that you can use as your garden’s privacy screen.

Boxwood

Boxwood is the most common hedge used in gardens. You can usually see this hedge in labyrinths and even ordinary gardens. Its versatility can withstand pruning and shape into various geometrical shapes. Though this hedge is beautiful when well-maintained like those of fancy patios, boxwood is also an eye for sore eyes when allowed to grow freely. These can grow up to 20 feet tall, which might even cover your second story. 

Yew

Yew is a versatile evergreen that can adapt to the sun or shade. Like boxwood, it is also a dense hedge that can withstand pruning. This can be a perfect choice for your yard since it is low maintenance. Although this hedge can be a slow-to-medium grower, it can still grow as high as 6ft to 16ft tall. Yew also has many varieties, some of which can even grow up to 40ft tall.

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Hydrangea

It is better to surround your home with hedges for privacy, and shrubs for beauty. Hydrangeas are beautiful shrubs that you can plant in your yard. These can survive under the sun and shade. It is best to give it sun in the morning and keep it shaded in the afternoon, so they don’t fry. 

Lilac

Lilac is also a perfect shrub that gives color to your garden. Lilacs are beautifully scented and like the sun. It is better to provide them with space from other plants to make the air circulate to avoid developing mildew.

Arborvitae

This is also a popular hedge for privacy. People like it so much because arborvitae is low-maintenance and requires no pruning. Arborvitae can also grow in any soil, from sand to clay. When appropriately spaced, arborvitaes become a dense privacy screen for your garden. The most common variety of it is ‘Techny.’ It grows up to 10 to 15ft tall, which makes it an excellent privacy screen. Other types would grow up to 60ft tall.