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Backyard Privacy

As houses become bigger and yards become smaller, privacy is becoming more of an issue in the backyard.  This is especially true if you consider that houses are now situated more closely together and that many homes are becoming multi-storey.  To avoid feeling like you’re in a fishbowl, we’ve found some great tips to ensure that your backyard remains private.

The first thing you need to do is to think about what you need from your privacy screening.  Questions you will need to ask yourself include: how high the screen needs to be; how dense it needs to be; how much light will be let through the screen; how fast you need the screen; and the effect that it will have on the neighbours.  Screens can be either living or man made.

Living Screens

Living screens are a great way to introduce extra greenery into the backyard.  Trees are the best screening option but you will need to wait for them to grow, and they can take years to reach their full maturity.  Climbing plants or mass plantings are a great option as they will quickly provide a dense screen.  To keep them dense, however, they will need regular pruning.  Some good screening plants include lilly pilly, jasmine, and bamboo.

You could also opt to have a hedge – a formal screen that is made up of one type of plant that is planted closely together and then clipped into shape.  When the hedge is growing, you will need to clip the growth from the top and sides to ensure that it grows densely and close to the ground.

Man Made Screens

Man made screens provide instant privacy once they are installed but you will need to check with your council first as some councils have restrictions on the size of your screen and what materials you can use.  Man made screens can be made from practically any material but you will commonly find roll out products and lattice as being the most common.  Roll out products include things such as nature reeding made from bamboo, palm or reeds.  Using lattice means that dappled light will still filter through to the garden, even if there is a climber on it.

Security screen doors are usually made from a steel mesh that is generally strong enough to withstand attack.

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