fence line - need privacy

20 years ago

We have a picket fence line that runs about 50 yards...hasn't been much of a problem for the past year, as the house on the other side has set vacant for sale. Someone finally bought it, and hubby and I figure it's about time to do something about it being that they can see straight into our kitchen/dining area through our sliding glass door. A 6 foot privacy fence won't do the trick...their house sits higher than ours and we'd need more like an 9-10 foot fence, plus I don't want to feel so "closed in." We live in an old neighborhood with lots of tall mature trees...along this area of the fence we have a maple, a persimmon (with a beautiful dogwood under it), a river birch, and 2 other very tall and fairly narrow (not outward branching) trees (perhaps poplar or aspen?) all of these trees are fairly spaced 10-20 feet apart, almost in a straight line. The area gets a large amount of sun, other than directly below the maple. I'd like to create a "natural" line using a variety of shrubs and short trees so that it doesn't look like a straight line intended to be a wall (closed in feeling). Mostly evergreen, but a few well placed deciduous things wouldn't be bad. Hubby says nothing with little flowers that shed (like Bradford pears).

I know this is a large, daunting task and I've been through so many books and magazines looking for ideas. I'd love to just have a landscape designer come in and figure it out, but a) I can't afford it, and b) I've heard so many people be disappointed with what they got. Would even love to take a class where I can actually learn this and design my own yard as part of the class, but there's no way I can fit it into my crazy schedule.

Any suggestions would be a huge help. Photos. Links to websites. Recommendations of an inexpensive, but good, designer. It's all appreciated greatly. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

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Comments (9)

Iris GW
20 years ago
Wax myrtle is a nice evergreen shrub/small tree that has a very natural look. Plus the birds love the small grey berries that it has.

Your idea to have a mixed border is a great one. That way you are not limited to one choice, a bug/disease can't wipe it all out and the overall effect is more attractive (in my opinion).

Here is a link that might be useful: Wax Myrtle
jmzms
Original Author
20 years ago
I actually already have one wax myrtle at the other end of the property line that has been pruned to be more of a tree form. Don't know why they didn't occur to me. Great idea. Any other suggestions to mix in with them.
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Iris GW
20 years ago
Illicium parviflorum (anise) and chindo viburnum are other evergreen suggestions as well as the usual hollies. Please don't use any variety of privet (including the waxleaf) as they spread too many seeds into the natural environment. I got both the anise and the chindo viburnum in nice sizes at Home Depot Landscape supply.

Deciduous choices include serviceberry (amelanchier) which is very popular with the birds; the cultivar Autumn Brillance offers great fall foliage also, double file viburnum (a very showy spring flowering one), chaste tree (vitex agnes-castus) flowers in summer.
jmzms
Original Author
20 years ago
I was trying to avoid the "usual hollies," but may try to work a couple in. I do love to see the red berries and they're green is such a deep green. As for the privet...HAH! We actually cut out a massive amount of that last year (about 30 feet long of 20-30 foot trees!) and that's what caused part of my need now. Irony, I guess. I'll definately check out the anise and viburnum. Thanks.
perryrip
20 years ago
Jmzms,

I don't know why you wouldn't want the holly as the burford holly would make an excellent hedge for what you describe. If you wanted to limit the height to no more than 10 feet you could go with the dwarf burford. Just some thoughts.

perryrip
cindyabs
20 years ago
I have that problem, except I REALLY need a natural looking privacy hedge/screen. Our development was a tree plantation and for the most part, the trees were left alone, so other than a REAL lawn in front, on either side and in back I have trees-pine,oak, etc. My neighbor's back yard faces the side of my house and he has a pretty ugly fence. Is there anything I could plant amongst the trees that would look "natural" and screen off my view of his backyard and his view of my bedroom deck?
jds82
20 years ago
annis or ligustrum would work well, can be pruned yearly for desired shape and height, red tip and indian hawthorn would work also.althuogh hawthorn doesnt grow fast.if you go with viburnum, ask your plant salesperson for the fast growing type, some types grow very slow

cindyabs:wax myrtle would be natural and does well in the shade of tree's,it also can be pruned,hard if needed, to acheive shape and height
rosie
20 years ago
For a deciduous contribution, the mockoranges have a dense twiggy growth that still screens pretty nicely in winter and lovely, usually fragrant white flowers, are pretty drought tolerant and pest free, and will take partial shade or sun.

Although I never seem to fall in love with roses without fragrance, one I bought by accident but have come to like more and more for its very handsome growth and foliage is 'Martha's Vineyard.' It's only about 4-4.5 feet tall after three years (probably near its max) but is nearly 6 feet wide and has very dense healthy branching and foliage to the ground and a nice relaxed comfortable look in the landscape that makes a good transition between "natural" and domestic mood. It's also extremely healthy for a rose. Three or more of those would make a very nice evergreen mass tucked along the front of some of the other shrubs, especially any that tend to get leggy (like the wonderful super-fast-growing wax myrtles), and provide their clusters of small scentless bright-pink flowers on and off for several months.

Also for the birds, with a casual look, definitely Cotoneaster lacteus, Parney cotoneaster. Very healthy for a cotoneaster, good size, evergreen, and drought tolerant. I saw this plant at a friend's house late last winter alive with dozens of cedar waxwings banqueting on the berries.
Iris GW
20 years ago
By the way, privet=ligustrum, so be sure you know it by either name. Despite the fact that this is still being sold in Georgia, it is not a good plant to use in the southeast. Birds carry the seeds to other places, seedlings start popping up and a problem is born. From an invasive standpoint, ligustrum/privet has consumed more acreage in the southeast than kudzu.

And please don't think that you can't make a difference ... don't plant privet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Invasive impact on Forests