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The Art of Gardening
Trees & Shrubs

Beyond Laurel - How to Create Privacy without a Green Wall

We hear it in the nursery every day - “I need to screen out my neighbor’s ugly garage/house/RV/dead cars/all of the above”… “so I need something that grows fast to exactly 8’, is evergreen, drought tolerant, low maintenance.. oh yeah, and cheap!”

Hey, we all like our privacy, but we don’t necessarily need to build a giant green wall to get it. I’ve always said that the best thing a person can do to figure out how to solve a landscape problem is to get a comfy lawn chair, a good book, and spend the day in your yard. You want to identify areas where you need absolute screening (evergreens or some hardscape/evergreen combination) and areas where a partial block will work.

Next refine exactly how high and wide your screen needs to be. A good way is to stand or sit in the area where you’ll be looking at the screen. Have someone stand in the area where the screen will be planted and raise a pole until it’s tall enough to block effectively. Similarly, use poles to estimate the width you need.

Now that you’ve determined what size you need where, it’s time to look at plants. Of course there are well-known evergreen plants such as pyramidalis and Leyland cypress, but there are many other great choices. Slender Hinoki cypress is an elegant, moderate-growing conifer which matures at 15-20’. Hollywood juniper is bright green with slightly displaced arms at variable angles. Vanderwolfe’s pine is a soft 2-needle pine with distinctive blue color. Notable broadleaf evergreens include Pacific Wax Myrtle (fast-growing to 15-20, tolerates any and all pruning up to chainsaws and fire), Portuguese Laurel (English Laurel’s better-mannered cousin), Escallonia; and Ceanothus.

For areas where you don’t have to have evergreens, consider the many handsome deciduous shrubs. For larger plants, consider Lilacs, Mock Orange, or some of the Doublefile Viburnums. Other larger choices could include Kerria, Forsythia, or Smoke Bush. Choose a plant with a bloom season to complement the rest of your plantings.

Don’t forget vines, whether evergreen or deciduous. Vines can create a fast-growing screen with great seasonal interest and a variety of texture, often in a short time frame. Clematis, Akebia, Wisteria, Boston ivy are only a few of your choices.

Finally, consider using hardscape elements in your plan. Fencing panels, bamboo or willow screens, and arbors can enhance or define an area of screening. These hard elements, judiciously combined with your plantings, can also help to tie your landscape in with the rest of your living space.

I hope this article has helped expand your horizon beyond the “green wall.” As always, if you have questions on how to implement some of these ideas, come in and consult with Sky’s nursery staff.

By Charlie Shull, C.P.H.
Skylights Spring/Summer 2004 Vol. 18, No. 2

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