14 privacy screen ideas for your garden

1. Fragrant hedge

A blooming apple hedge offers a beautiful and poetic touch to your garden. You can plant a hedge or a row of slow-growing apple trees in front of your house. Columnar apple trees are ideal for limited spaces, as they naturally grows upright with minimal side branches. With minimal pruning, these trees can be shaped into narrow, two-meter-high forms. In late summer, they also bear apples close to the trunk, adding to their charm.

2. Low stone wall

The low stone wall allows glimpses of the herb garden beyond, while the willow tree crowns offer protection from views and winds. The simple field view between the trunks is captivating. If your garden is surrounded by a beautiful landscape, avoid dense plantings and instead incorporate the surrounding fields into your garden for a dynamic visual experience. Place a bench under a tree and let your gaze wander across the open landscape.

3. Tree shelter

Fast-growing trees can provide the necessary privacy for a new garden within a few years. They can be cultivated into a leafy arbor, offering a cool retreat during hot weather. Trees create a pleasant, humid microclimate. The arbor-like structure can be supported with a trellis to guide the branches. Willows and poplars can also be grown as temporary shelter trees, to be removed once other vegetation matures.

4. Trellis tree

A trellis tree is often grown against a wall or fence but can also thrive in open spaces. Here, a modern twist on a classic method is employed by planting apple trees in a trellis on a raised bed. The branches are directed to grow horizontally by tying them to the bamboo trellis, and the tree is pruned, resulting in a flat-shaped tree. Dwarf rootstock trees are preferable for this technique, as they are easier to train than more vigorous varieties. Ensure even watering in the limited soil space.

5. Traditional wooden fence

A wooden fence provides privacy and a sense of seclusion in dense residential areas. It helps shield against traffic noise and the gaze of passersby. A cozy seating area under the kitchen window can be a delightful retreat. The tree in the garden filters sunlight, negating the need for a parasol. Matching the furniture to the house color creates a harmonious setting, while soft floral hues complete the romantic atmosphere.

6. Plastered wall

The stylish plastered wall adds a touch of exoticism in the dense city block, dividing the long garden into distinct sections and creating multiple garden rooms. These walls make small spaces feel larger, as the entire area isn’t visible at once. Minimalist walls are ideal for guiding sprawling floral arrangements, and they also act as heat reservoirs, storing the sun’s warmth and reducing wind force.

7. Firewood storage

Is it for humor or utility? Firewood can be dried by stacking fresh logs in spring and storing the dry wood in fall. This structure doubles as a handy privacy screen, especially in new gardens where young vegetation hasn’t yet matured to provide privacy. You can also leave the wood wall as a permanent feature, protecting the seating area from views and sounds. This eco-friendly solution offers nesting and hiding spots for beneficial insects in the garden.

8. Convertible flower fence

A flowering fence made from willow panels and flower boxes is never monotonous, as its appearance can be altered by changing plants and their arrangement seasonally. Bulbs and cold-resistant pansies allow the fence to bloom as early as in April. Willow is a natural and lively material. While ready-made willow panels are available, crafting your own willow fence often results in a more personal touch.

9. Lush grasses

Lush grasses are versatile garden plants, suitable as standalone shrubs or as a calming backdrop for perennial groups. A surefire way to capture visitors’ attention is to plant lush eulalia at the end of a path. Growing nearly two meters tall, this grass also serves as an excellent privacy screen and room divider. A neatly trimmed hedge offers a striking contrast to the sprawling grass, guiding movement within the garden. They cover the plants just enough that the viewer has to peek over the hedge.

10. Trimmed hedges

A hedge is an excellent choice when immediate privacy isn’t required. Trimmed hedges are a staple in residential gardens, with high hedges providing protection from the outside world and low hedges ideal for dividing garden spaces. The hedge’s color changes with the seasons, offering shelter to small birds and hedgehogs. Experiment with shapes by trimming the hedge tops into waves or creating passageways and peepholes, which lighten the hedge’s appearance and open views beyond the garden. Trimmed hedges require pruning a couple of times in the summer to maintain their tidy appearance.

11. Dense conifer hedge

A high conifer hedge provides excellent privacy year-round. It is well-suited to both built environments and open landscapes, such as spacious farmhouse gardens. A dense hedge serves as an effective windbreak, improving growing conditions, particularly in colder seasons. In Finland, the European spruce is the most durable choice for a conifer hedge, thriving nationwide and even in shady areas. Thuja is also a healthy, dense hedge option that withstands pruning well. Trim the tops of conifers only once they’ve reached the desired height.

12. Metal arch

Classic arches and pergolas frame garden views beautifully, especially in a romantic’s garden. Have you noticed how a garden looks more enchanting when viewed through an archway? A climbing arch requires surrounding plants to enhance its appeal. Clematis and climbing roses entwined in metal structures are perfect choices for a romantic archway.

13. Japanese-style gate

A colorful gate serves as an exclamation mark, marking the transition from one space to another. It directs the gaze and emphasizes the garden path or passageway. Construct a gate that complements your house and other garden materials. Wood is a versatile building material, ideal for traditional wooden house gardens. It can be painted to match the house or draw inspiration from, say, rhododendron flowers. Surrounding the gate with plants creates a natural look, while bushes obscure views, directing attention to the gate. A gate in an open space can appear isolated.

14. Woven willow fence

A woven willow fence showcases traditional craftsmanship, historically used to protect vegetable gardens from animals. Woven around spruce poles or heat-treated posts, it is strong and sturdy yet lighter in appearance than a wooden fence. It complements nature-oriented gardens or traditional gardens. A willow fence adorned with vines serves as a beautiful privacy screen. The rough weave provides a natural grip, requiring support strings only initially.