Decks / Patios

I’D LOVE TO HAVE A BIGGER PATIO (OR DECK) BUT ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS CAN SEE EVERYTHING MY FAMILY AND I ARE DOING IN OUR BACK YARD…

Too many people in this situation just plant a row of Leyland Cypress all around the perimeter of their property because they grow fast and are evergreen. Sure, you’ll be able to check off the box for “Screen back yard for privacy” on your to-do list, but there’s not a lot of interest, variety, or style in such a planting. Depending on the size of your yard, you might also feel a bit claustrophobic when these plants reach 50- , 60- , 70-feet tall. You’ll probably have trouble growing grass in the shade of these trees, too. Oh – and hopefully – yours won’t get bag worms or die from drought as Leylands will sometimes do.

Instead of a “giant green wall,” consider planting a beautiful blooming shrub border with a mixture of perennials, groundcovers, evergreen shrubs, and small deciduous trees to screen off the parts of your back yard where you’d like more privacy. With a combination of shorter plants, you won’t have that claustrophobic feel, you’ll be able to have thicker, healthier grass, and your house won’t be threatened by those Leylands in a heavy wind storm. Your yard will also be more appealing with a variety of plants that have different features to offer in each season of the year. (Chances are the birds and butterflies will think so too.)

If your yard is small and cannot accommodate a shrub border, but you still need to screen off parts of your yard for privacy or to block unsightly views, consider planting a variety of evergreen shrubs. (Consider planting the shrubs in a zigzag pattern so they overlap and provide better screening and look a bit more natural than a straight row of shrubs.) A mixed planting is generally better at tolerating diseases and pests than a long row of a single type of plant. As mentioned before, a mixed planting adds more variety and interest to your landscape making it more inviting to you and your family throughout the year.

Screen plantings of mixed evergreen trees or tall shrubs can not only provide privacy and block unsightly offsite views but also help screen out:

• Noise
• Dust
• Headlights
• Wind
• Sun

Just think: If you didn’t have to worry about what your neighbors were doing at any given moment or what time of day it is (or the day of the week or time of year) or how heavy the traffic will be after you get home from work, imagine how much more time you and your family could enjoy being outdoors on a new (or bigger) deck or patio.

Don’t know which plants to buy? Not crazy about doing the work yourself? We can help with design AND installation. Contact us or call us at 772-4722 for a FREE ESTIMATE.