Six ways to make your garden more private

We might be approaching the end of summer, but a well-presented garden offers interest and additional living space throughout the year. A new-build garden is a particularly exciting place to start – a blank canvas for personalisation and customisation, which can be endlessly fettled and improved over the coming years.

One aspect many people would like to improve is the privacy their garden offers and fortunately, there are cost-effective and practical ways to do this. We’ve listed six of our favourite examples below.

Plant a hedge border.

Hedging takes time to establish, but there’s something satisfying about new buds emerging each spring, as formerly distinct bushes blend into one another. Choose your hedge according to factors like the soil type and how much sunshine the garden receives. Cypress leylandii will grow anywhere, whereas Portuguese laurel needs a quick-draining soil to thrive. Fast-growing plants such as foxglove and lupins provide colourful alternatives to a green hedge.

Double-board the fence.

Additional fence boarding (or ready-made panels) do more than accentuate an existing fence’s privacy. They also help to muffle sound, adding an extra layer for ground-level noise to penetrate. Double fencing helps to cut down on neighbouring lawns creeping through, while it’ll stop territorial animals being able to spot their neighbours through gaps. Despite recent rises in timber prices, 1.8-metre planks aren’t expensive to buy or install.

Build a pergola or arbour.

This is often undertaken in tandem with close-boarding a fence. Open-topped pergolas and solid-roofed arbours are covered seating spaces, helping to keep the sun off while also interrupting sight lines from neighbouring properties. Their timber frames can be used to grow climbers like roses, support fake ivy trellis panels, or simply get boarded over. A well-constructed pergola also forms a year-round point of interest.

Install a retractable sun canopy.

This is usually deployed on the back of a house, above a patio area which neighbouring properties overlook from their upper-storey windows. An electrically retractable patio awning creates a sunshade that also boosts outdoor privacy while it’s extended. When it’s not needed, simply press a button and it glides up into a compact cassette akin to a roller blind. Available in a spectrum of sizes and styles, awnings usually need professional installation.

Introduce a water feature.

Privacy isn’t all about sight – sound plays a part, as well. If you can hear neighbours talking, they’ll be able to hear you, too. A water feature is a great way to obscure low-level background noise, ensuring your own conversations remain confidential. Water features range from simple bowls to cascading multi-tier affairs with integral LED lighting. They generally require mains power, and you should drain them in winter to prevent ice damage.

Add a patio in the quietest corner.

Patios are normally positioned immediately outside a property, so you can step straight out onto it. In some plots, a different location might provide greater sun exposure or privacy, such as at the far end of a garden backing onto open land. You’ll quickly establish which parts of your garden are quieter than others, giving you more confidence to break out the barbecue and deploy a Bluetooth speaker without disturbing anyone else’s peace.

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