When first faced with a privacy concern, the first step is usually to build a fence. Whether it’s the highway running behind your house, or a neighbor’s back porch looming over yours. Good fences make good neighbors, or so the old adage goes. But what do you do when that’s not enough? What else can you do? In this article we’ll examine what to plant along fence line for privacy, where you should consider planting, and why this makes for a better privacy solution than fences alone.
Plants Depend On Fence Type
First things first, there’s the fence type. In some communities it’s impossible to install solid fences. Maybe there’s a ‘view easement’ or simply an HOA with a long reach on what they can control. If you don’t want a solid fence, or the HOA or town won’t allow it, planting along your fence line will be paramount to a successful privacy solution.
What To Plant Along Fence Line For Privacy
So what do you plant anyway? Well, the go to for most people when examining what to plant along fence line for privacy is something from the evergreen family. Evergreens are great for privacy because they always provide privacy. Does this mean they’re the only solution? Absolutely not. There are great privacy trees which are deciduous and thick.
Consider for a moment if you are needing to enclose a pool area for privacy. How often are you using the pool area when there are no leaves on the trees? Likely not at all. So, when considering what to plant, you first should think about how you’ll use the area to be planted for privacy.
What To Plant Along Fence Line For Privacy Near A Pool
If you will be planting for a pool area, you may consider deciduous trees with thick foliage. One of our favorites is the columnar hornbeam. These can be planted in a row with a clear understory, exposing the fence for lighting, or leaving space for your favorite shrubs and perennials to be planted along the fence line.
Columnar hornbeam:
Obviously with all plant recommendations you’ll need to confirm you can plant these in your planting zone. Consult a planting zone chart like the one below:
What To Plant Along Fence Line For Privacy In A House
Likewise, if you are planting a privacy screen to give you some privacy in your house, that’s another matter completely, and evergreens are likely the best choice. In modern homes there are often large panes of glass giving a fantastic view of the outdoors. However, unless you want to always have your window coverings drawn, you’ll need some way to keep the view private so your neighbors aren’t staring into your living room.
The major go to evergreen is the arborvitae. These conical shaped trees are capable of growing into massive trees. Arborvitaes are also known as western red cedar, eastern white cedar, and the green giant.
Before long, you’ll want to start considering a pruning solution unless you want to create a wall of green. These are capable of becoming walls of green, and if that’s your goal, the arborvitae is a great solution. To ensure even and continuous growth, make sure you have a good source of irrigation water and sunlight.
‘Arborvitae’ Western red cedar mature:
Privacy hedge:
Mixed plantings privacy:
One of the preferred methods of what to plant along fence line for privacy when you have the space, is to use a mixed variety of screening trees and shrubs. Unlike situations where you need to just plant a line of trees for privacy to create a privacy hedge, mixed plantings give a sculptural solution.
Mixed plantings require a bit more space. However, they feel a bit more organic and accent the landscape in their own way. You might consider mixing in evergreen shrubs like boxwoods and rhododendrons. This will create interest and screen the understory of larger trees.
Planting Along Fence Line For Privacy Summary
When you make your choices for what to plant along fence line for privacy, don’t hesitate to get creative and try a few different layers. When you have the luxury of space, take advantage and make it interesting. If you have a tight space to work with, creating a tall green hedge from arborvitae, yew, holly or otherwise will make you glad you did. Walls of green are much more attractive than a fence.
