How to Naturally create residential privacy
The prying eye is ever peering. Let's put a stop to that, shall we? Petal Organic Landscaping understands the peace of mind that privacy brings.
There are many ways to provide privacy through the use of native design. After a long day, let's avail ourselves to peace and quiet and hopefully some privacy!
I have been living, gardening and landscaping professionally in The Woodlands, Texas for over 30 years! Over time I've developed some “go to” methods to provide the best balance of aesthetically pleasing natural privacy screens.
Native evergreens with dense dark leaves that tolerate drought work superb. With proper plant placement and choosing according to mature size we can reduce future maintenance and pruning. It all depends if you want the maintained uniform look or whimsical, natural style.
An often overlooked aspect of designing an adequate privacy screen is to include layers of different plants that compliment each other.
Why would I want a natural Privacy screen?
The use of privacy shrubs is a keen way to provide a functional partition of limited space while extending your outdoor living areas. Natural privacy screens can offer that extra barrier needed for exposed areas of your house and property. By creating layers with groups or clusters of large hedge shrubbery this use of natural fences and screening can reduce road noise, act as a powerful wind break and can create the illusion of inclusion, making the space come together in a subtle way.
Variety is the spice of life and the same thought applies when crafting the ultimate privacy screen. We like to include evergreen textures and different tones of greens for a lush dense look, some with features like flowering bushes or ones that have interesting fragrance, fall color, spring blooms and berries for the wild life.
Do you have living spaces, porches and patios too close to your neighbor's recreational area?
Would you like privacy that goes higher than your standard suburban fence?
No matter the circumstance, we are here to provide you with expert solutions. We understand sometimes space constraints are limited and every property has different features.
Depending on your neighborhood, deed restrictions or what your H.O.A dictates, there can be many limiting factors that will try to “curb your appeal”.. Don't you love it when people try and tell you what to do on your own property!
The good thing is landscaping has no limits! We know how to work with all the red tape and regulations and we are very imaginative. By designing and creating your own privacy hedge or natural screen you can get around these often pesky neighborhood rules.
Best Privacy Shrubs for the Suburban yard
These are some of my favorite plants and why I use them for dedicated long lasting privacy.
1. Walter’s Viburnum ( Viburnum obovatum )
An outstanding, native, evergreen large shrub or small tree with attractive small dark green leaves.
Host to the spring azure butterfly larvae (Celastrina ladon)!!
Walter’s Viburnums branches are preferred by Song birds such as cardinals to nest in!
Produces a magnificent display of clusters of white flowers in February-March.
Tough, easy to grow, & very versatile. Can be used as a hedge, screen, or small “tree”.
Un-pruned, it forms a very large, full, evenly shaped shrub, but pruned as a hedge (from 3’ tall to 12’ tall)
it becomes an incredibly thick, impenetrable wall of green. Tolerates drought and the occasional flood, tolerates a wide range of soils, & grows in sun or part shade. Can Be trained as a small 12’ x 10’ ornamental “tree”. Grows from 6’-12’ tall.
2. Lord Byron Viburnum (V. obovatum x V. rufidulum)
A fabulous new hybrid Viburnum between Walter’s Viburnum and the native Rusty Blackhaw Viburnum.
Vigorous grower with an upright tree form. Small foliage and a spectacular display of clusters of white flowers in February-March.
Deciduous.
Best used as a small ornamental tree or can be used as a fast growing screen. Averages 12’-18’. Full sun or light shade.
3. Mission Olive
Mission olive produces edible fruit and is a great landscape tree.
It’s evergreen, cold and heat tolerant, dense and adds a beautiful gray contrast to the garden.
Full sun is best, it loves the Texas heat!
Small white flowers bloom before the fruit sets. Being evergreen, it is a great habitat for sheltering birds!
4. True Myrtle ( Myrtus sp )
This is one tough evergreen! Hardy to 20 degrees or less, it can be used as a hedge, screen or pruned up into a small
tree. Fragrant white flowers in spring are followed by an abundance of multi-colored berries which birds enjoy.
The leaves are aromatic as well. Sun to partial shade. Grows 10’ to 12’ high and wide.
5. Skinner’s Banana Shrub ( Michelia skinneriana )
A far superior Banana Shrub to the usual variety!
A strong growing, evergreen.
large shrub or small tree with very attractive dark, glossy green foliage & unique banana yellow flowers with a wonderful banana scent!
Blooms in spring & will repeat bloom sometimes in summer & fall.
Can be sheared into a hedge, grown as a screen, used as an accent shrub, or trained as a small tree possibly 10’-12’ tall.
Will grow well in understory conditions or in full sun.
6. Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine ‘Tensaw’)
This female selection of Dahoon has a rounded habit, wide green leaves and red berries that call the birds!
Makes a dense screen or small specimen tree – 12’-15’ tall if left unpruned.
Tolerates a wide range of soil types – can tolerate moist conditions. Full sun or understory conditions!
7. Last but certainly not least! We give you the Pineapple Guava ( Feijoa sellowiana )
A large evergreen shrub or small tree with blue-green foliage and silver backing.
Fragrant white flowers in the spring!
The petals are edible. Also produces edible fruit as it matures. Who loves an edible hedge am I right!?
Full sun to part shade. Can prune as a hedge, or let grow it can reach 12’ at least, if left unpruned.
hardy into the teens. Drought tolerant, disease resistant. Tough!!
In Conclusion of all things natural privacy!
“I love designing and installing privacy screens for my clients. Personally, my number one initiative is to create the most gorgeous landscape possible that will compliment you, your home and family..”
Fall through winter is the number one time to plant trees and shrubbery .If you want the added benefit of additional privacy or natural screens, you are in luck. There are so many fun and stunning ways to configure native and non-invasive plants in the greater Houston area. Living vertical gardens, custom flower trellis’s, varieties of dense evergreen shrubs and certain small trees can all provide your landscape and family the privacy it deserves.
The residential suburban yard is the ideal setting for natural privacy screens. Where else can you make the term “natural privacy Screens” fun and exciting? When form and function meet, it's a harmonious thing to behold.
That's why I love designing and installing privacy screens for my clients. Personally, my number one initiative is to create the most gorgeous landscape possible that will compliment you, your home and family. If designed and implemented correctly, over time the installation will fully thicken and fill out, creating a strong barrier from wind, road noise and the ever prying eye!