8 Privacy Landscape Ideas for Your Backyard or Front Yard

Privacy Panels for landscaping is important. Your neighbors don’t have to be up in your business just because they live next to you. And you certainly don’t need to be forced to look at anything unsightly from your yard. Curating the views to and from your landscape can have a dramatic effect on increasing the privacy in your landscaping. There are many reasons why a homeowner may want to work on their privacy landscaping. If you have a pool that you want blocked from your nosy neighbor, or you want to keep your backyard hidden from a busy road, or you may be tired of looking at unattractive sights from your front patio. If you are asking yourself, how do I landscape my backyard for privacy, continue reading our expert recommended privacy landscaping ideas.
It’s important to note that not all landscapes are created equal and that some of the following ideas may work great for some spaces and not work well for others. Let this article be a guide to help you plan your privacy landscape design with various options that can best accommodate your unique property!

1. Privacy Panels

Using privacy panels can be beneficial for a variety of different spaces. They can be crafted out of different materials and can be customizable to whatever size or shape you need. They also can be a decorative, using various designs to accent the space. They can also be used in a row to create a privacy fence if you are looking for fence landscaping ideas that can create privacy. Our landscape designers are experts at coming up with creative solutions and can curate landscaping wall ideas with your style and unique space in mind. These are the most popular types of privacy panels for landscaping:

• Wood – Wood fence panels are great for privacy and super easy to assemble and build. It can be easily adjusted to suit your space. There is a little flexibility with decorative patterns that you can do.
• Metal – Metal privacy screens are great for decorative purposes and for creating fun shadows with the play on light. They can be absolutely customizable to fit the aesthetic you are going for. Plus, metal screens will age well with time if you like the patina look.
• Masonite – Compressed fiber board has a similar look to the metal screens but lower in cost.
• Fabric – Privacy fabric panels come at a good price point and can be a good option for overhead privacy as well. Most fabric panels have one way visibility through them and can be good to protect areas from outside views but still want to enjoy seeing through them. Great as a landscaping idea to block neighbors.

2. Pergolas

These build structures are a good alternative for privacy. With various materials and sizes to choose from, they offer a lot of privacy options in the home. One option is to have additional privacy panels on a few sides of the pergola to increase the amount of privacy and views into the inside. Pergolas are great backyard ideas to block neighbors, especially if they are living on upper floors and can see into your space from above. They are great to create privacy for a hot tub or to create a secluded sitting area.

3. Planting Screens and Berms

There area lot of different plants that could be used to provide landscape privacy if planted together or in a row. Landscaping with trees and shrubs is always a great option. Evergreens are going to be the best privacy landscaping trees so that the screen doesn’t lose shape in the winter. Junipers are a planting screen staple. Here are a few others to consider:

• Columnar Buckthorn – They stay really skinny and can grow close together to form a hedge-like planting screen.
• Canada Red Choke Cherry – This plant suckers, spreads, and grows fast for quick privacy.
• Hot Wings Maple – For a bright red fall color privacy screen, this tree branches low and is dense and great for blocking for maximum privacy.
• Building a berm and planting it with medium sized shrubs can also be really effective in creating good privacy or blocking out areas that you don’t want to look at form your space.

4. Building Around a Tree

Using your existing trees is the most sustainable method for creating landscape privacy. Homeowners can take advantage of the trees already on the property to create areas that are secluded. Privacy landscaping trees such as large conifers can block unsightly views and can create space that is more hidden. Planning which areas would be best for spending time outdoors based on the existing tree locations can be one of many simple landscape ideas for front of house also. Don’t hesitate to contact our experts for tree care tips and ideas

5. Fill in with Bamboo

Bamboo is an easy growing plant that grows tall and can fill in gaps easily. This is our go-to plant to grow quickly in a contained area for privacy. Bamboo grows quickly and rapidly and is a good option for a planting screen as long as it’s planted in a container or beds with strong barriers. However, bamboo is not super hardy and can have winter die back. It’s best planted east facing to protect it from northern winds.

6. Water Features

Water features are an excellent technique to muffle the noise of what is going on inside or outside of your backyard. Depending on the amount of noise, water features can be an easy way to add a sense of tranquility to a space that is otherwise noisy. Water features really enhance the vibe of the space and can give the illusion that the space is in a much more private location.

Learn how to choose the best plants for water features

7. Green Walls and Vines

Although tricky for Colorado landscaping, a green wall can work if it’s inside or against a wall of house. A better option for our climate in the Denver area would be a trellis with vines growing. These are the two vine recommendations we suggest:

• Ivy – Is a genus that is evergreen and works great in north facing areas.
• Silver Lace Vine – An Asian species of flowering plant that works well in full sun areas and is fast growing.

8. Espaliers

These amazing plants are trained to grow flat against a wall, creating a vine-like growing habit. Although not suitable by themselves in Colorado, they can grow well up against a privacy wall or fence as long as they are protected from wind. Because they go dormant in the winter, they need a permanent lattice behind them to act as a screen in the winter. Whatever you decide to plant, it’s always important to consider winter tree care.

Need Help from Landscape Professionals?

Our team of experts can help guide you as you determine which kind of privacy landscaping best suits your unique property. We have a team of residential and commercial landscape designers that can aid in analyzing your site and help create the best option for you. Give us a call today for a consultation with one of our landscape experts.