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rsislow

Privacy for Small Yard - Help!

rsislow
9 years ago

Hi All!

First time poster - LONG TIME reader!

I'm in the same situation as this poster:
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/design/msg112146101429.html

My wife and I moved into our home about 3.5 years ago. We have about 1/5 of an acre. I feel like it's too small, but we're not going to up and move and we love our house. We'd like to establish our roots here and we've already started doing so.

For the last couple of years, I've been planting random shrubs around borders with the hope of creating privacy. I am the gardener of the house (the husband) and we've both decided we want hardcore privacy - that's not going to be accomplished with the shrubs I've *already* planted.. which makes my job this coming summer a difficult one.

We live in a Zone 5a around Chicago.

To start with, here are some sample photos of how our backyard looks:

Year "0" - where we basically started with really simple plantings:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/instinctphoto/16217529426/

Year "1" - where more complex plantings were done - and a few things were moved around:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/instinctphoto/16217529216/in/photostream/

Year "2" (2014) - where even more things were filled in and beds were brought together instead of circles for each shrub:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/instinctphoto/16241563931/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/instinctphoto/16241564221/in/photostream/

As you can see, I've gone with a mix of shrubs that will get large - in both width and height:
- Purple Smokebush
- Golden Spirit Smokebush
- Limelight Hydrangea (2)
- Burning Bush
- Dappled Willow
- Ninebark (Coppertina?)
- Pinky Winky Hydrangea
- Smaller shrubs and perennials - mixed - in the foreground.

Trees (all relatively small but reasonable growth rate):
- Japanese Maple (doesn't have to grow quickly - more of a specimen)
- Autumn Blaze Maple (one of our favorites - fast growing AND tough)
- Columnar (Streekeeper) Locust
- European Hornbeam (very cool)

Now... it's winter and I'm getting the itch to garden :)
I've been jealous of landscapes that look like this:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/instinctphoto/15621030234/

That picture just above is probably the depth of my backyard - give or take.

Basically, I'm wondering if I should stick with my current layout of shrubs... and plan to prune them once or twice a year because they all exist near my property line (within several feet) for maximum backyard space and privacy coverage.

However, I'm wavering on my original plan. I'm also considering pulling out quite a bit of stuff and relocating it to the front yard or wherever I can scatter these shrubs. I would proceed with replacing them with not-so-exciting but very private Cheyenne Privets - which are hedge-handy and FAST growing. Several nearby stores sell smaller specimens for cheap ($10) for a decent-sized pot. I'd imagine an 8-foot tall hedge of these in say... 5 years from what I've read.

The house behind us is on a higher grade, and the houses to the sides of us have direct views to our yard from their patios. Most of the neighbors are outside a lot during the summer and we all get along very well, but I'm just looking for a solid level of privacy while still being able to interact with our neighbors if we WANT to.

I'm also going to keep the trees in question and use them as the higher layer of coverage over whatever we decide on (privets or the existing shrubs). The trees will probably have branches that I will prune to keep them at 8' at higher - so we'll have a nice line of hedges up to the 6-8' mark, and trees behind that - sort of growing into each other. I've spaced each tree about 12' from each other (at least) and am tempted to go with all Autumn Blaze for full coverage, while moving the other trees to the front of the yard.

Our backyard is absolute full sun - so it gets HOT in the summer and we are also looking for some cover. We also do NOT want to plant a large tree smack dab in the middle of the yard as that would be awkward and would eventually get in the way. We're striving to keep everything around the perimeter.

Thoughts about keeping our existing shrubs? - which to me will be slower growers and have less of a "wall" effect than privets... or should we keep the shrubs and see what happens?

If we keep the shrubs and find out that we didn't get the privacy effect we wanted, I'm concerned about pulling out larger shrubs and hurting the roots, thus not being able to transplant them.

I'd rather do this NOW (the summer) than wait it out. Do you guys think a wall of privets would make a nice backdrop for future smaller shrubs and perennials?

I've also scoured these forums and Google for images that resemble what I'm talking about doing. There's nothing that really fits the bill - but they do come close.

Hope you all can help us decide. I think we're leaning towards the privacy hedge - but that will definitely be a lot of work to dig out what exists, and to relocate those shrubs...

Thanks ahead of time!

Comments (34)

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm also considering a hedge of hornbeams (either Frans Fontaine or Carpinus Betulus Fastigata)... that would allow me to underplant a bit and play down the monotony of the hedge itself. Plus, hornbeams get much taller than privet. This will give us some privacy from second stories of houses around us... but do you think this will make the yard feel closed in?

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The thread will likely be more useful to you if make it easier for people to understand your yard. Some of us don't want to chase after information so it's better to post the pictures directly into the thread. (Make several posts -- one for picture each -- or, since they are uploaded to Flickr, paste the "share" html code for each picture into a post. That way you can include multiple pictures in a single post.) At this point, pictures that show overall wide views are preferable to ones that are too close up. If you pan the camera while standing at a single location, the pictures can be put together in order to see views wider than a single picture can deliver (though don't make computer generated panoramas as they are highly distorted.)

    At some point you'll need to transfer information about what's to be planted to a "to-scale" plan view drawing. It would be good to start on that now and upload a preliminary copy that shows the house footprint, lot lines and any major features that exist. That way, people could understand how much room you're actually working with.

    At this stage of the game, it would be best to forget about specific plants and focus on the functional aspect what you're trying to create. For example ... where is a screen and how much room does it occupy? If you showed us that you had space for a screening plant/hedge that occupied a thickness/depth of only 24", we could better grasp your expectations and help calculate how the goal might be met ... or inform you that what you're trying to do is impractical and how it might better be approached. Also, focusing on function first would help alleviate the common problem many beginners have of incorporating a frenzy of plant varieties when a simpler scheme would better fill the bill.

    Based on some of the plants you are considering, I get a sense that you aren't aware of how large these plants are likely to grow. Now is the time to consider the level of maintenance you're building into the plan and determine if keeping things relatively low maintenance is a goal that fits your lifestyle. It's a common problem that landscapes grow out of hand much farther and sooner than people expect.

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi rsislow,

    Sounds like you have a lot planned for the spring! I went over the photos you provided and would like to give my input.

    1) This one would be the easiest to do and would be the row of shade trees and privet. To me this will (in time) be a great disappointment. Autumn Blaze Maples will be very difficult to grow a hedge of anything near them (even pruned up) and will possibly eat up way more space than you would like. They are aggressively surface rooted and in dry years will pull a lot of moisture from the area you are considering planting the shrubs. If you are not careful to remove competing leaders and included branches Autumn Blaze can completely fall apart in time. While the privet are a good, tough and quick growing hedge, I think you would be utterly disappointed with them in time. Once they reach 8' or so they will not stop growing and as they grow you will have to do very judicious pruning to keep them in bounds. Every year. Often twice a year to keep them looking nice. Why not go for something that will take much less pruning (like the ninebarks, hydrangeas or smokebushes you already have) and get some fun color in the mix?

    If it were me and I were going for the easier option (like the row of trees and shrubs) I would do an upright tree variety (look at Skinny Genes Oak, Streetspire Oak, Regal Prince Oak, Apollo Maple, Dakota Pinnacle Birch (VERY NICE), or upright evergreens like Cupressina Spruce, Jantar Arborviate, Silver Sheen Swiss Stone Pine, Silberblue Serbian Spruce) and then mix it up with the shrubs. For instance if you go with deciduous trees then go for evergreen shrubs (and vice-versa).

    2.) This option would be the better of the two and more akin to the picture you gave. It is a mixed border design utilizing evergreens, grasses, shrubs, small trees, and then smaller shrubs or perennials in front of them. You could really have a lot of fun with this.
    My favorites for your area include:

    GRASSES- Northwind or Rostrahlbusch Switch Grass, Huron Sunrise or Graziella Maiden Grass (Miscanthus)

    SHRUBS- Prairie Flame Sumac (Love these) or Tiger Eyes Sumac, Fire Light/Limelight/Quickfire Hydrangea, Golden Spirit/Royal Purple Smokebush, Little Devil or Amber Jubilee Ninebark, Sem Sorbaria (will sucker profusely though), Raspberry Tart Viburnum, Gold Rush or Rainbow Sensation Weigela, Sugar Shack Button Bush,

    SMALL TREES- Adirondack/Royal Raindrops Crabapple, Magnolias (Like Leonard Messel or Merrill), Northwind or other hardy Japanese Maples and hybrids, Shiloh Splash River Birch, Jack or Silver Ball Pear, Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

    CONIFERS- Too many great ones to name. Go to a local nursery and look at some of the great dwarf shrubs and thinner upright growing selections.

    If you're close enough go to Chicago Botanic, Morton Arboretum, Midwest Groundcovers and check out the display gardens in each place. Will give you a ton of ideas.

    The key to a really nice mixed border is to use grouping of plants (with some unique focal points) that create a fun space. You could keep a bunch of the plants you have and just add a couple new ones to create groupings. I've included a pic that has a Dakota Pinnacle Birch in the upper right hand corner. They have proven quite borer resistant, have great deep green leaf color and yellow-orange fall color, and great white bark all year. Will grow 2-3' a year once they get in the ground. Would be a great focal point for your back yard.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow thanks for the great insight folks. This is my first post and even though I'm in "IT guy," I didn't notice you could embed pictures --- or even know how to.

    I'm a bit torn on what I want to do.

    I'll show you what my head is telling me I'd like to see... I mocked up this crappy picture at work using Microsoft Paint.

    Basically, the grey box in the background is my neighbor's house which is above grade from me.

    The circles towards the bottom are shrubs - whether they be privet or something else and/or mixed.

    The tree is obviously a tree which will loom above the hedge and be planted inwards; away from the border of my yard and next to the hedge, but not too close.

    The idea being - the hedge will cover the first 8-10' of vertical space for privacy. The tree will do the rest. I will space the trees accordingly so I also get horizontal coverage/overlap just like the shrubs... again, not TOO close- but based on the spacing of the tree.

    I would like to do this on all 3 sides of my backyard.

    I will post a few more pictures soon with more explanation...

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    How about using a hedge of limelight hydrangea with autumn blaze maples? Space the limelights about 6-8 feet apart and put the blazes between them so as not to have shallow roots affecting the limelights?

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here's a picture of my backyard from Google Maps - a satellite view. This is the yard a few years ago before I decided to make beds wrapping around the individual plants towards the border of the yard.

    Next up I will show a "doodle" of what I plan to do. Note I am only focusing on my backyard and will not be concerned or noting the front yard.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This is what I plan to do "in my head." (see the bottom of this posting).

    The red X is where the shed currently is. Bad placement. I plan to move it to where the picture says "shed" since this is using the "wide" space in the yard and not the shallow placement where it's currently at.

    Besides that, the green border is where my planned hedge will do. The orange circles are where proposed trees would go. I know what all of you are thinking - "the trees are too close!" I plan to buy smaller trees (such as the autumn blaze which I believe is a smaller tree ultimately) and line these up around the yard.

    I think this strategy will ultimately give us a nice bit of privacy from all sides. Currently, we can see 10 (yes, TEN) houses from our deck!!!

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Here are some thoughts...
    - Limelight hydrangeas used as a hedge would be fast-growing and wouldn't be a lot of maintenance like privets. However, they get wide (up to 8 feet) and I would not be able to do underplantings or plantings to the sides of them (with smaller perennials) verus privets which are properly hedged.

    - Using privets, on the other hand - they *could* get taller but require a TON of maintenance (shearing multiple times per year - as mentioned by a previous poster). However, they could be sheared to maintain a "thinner" stature where I could plant smaller shrubs on the "inside" of the hedge border to create some interest. For example, I could plant a "little limelight" hydrangea in front of the privet, creating a nice layer. However, it could make shearing the privet difficult!!

    Basically, we are looking for heavy privacy because we have a lot of backyard parties. Our current mixed hedge isn't going to provide this kind of dense cover - and many of the plants I currently have in the ground will get very large; not in the right proportions - and not the right kind of privacy. I am learning from my mistakes!

    Ideas?

    Thanks ahead of time!

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I forgot to mention my backyard is incredibly sunny - so that won't be an issue in that aspect. It gets 8+ hours a day of sun...

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Another thing worth mentioning is that my Wife and I do not like the look of evergreens - so arborvitae are out of the question, even though some are narrow and tall, which could be good candidates - but we are going to stick with deciduous options.

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi again,

    I like the idea of the Limelights. They do require a lot of moisture (or just a few years) to get well established.

    I didn't know if you were aware of the new variety 'Fire Light'. The blooms are a little smaller than Limelight but the great part is that they turn a very rich pink-red towards the end of the season. There should be a good supply of them out at better garden center this year.

    Once again, I'm against the idea of the Autumn Blaze. If you have to do the freemanii I would rather say go for Redpointe- just as good fall color but much superior in branching habit. There are so many good upright trees other than Autumn Blaze why take the risk?

    Bruce

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bruce,

    Thanks so much for the input!

    I took a look at the Fire Light hydrangea (beautiful!) but they reportedly do not get as tall as the Limelights. I'm looking for the tallest variety to block out as much view of the neighbors as I can. Don't get me wrong - all of my neighbors are great :) but we need to privacy where we're situated! I may consider a Fire Light in some other location. I wish I could do a mixed hedge of Lime + Fire - that would be really cool if they were the same mature size!

    What recommendations do you have besides the Blaze? I'm looking to put in several, so I want to make the right decision.

    I'm looking for trees that get 50-60' tall (the sky's the limit I say) but only 30-40' wide... and I'll be using generally the same tree throughout the backyard. I know that you're supposed to "mix" trees so if one has an issue, the others don't potentially die or be affected, but I have yet to find 3/4/5 absolutely different varieties of fast-growing, strong, dense trees that I can mix and match. Maybe you have some recommendations?

    Thanks all. Keep the comments coming. I'm in the "planning" phase; I can only start planting as early as March :) (or whenever the weather permits!)

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I looked at the Redpointe Maple - very impressive! I would consider this FOR SURE if I could find a nursery in the Spring that carries these nearby!

    I had another thought to expand on the hedge... how about a mix of Limelight and Pinky Winky Hydrangea to get some color in the mix? I think this could be a stunning look. The PW gets to be about 7 feet tall, so that would give some height to the hedge as well.

    Thoughts?

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I'm also thinking of adding similarly-sized Rose of Sharon shrubs to the mix...

    Rose of Sharon - Blue Chiffon
    Rose of Sharon - Lavender Chiffon
    (and perhaps 1-2 more types fit the bill)

    Limelight + Pinky Winky and the RoS above will provide an awesome mix of color - white, pink, blue, and lavender...

    Now I think I'm getting a good mixed hedge together... around an 8 foot height.

    Thoughts?

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Redpointe is really a standout tree all around. You could also go with Autumn Fantasy Maple or Fall Fiesta Sugar Maple and you would have great fall color and better branching than the Autumn Blaze.

    You should be able to get Redpointe from a wide variety of retailers by now. Go to the Redpointe website and there should be a list of suppliers for your area. Reserve them now while there is still time.

    I've grown Pinky Winky and used them in landscapes and, to be honest, have not been impressed at all here in Iowa. The flowers are very small compared to Limelight when left unpruned and the color impact is little compared to Limelight. They also have not remained full to the bottom like Limelight. Maybe yours will have better luck!

    I do like the idea of using something else- the rose of sharon would be a great choice.

    Bruce

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Don't all maples have shallow roots? Did you see my drawing above with the trees every so often next to the hedge? Basically, I'm looking to put the hydrangea *behind* the trees when viewed from the house so the trees don't grow into the neighbor's yard (too much). However, the canopies of the trees we're discussing aren't that wide necessarily...

    Just wondering if Redpointe is rumored to have less shallow roots than the AB. I've also read that the shallow roots could be due to the owner's poor watering patterns; not a deep shallow initial watering, but just a shallow one. I've always used soaker houses for newer plantings...

  • Embothrium
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When bed shapes are flowing you want to place plants so that the smaller growing ones are in the narrower parts of the beds and the taller in the wider parts. This reinforces and coordinates with the shape of the bed. Instead what is too often seen is planting that opposes the appearance of movement in particular directions created by flowing bed shapes - the tree out on the tip of the bed in the above color photo, with all the rest of the bed populated by shorter or short plants is an example of this.

    Static bed shapes like circles call for formal planting, with geometrically laid out plants (that are used to form straight lines, rectangles, triangles etc.) that match one another in size and may also often be sheared to further reinforce the geometric symmetry of the design.

    The familiar straight wall with a bounteous, informally planted mixed border in front of it associated with British gardening particularly is supposed to provide interest in the contrast between the formality of the wall and the loose appearance of the planting. But another way to look at this is that the contrast between the tone of the two elements is actually a conflict, a lack of cohesion and coordination - with the crisp wall (or hedge) behind (and the rectilinear shape of the associated bed) making the planting look sloppy.

    This post was edited by bboy on Fri, Jan 16, 15 at 15:51

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I am planning on placing the trees inwards (toward my yard) versus the hedge so the trees do not encroach much of my neighbor's property (even though they are "OK" with this to a certain extent; I've already spoken to all three surrounding neighbors). There is no other option to do this...

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If I really had my best overall picks for quick growth without a terribly aggressive surface rooting system I would do Regal Prince Oak or Dakota Pinnacle Birch. I've used both of these regularly with great success.

    Of course there are a lot of oak varieties and hybrids you could use.....Crimson Spire will hold its leaves throughout the winter.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Attached is an image of my backyard just now using my phone to take a panorama. The red line is roughly the border - as panorama images tend to be bent from perspective. I would be planting my hedge of limelights (this is the preference at this point) along that line, and place 3-5 trees WITHIN the red line - closer to me where I took the picture from. I'm having a heck of a time deciding on trees which would block the upper portion of view from the neighbors. The trees would cover the 8 feet and beyond portion of our view.

    Does this picture help you folks out to visualize my quest to get some privacy?

    Thanks ahead of time.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Here is a larger version of the image. It's very wide and this site appears to scale it down quite a bit:

    https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BypVDrbycl1XWDdXUUZCVm1XMzg&authuser=0

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rsislow, consider that whatever you plant today is likely going to need much revising and adapting after the trees grow an appreciable amount. They'll produce enough shade that lower plants will not likely grow well enough to produce the screening you desire. Screening would be improved and longer lasting without the overhead shade. Where tall screening is necessary, tall shrubs would take care of it. Also, I would not rule out some vines on a support. Sometimes they are the best choice for screening where there is shade or where you don't want the screen to be massively thick. Too, trees where they would give some protection from the overhead sun might be appreciated near the deck.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Final list after lots of thought and input from you all...

    Shrubs:
    rose of sharon
    - Blue Chiffon Rose of Sharon
    - Lavender Chiffon Rose of Sharon
    - Blue Satin Rose of Sharon
    - Rose Satin Rose of Sharon
    - Helene Rose of Sharon
    golden spirit smokebush
    purple smokebush
    limelight hydrangea
    dappled willow

    Trees:
    armstrong maple

    Shrub spacing will be 6 feet. Everything that grows larger than that has been accounted for - smokebushes and dappled willow especially. These will be pruned to keep them at roughly the same size as the limelights - which will be my baseline shrubs.

    Also, I received this answer from the Morton Arboretum regarding planting maples "near" other shrubs:

    "If all the trees and shrubs are planted at the same time, the shallow root system of the maples should not be a problem. If the shrubs get planted at a later date when the roots have spread out, then digging in order to plant the shrubs might be disruptive to the roots."

    I will be planting everything at the same time (roughly) so this is not an issue.

    Also, I will be raising dirt on my beds about 6" for good draining.

    Come on, Spring ---- get here! :)

  • PRO
    Yardvaark
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "Also, I will be raising dirt on my beds about 6" for good draining." Since you've described, more or less, a bed which surrounds your back yard, be careful to consider how excess rain water will escape. You wouldn't want to trap flowing water by surrounding the yard with a 6" ht. berm. Or it could be the opposite of good drainage.

    I still question if some of the shrubs are going to grow well when they are more or less under the shade of nearby trees (after things get rolling.) Some of the shrubs are full sun kind of plants.

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Would you Armstrong Gold rather than Armstrong. Much tighter habit and better, more consistent fall color for your area.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    As far as raising the beds goes, there's a sewer drain in the corner of my yard - and I'll be leaving an area for water to drain into that between the beds. This is basically how it currently drains, and I'll continue to direct the water in that fashion.

    I am not going to worry about fastigate/columnar trees shading shrubs below them. My backyard is "full full full" sun and all shrubs will do just fine. I don't have many other options for trees and going with an Armstrong will be one of the narrowest choices I can make. The shade will do little to the shrubs below. The sun will still hit the shrubs from multiple directions as it crosses over my house in a diagonal path and will provide early in the day and late at night sun to any shrubs that may be shaded just a bit. I'm not too concerned about this.

    Thanks for the "Gold" maple option... that looks great!

    Now where to find these trees?! I've looked around at local nursery catalogs and can't even find the "standard" Armstrong maple... how do you folks go about hunting down good stock?

    I'm not into buying plants online; I want to see and inspect what I'm buying in person.

    If it helps, I'm in zip code 60108 if anybody has a helpful search...

    Thanks.

  • Bruce_Quint
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you're in the Chicago area all you need to do is find a retail supplier who carries J. Frank Schmidt stock. Armstrong Gold has been out for a couple years so someone in the area should have it.

    For wholesalers Mariani nurseries is a large wholesaler in the area and Beaver Creek is another large wholesaler and both would probably carry upright, fast growing maples (though maybe not Armstrong Gold exactly). Again you could contact them and see about retailers in your area carrying their stock.

    Another option is CJ Fiore. I think they do both retail and wholesale.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    aegis500 - how big are your Golden Vicary nowadays? i may use a few of those as well for some contrast.

    bruce_quint - thanks for the info! i'll call around in early spring to see who has what... i appreciate it!

  • aegis1000
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    rsislow ....

    I had to cut back my Golden Vicary privets after last year's "polar vortex" winter, but these shrubs will easily reach 10' tall and 8' around.

    Here's a more springtime view of that same backyard border as above.

    It's still rather young in the photo though .... aside from the winters, I feel pretty well enclosed in my backyard today.

  • rsislow
    Original Author
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    aegis500 - looks great! that's what i want! nice variety and contrast... great layout.

    i already have a dappled willow that i'll be moving a bit and it's about 2 years old. no issues with burning.

    my backyard has perfect growing conditions... i just need some structure and layout fixes.

    i have a busy spring ahead but i love yardwork. it keeps me gRowing, lol.

  • captainsly
    9 years ago

    Hi I'm back again... I have a decent plan in my head but every time I post there's lots of disagreement :)

    I'm still favoring the narrow trees and keeping them towards the borders of the yard. The narrow trees will provide vertical privacy well beyond taller shrubs that I plant to the sides of the trees.

    To make understanding my point of view easier - here's a view from my deck to show how the house behind me is elevated:


    I'm sure you can see my current plantings that I'm going to shift around a bit.

    I'll leave it to you guys - how would you cover up this view? We don't like confiers - so no arborvitae etc. please. We prefer deciduous shrubs and trees.


    Backyard dimensions:

    Width

    The narrowest end (back) of my backyard is about 52 feet wide. The widest (nearest to my house) is about 68 feet wide. Sort of a trumpet shape.

    Sides
    One side measures about 46 feet. The other side is about 44 feet.

    The only measurements to take into consideration here are the back (52 feet wide) and sides (46/44).


    I really don't want to see the house behind me for the most part. I love my neighbors but we need privacy!

  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    9 years ago

    I vote for anything other than privet!

    Have you considered Oakleaf Hydrangea? It could take the dappled light under the trees you are planning.

  • captainsly
    9 years ago

    I will be using Limelight Hydrangea - my preference...

    I am not going to be using Cheyenne Privet for the maintenance level, but may consider Golden Vicary as I already have some on the side of my house and they are wonderful...

  • grisdalem
    3 years ago

    What did you end up going with for the larger trees and what spacing did you use?


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