Are you looking for new, ingenious ways to create a gorgeous natural screen in your garden, whether for your privacy or for aesthetic reasons? Well, luck is with you today, as there are plenty of useful plants that do just this.
If you are sick and tired of your neighbor’s terrible dump of a garden, it is time to get rid of the eyesore with these awesome options. Check out the top ten plants for screening your garden below:
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Bamboo
Ah, the joys and beauty of bamboo. This amazing plant adds just the right amount of height to your outdoor garden paired with a good dose of contemporary style. A row of bamboo trees grown alongside your borders can rise to a great height for a screen. A common worry people have is the invasiveness of bamboo plants.
The right breed of bamboo isn’t invasive at all! In fact, fargesia bamboos are the easiest to grow and maintain. They don’t grow their roots nearly as fast as other strains, and their roots tend to clump together instead of spreading. The plant itself grows quite fast and remains strong even in cold weather.
Cactus
Growing a cactus or a few cacti is a good idea for a screen in your garden. You might think that this is a ridiculous idea, but these prickly plants can be perfect for you. The
cactus is one of the most famous in this regard. It was used in the past by landowners in Mexico to designate where their property’s boundaries ended.
If your garden is in a hot climate without a lot of rainfall, a row of tall-growing cacti can look absolutely stupendous. Used right, it can add to the overall beauty of your home’s architecture as well.
Buckthorn
Italian Buckthorn is an evergreen shrub that is a great privacy plant. It is a fast-growing shrub that grows almost vertically, which makes it perfect for screening. In fact, this shrub is far taller than it is wide, which means that you can use it in place of walls, or in front of them. If you want to cover a wall with some light coverage, you can plant your buckthorn right in front of it and not have to worry about it eating up a ton of space in a small garden.
Boxwood
This is another evergreen plant that is great for planting in pots and containers. If you can use taller containers that don’t have a large width, you gain far more height for the plant. Take the time to sculpt the plant as it grows, improving it for screening your garden from the outside world.
You don’t always have to plant a boxwood row in a pot. You can also use the ground for a more Old English style of gardening. These evergreens can be trimmed into any shape you want. If you aren’t too focused on growing them as tall as you can, try trimming your boxwoods into spheres, triangles and whatever else your heart desires.
Arborvitae
Arborvitae is a very unique type of plant that is usually found in layers with other screening plants like boxwood. It grows quite tall indeed, but you need to get the right strain and put in some effort to cultivate the trees to grow taller.
Privet
Taking you back to Privet Drive from Harry Potter, privet trees are actually hedges that can take quite a while to grow and shape. It is a plant that rewards patience because of the privacy it provides in your garden and other outdoor areas. The formations are tall and very green indeed, but the plant need a little more space to grow than most others. Consider this carefully when planting too!
Clematis
Clematis is a type of vine that is fast-growing and works well with latticed fences and other walls that have gaps in them. The blooms of the clematis plant are among the most beautiful for flowering plants, especially when you have a whole wall covered in them! Remember that vines need support to grow, and will not grow tall enough to provide an effective screen on their own.
Photinia
Photinia is an evergreen plant. It is a shrub that offers some extremely thick screening when compared to most other screening plants. The leaves are large and glossy, adding a certain luster to your garden. You can use it in alternation with other flowering plants. The Photinia plant grows well on its own, but can also be cultivated for a better shape.
Jasmine
The confederate jasmine is a slow-growing vine that can be the perfect addition to your garden. It can take a few years to completely cover your fence, but the plant is an evergreen that is very durable indeed. The stunning fragrance of the flowers will permeate the air in your home and garden for decades to come, and is perfect for cultivation on balcony gardens too.
Cypress
The cypress tree is truly in a class of its own. It is tall, classy, and super professional in appearance. Similar to the willow tree, this tree grows very tall, but its width isn’t much at all. This makes the cypress tree one of the best to plant in a row along your garden wall. It doesn’t grow nearly as fast as most other types of trees, and doesn’t last for nearly as long – the average lifespan of a cypress is about 15 years, although this can change based on the strain and the climate.
So, there you have it. Ten amazing plants that you can grow in your garden. There are shrubs, bushes, trees, and even cacti here. Regardless of what your preferred style is in your garden, there is bound to be something here for you to work with. Remember that some of these plants do take a while to grow and nurture, so it is important that you have patience if you pick a slow grower like jasmine. In time, your new garden screen should be looking as fresh as mother nature herself!
Photos c/o Mark, Vicki, Ellaura and Mason, Jim, the Photographer, F. D. Richards, kanshiketsu, potential past & -pottymouth- 