Looking for garden screening ideas? There are so many ways to get creative when it comes to creating a sense of privacy in your garden.
Many of the best garden landscaping ideas involve some form of screening. It’s multifunctional, shielding your garden from the rest of the world while zoning off individual spaces, such as a seating area.
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1. Make use of natural hedges
Garden screening ideas don’t have to be man-made – planting natural hedging is a great way to zone a garden while providing a haven for wildlife.
‘Fast-growing hedges such as cherry laurel, privet, leylandii and bamboo are the perfect alternative to man-made fences,’ says Chris Cooper, senior product manager at battery lawnmower specialists Hayter.
‘Leylandii is especially quick, growing up to 90cm a year and requiring little to no maintenance.’
Most hedges are relatively low maintenance – you’ll just need to learn how to prune hedges once a year to keep them in shape. Hedges and shrubs can help with noise reduction, too, so they’re a great option if you live by a busy road.
You can order Leylandii hedging from B&Q.
2. Be creative with grasses
Tall, ornamental grasses are perfect for sectioning off individual parts of a garden, and the full foliage creates a real sense of privacy (even in a small garden!).
There are so many ornamental grasses that thrive in pots and containers, too, so it doesn’t matter if you’re short on ground planting space. If you have more space to work with, ornamental grasses can grow over 2 metres tall and tend to be easy to care for. Pink pampas grass, Chinese silver grass, New Zealand flax and flax lily are just a few of the options you could try. Pink pampas grass is available from Gardening Express.
3. Grow climbing plants along a trellis
We’re a big fan of garden trellis ideas at Ideal Home, because the structures make fantastic garden screening ideas. Training a few fast-growing climbing plants for privacy along a trellis is a brilliant way to fill in the gaps and create an attractive screen.
There are plenty of scented climbing plants that provide a beautiful fragrance while you’re spending time outside, like jasmine. You can also grow sweet peas in pots, along with plenty of other fragrant climbers.
4. Cover with shade sails
Shade sails are one of our favourite garden shade ideas, and they’ll provide privacy from onlooking neighbours, too. They’re also quick and easy to assemble, and can be added to an existing gazebo or patio area.
In addition to this, there are retractable options, which can be adjusted for different levels of coverage. Just make sure you consider these things before installing a shade sail in your garden.
5. Opt for modern screening
There’s a huge range of attractive screen panels on the market, whether you’re going for a sleek, modern look with heavier materials or an ornate, patterned screen. They’re a great choice if you’re looking for front garden privacy ideas, too.
Metal screens are a popular option, and you could even try a slatted panel like the one above for added interest.
Glass screens offer another modern look, but you’ll need to make sure they’re frosted or glazed if you’re looking for garden screening ideas that provide privacy.
‘Most often, these are frosted or patterned in order to block the view but let light through,’ says Gary Jarman, landscaping expert at Building Shop. ‘They’re naturally strong and weather-resistant, too.’
Where to buy garden screening panels:
Outsunny Decorative Privacy Screen With Stand – Banana Leaf
Heritage Decorative Fence
Outsunny Decorative Privacy Screen With Stand – Willow Branch
6. Try screen planters
If you haven’t got a wall or fence to anchor your garden screen, a screen planter like the Outsunny Wood Planter with Trellis from Amazon is a great choice. It’s the perfect opportunity to erect a freestanding screen in your garden while providing extra space for planting.
‘Screen planters are nothing new, but they are seriously underutilised in gardens that could benefit from increased privacy,’ says Chris from Hayter.
‘A screen planter is ideal for artificially adding height to a specific area of a garden wall without extending the whole wall or fence to an unappealing height. You can plant anything in a screen planter – they’re a really versatile way of adding privacy. You can even build your own if you’re feeling up to a challenge!’
7. Layer plants
If you’d prefer something a little less uniform than hedging to zone your space, layering taller plants behind shorter shrubs is a fantastic way to build a natural screen.
‘Layered planting is aesthetically appealing and especially useful for unconventionally shaped, small to medium-sized gardens,’ says Chris.
Chris recommends saving tall plants and evergreen trees for the top layer, medium-sized plants like hydrangeas and Viburnum tinus for the middle, and low-growing perennials like lavender, hostas and sedum for the bottom.
‘If you follow this structure, you can create a diverse garden which, as far as your neighbours are concerned, you can literally get lost in,’ Chris says.
8. Screen with garden furniture
Even garden furniture ideas can be tailored to screen your space. Cleverly arranging outdoor seating is a great way to zone areas of your garden, for example.
‘Opt for seating options with high backs,’ says Lee Trethewey, furniture expert at Sustainable Furniture. ‘Garden seating with high backs can easily be placed strategically to shield certain areas.’
You could even line garden furniture along fence panel screens, as shown above, to really define the space.
9. Go above and beyond a wall
To create a cosy corner in your garden that’s protected from the elements and neighbours, pop up wooden fence toppers above the garden wall to provide extra height. This Forest Garden diamond trellis panel from B&Q is ideal.
Before you do that, though, do check that you won’t be blocking the light from your neighbour’s garden.
Use plants to soften the look. It’s a great opportunity grow flowering climbing plants along the trellis fence topper like we mentioned earlier, for example. Alternatively, paint it the same colour as the walls for cohesion.
10. Add in a water feature
If you’re looking to create a truly relaxing environment, a calming fountain or other water feature ideas are great options. Not only do they create a visual barrier, but there are sensory benefits, too.
‘The sound of running water can help to block out noise and create a sense of privacy and seclusion,’ says Georgina Read, Paving Superstore’s garden and landscaping specialist.
You can either add a fountain to an existing wall or fence or buy a panel with a water feature built into it.
11. Hide behind a wooden slatted fence
Garden screens can cover a multitude of sins – the compost area, the open-fronted mower store, bikes that no one rides anymore, or a part of the garden you want to keep separate.
A simple wooden slatted fence that allows light through is ideal for this. It’s an especially great idea if your garden is overlooked by trees and you want to block as little light as possible.
12. Consider a moveable screen
There are plenty of benefits to a movable garden screen – it can shield you from the neighbours, allowing you to sunbathe in private, and you can move it to create shade when you want a cooler environment.
A brilliant twist on a movable screen is to use bamboo in a planter on castor wheels. Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants and offers a dense screen of foliage. The planter will be heavy, so beware that this will work better on decking or another hard surface.
13. Plant up a living wall
If you’re looking for natural garden screening ideas, a living wall is a great choice.
Choose a section of your wall or screen and attach plant pots to it. Some wall-hanging designs will come with hooks, or you can attach them with cable ties instead.
Plant up an array of plants, with a mixture of foliage-based and floral varieties. The best trailing plants for outdoors are brilliant for covering the space. You could also consider herbs, especially if your screen is next to an outdoor kitchen area.
Plant tall varieties next to it for a splash of colour – hollyhocks, snapdragons or foxgloves will give you extra height.
14. Use a rockery
If you happen to have a surrounding or retaining wall in your garden, have you considered using gabion cages?
If you aren’t already familiar with them, gabion cages, or baskets, are empty metal cages which can be filled with everything from decorative stones and rocks to chopped wood and even empty glass bottles. They’ll allow you to create an interesting and uniquely textured wall depending on your own style or tastes.
You are in control of what you fill your cages with and how high you stack them. Just make sure they’re secure so that they won’t topple on pet or children.
Or, of course, you could build up a traditional rock garden with a few taller plants amongst the harder landscaping.
15. Turn a simple fence into a mini storage wall
If you’ve used garden fence ideas to screen your garden, consider making it multifunctional.
Paint it first – not just for colour and to disguise blemishes, but also to protect it – and then nail in rows of simple slats (you can buy these ready-cut from DIY shops). If they’re not already black, paint them a dark shade; a pale colour will quickly show up dirt.
Attach hooks to hang planters and zinc buckets (drill drainage holes in the bases first). The greenery will really pop against the dark background, creating a statement wall, adding storage and freeing up floor space – so it’s a great idea for balconies and small patio spaces, too.
And it doesn’t just have to display plants! Solar light bulbs, lanterns, an outdoor clock or a galvanised watering would be welcome and useful additions.
16. Erect a pergola to screen from above
When it comes to garden screening ideas, you can block even the most minuscule gap at eye level, but a neighbour needs only to climb their stairs to enjoy an unimpeded view of your garden.
Help comes in the form of a pergola – a simple but sweet solution to creating a sanctuary that’s screened off from above, as well as providing a structure for climbing plants and vines to grow up (and over). It has a natural fairy tale quality to it, too, for a romantic feel.
For a more modern look, or until your trailing greenery has grown, swathe the roof of a pergola with multi-coloured bamboo screening or raffia (both available in rolls) or with strings or festoon lights. It’s even possible to install solar panels on top, but check your structure and positioning with a specialist first.
17. Hide behind tropical plants
We associate the word tropical with hot and humid climates, but there are many tropical plants that will thrive in a UK climate, growing tall and wide. They’re ideal for creating a natural screen in your garden.
Opt for hardy plants such as palms and yuccas, which are not only lovely to look at, but also quick to grow and easy to care for. Here, tropical plants frame and seclude a hot tub.
18. Use reeds for speedy screening
Not only is reed screening one of the snappiest solutions to screen your garden, but it’s versatile, widely available and keenly priced.
Lightweight and flexible, it’s a material (along with bamboo and willow) that can be easily be curved around corners or attached to a shabby wall, fence or balcony railings, creating a natural, home-spun look along the way.
Its pliable nature means it can also be used as a canopy over a pergola. Plus, the only maintenance it requires is a good wash every now and then to prevent algae growth.
You can buy reed screening from a number of in-store and online suppliers, like Reed Fencing Screening Rolls from The Range or Peeled Reed Natural Fencing Screening from Primrose.
19. Make the fence the feature
Traditional, no-frills fence panels are adept at blocking views, but they can offend the style-minded. Of course, they can be improved with a lick of paint or disguised behind plants, but a bolder option would be to ditch the traditional route entirely and switch up to a smart, contemporary fence. That way, it can be displayed in all its glory rather than trying to blend into the background.
Opt for a strong pattern but keep it smart and symmetrical – so no fancy curves or mixy matchy shapes. Hanging a simple clock, mirror or shelf on it centrally will draw extra attention and turn it into a focal point.
20. Use woven panels to create open zones
When you want to create zones but feel solid fencing would feel too harsh, choose woven garden screening like these willow panels. The open weave structure provides a more airy approach and avoids breaking the flow of the space.
Apple crates always look lovely piled up to create a storage unit, while a pre-loved wooden chair, table or ladder can be a charming way to display potted plants.
FAQs
Which is better, bamboo or willow screening?
If you’re deciding between bamboo and willow screening, we can see why: both materials are relatively inexpensive options that can give your space a natural, rustic feel.
Privacy is usually guaranteed with both options, as both bamboo and willow is closely packed together. Willow is more flexible, but it isn’t as durable as bamboo.
‘Willow might start rotting in particularly wet conditions if not treated and cared for properly, and it’s thinner than a lot of bamboo,’ explains landscaping expert Gary Jarman from Building Shop. ‘However, bamboo is often more expensive than willow.’
Both are great options, but bamboo, while dearer, is more durable than willow if you’re looking for long-term garden screening ideas.
What is the cheapest way to screen a garden?
If you’re looking for budget garden screening ideas, reed and willow are among the least expensive materials. They’re usually available to buy in rolls, and it’s relatively straightforward to set them up. They’re flexible, too, and a brilliant eco-friendly option.
So, that’s our pick of the best garden screening ideas right now. Whether you go for a natural or man-made style, there’s plenty of room to experiment with different styles and designs.
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