Ideas for privacy screens/plantings that don't make me look antisocial

[catherine]

We live in a fairly open area with 8 other neighbors. Four we can't see because of a bend in the road. But one neighbor in particular sometimes comes here to work remotely. She puts her computer in a position where she can see the lake view--but that means she also has a great view of our front yard--and her home is set up a few feet higher which makes everything we do in very plain sight. What makes it worse is her windows are tinted, so I can't tell when she's watching us. Not a big deal. We're very good friends--too good--sometimes I just want to read a book, or water flowers etc by myself without telegraphing to her that I'm not working and I'm fair game for social hour.

We have an opportunity to redesign our border because we're moving our parking area. What could I do to minimize her ability to be watching our every move? I don't want tall arborvitae. I want a screen--not a wall.

[Tybee]

Some kind of edible bush, like blueberries or raspberries?
Espaliered fruit trees:
https://th.bing.com/th/id/R.8051c88c7c241f8a3f8e306311597c0b?rik=9XrmRPFW7kq tmg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fwww.palmers.co.nz%2fwp-content%2fuploads%2f2015%2f07%2f9924208ea2cc173138 4b5a4d52d0b5d0.jpg&ehk=3A0ZARIp%2fL0lDs02m%2b80e40LystvFMJxkqIKddPcCf 8%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw&r=0

[Tybee]

I grew a hazelnut shrub from a hazelnut and it is coming along great but you could buy a couple of hazelnut tree at Starks and they are small, more shrubby than tree-ish.

[catherine]

Wow!! I love that espalier lattice!!! A lot more skill than I could muster probably. Fruit/nut trees are probably a viable option actually!

[iris lilies]

Starks! In Missouri. A Stark brother to the tree Stark started the 150 year old winery at the end of my block.

there was lots of horticulture talent among the Germans in Hermann.

[Rogar]

I have a similar condition in my back yard. I have privet hedges on two sides of the front that get routine pruning, and shrubs along a back side. The house on the final side is a few feet higher than mine, so the height requirement eliminates a pruned hedge or typical shrubbery. My best solution has been a wooden lattice work or arbor possibly with vine, located in the right places. Or small ornamental trees. Unless a person buys more mature trees, they take sometimes years to grow to decent height. So, I have a smaller trellis with a climbing rose, but it hardly does the job and the rose never quite flourishes.

[iris lilies]

Here is the big elderberry shrub in our yard that that hides my lily bed in the view from our house. I don’t like its placement, but boy is it an effective screen.


Elderberrys grow like crazy in Missouri. Catherine, what you need is a big shrubby reliable plant preferably one that flowers that you’ll have some flowers out of.
in Missouri it would be this elderberry, or forsythia, or any number of big shrubs that you have to continually cut back and shape.

The espalier trees are nice, but they take constant trimming and also it would be 3-5 years before you got a size that was screening.

Another idea is trellises and climbers.

5905

[catherine]

Here is the big elderberry shrub in our yard that that hides my lily bed in the view from our house. I don’t like its placement, but boy is it an effective screen.


Elderberrys grow like crazy in Missouri. Catherine, what you need is a big shrubby reliable plant preferably one that flowers that you’ll have some flowers out of.
in Missouri it would be this elderberry, or forsythia, or any number of big shrubs that you have to continually cut back and shape.

The espalier trees are nice, but they take constant trimming and also it would be 3-5 years before you got a size that was screening.

Another idea is trellises and climbers.

5905

Yes, thiose are good ideas. Forsythia is a favorite of mine. I planted a bridal wreath spirea last year and it's gotten a lot bigger... nine bark might work also.

I like the idea of trellises and climbers also. if the trellis is part of a couple of rectangular planters, they could even be moveable. Maybe 3 of those in a row would work.

[Tybee]

Yes, thiose are good ideas. Forsythia is a favorite of mine. I planted a bridal wreath spirea last year and it's gotten a lot bigger... nine bark might work also.

I like the idea of trellises and climbers also. if the trellis is part of a couple of rectangular planters, they could even be moveable. Maybe 3 of those in a row would work.

I like this idea a lot! Another plant I love for this is hydrangeas.

[Tybee]

This is pretty, with roses and herbs
https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.hAHvi3jfgeg6G28HRN3ohQAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain

[catherine]

This is pretty, with roses and herbs
https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.hAHvi3jfgeg6G28HRN3ohQAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain

Just what I was thinking of.

[iris lilies]

The wooden piece with plants at the bottom is very nice. And not hard to do either. and you’d have an instant screen

[pinkytoe]

Our neighbor did one like Tybee's photo except they used horizontal slats for a more modern look I guess.

[KayLR]

Honeysuckle (on a trellis) is nice, but not evergreen. I also like the idea of ninebark or forsythia.

[rosarugosa]

I like the planter in Tybee's photo, and that's probably the closest you will come to a quick and easy solution. As you know, mature woody plants are more expensive and harder to get established, but you want something to solve the problem now and not in 10 years. A fence is expensive and might give off the antisocial vibe you are hoping to avoid.

As far as plants go, I know you have an interest in natives, so IL's suggestion of elderberry is a good one. I might look to do a mixed planting in the boundary area with maybe redbud, serviceberry, viburnums. Red coral honeysuckle on the trellis would be a hummingbird attractor. You could tell your neighbor you are working to create a pollinator garden.

Gardener's Supply sells some really nice metal privacy panels, but once again expensive and perhaps too fence-like. I especially love this one: https://www.gardeners.com/buy/queen-annes-lace-corten-steel-screen/8609526.html

We struggled with a similar decision as our hemlock hedge died out, but we didn't have the concern about appearing antisocial and we ultimately went with a wooden privacy fence on two sides of our yard. The other two sides are open.