If an existing fence is to be supplemented with an opaque privacy screen, climbing plants can potentially represent an uncomplicated and attractive alternative to conventional privacy hedges. In addition, a high level of privacy protection can be achieved, which poses fewer risks to buildings and residents during storms than tall trees.
Which climbing plants are suitable for privacy protection in the garden?
Climbing plants as privacy screens offer an attractive alternative to conventional hedges. Popular species include wisteria, trumpet flower, creeping knotweed, ivy, hops and wild vine. Choose plants based on foliage characteristics, location preferences and growing heights.
Hide unsightly spots quickly
Almost every garden owner knows the feeling when certain cosmetic defects in a garden cannot be repaired quickly and should be temporarily hidden as well as possible. In such a case, a temporary privacy screen made from climbing plants is ideal. To do this, simply insert a climbing aid such as a metal tomato stick (€34.00 on Amazon) into the ground in the affected area or stretch a plastic net like a wall between two wooden posts. Then stick the seeds of morning glories, sweet peas, black-eyed Susan or the climbing nasturtium into the soil on the spot. These annual climbing plants provide effective privacy within just a few weeks and also enrich the garden with their attractive flowers.
The art of vertical design
While it is possible to play on slopes with different heights and their relationship to one another, gardens on flat terrain offer far less potential in this regard. But that doesn't mean that in a garden with a straight soil profile you can only line up different flowerbeds, lawns and hedges. In addition to the tall trees, climbing plants can also open up new dimensions in garden design and, to a certain extent, direct the eye towards the summery blue sky. Ideally, you should always pay attention to a sensible gradation of the different plant species in your garden according to their growth heights. Due to the height it can reach, a climbing plant can provide a colorful background for perennial beds or a colorful cottage garden.
Popular climbing plants for privacy in the garden
There are some climbing plants that have proven themselves as wall and roof greenery as well as hedge-like privacy screens:
- Wisteria
- Trumpet Flower
- Clinging Knotweed
- Ivy
- Hops
- Wild Wine
While ivy is a climbing plant with evergreen foliage, the tendrils of Virginia creeper or creeping knotweed look a bit bare and desolate during the winter months. The wild wine also offers a blood-red autumn color, which can create breathtaking effects in the garden.
Choose climbing plants carefully based on their respective properties
You should not underestimate the amount of foliage that a single, stately specimen of Virginia creeper can produce each fall. The poisonous wisteria, with its particularly decorative flowers, can pose a danger if children regularly play unsupervised in a garden. Since ivy is a typical forest plant, it is particularly suitable for shady locations. When flowering, the creeping knotweed is a valuable source of nectar for many insect species, but garden houses and other buildings should be protected in good time from its strong growth so that the tendrils do not cause any damage to the structure of the building.
Tip
Hops are a perennial climbing plant, but the shoots do not become woody and die over the winter. Nevertheless, after a few years in one location, a hop plant can reach considerable heights, as the root ball that has grown allows the plant to climb faster every year in spring.
