In a rather compact garden it is often not easy to create the necessary privacy for a relaxing atmosphere. In order to find the right balance between isolation and openness in the design, different materials and plant species should be considered.
Which privacy screen options are suitable for a small garden?
For privacy in a small garden, narrow hedge plants such as Thuja occidentalis Smaragd, climbing plants such as beans, vines or hardy kiwi plants are ideal. Alternatively, you can also use solid materials such as wood, textile fabric, natural stone or gabions.
Don't underestimate the space required by privacy hedges
Privacy hedges are usually planted as young plants as a natural privacy screen, which then only actually provide the desired privacy effect over the years. This procedure not only means that the respective garden owner has to have a lot of patience. The space required by mature plants such as cherry laurel and spruce is often underestimated to such an extent that later space problems are unavoidable. Tree and shrub-like hedges are usually at least one meter wide, but can reach a width of around two meters when they get older. When edging a garden with a side length of 10 x 10 meters, this results in a hedge length of 40 meters and therefore a minimum space requirement of around 40 square meters. This area should generally be used more sensibly in a small garden.
Solid privacy protection options made from different materials
There are different ways to visually delineate a garden plot with solid materials and at the same time protect it against gusts of wind from the side:
- Wooden privacy walls
- Privacy walls made of durable textile fabric and mesh materials
- Natural privacy protection options made from branches
- Stone walls made of natural stone, concrete or bricks
- Composite privacy walls made of stone baskets (gabions)
But there are also reasons that speak against the privacy protection options listed. High costs, local building regulations or an insufficiently stable subsurface can often be arguments against these massive types of privacy walls.
Provide privacy with a narrow privacy screen made of plants
The widespread hedge plant Thuja occidentalis Smaragd grows tightly upright in a columnar shape and, even without regular pruning, rarely becomes wider than about half a meter at the base. A living privacy screen can also be created with appropriate climbing options (€17.00 on Amazon) and attractively flowering climbing plants. With a rhizome barrier or in pots, various types of bamboo can provide decorative privacy, not only in the Japanese garden.
Tip
The trend in “urban gardening” focuses on the horizontal cultivation of various types of fruit and vegetables, as it only requires a small amount of floor space. Strongly climbing beans are suitable as a seasonal privacy screen and produce delicious yields. If you prefer a more permanent option, you can also have a climbing aid covered with vines or winter-hardy kiwi plants.
