Shrubs That Make Great Privacy Fences
While a wooden fence will give you privacy, it does not compare in beauty to using shrubs or trees to create a wall around your property. There are several varieties which make excellent choices for privacy fences, giving you a living screen between your home and prying eyes. The weather where you live, how tall you want your fence and how quickly you need the shrubs to grow are all factors in determining which shrub will work best for your privacy fence.
Traditional Hedges
One of the most popular types of natural privacy fences is the traditional hedge made from dense shrubs such as boxwood. Hedge and shrub trimming can create any size and shape privacy hedge you desire once they are mature. Varieties like the hybrid yew can grow up to 40 feet tall, so they are perfect for building a wall between your home and the rest of the world.
Flowering Trees
Some of the smaller flowering trees can be beautiful and functional when grown as a privacy fence. The traditional lilac bush is a perfect, full tree which provides privacy, as well as gorgeous flowers every year with that distinct, sweet smell. Other options include the flowing quince or oleander, which both do well in mild climates. Oleander may not be an ideal choice for all properties, however, as some varieties are highly poisonous.
Tall Trees
One of the most popular choices for creating privacy is the use of tall trees. The American arborvitae is a perfect example, growing 10-15 feet tall with thick, needle covered branches. Typically these trees can be grown as close as three feet apart, making a great screen as they mature.
If you are not sure which shrubs or trees would do best in your soil or region, talk to your local landscaping service. They can help you choose and plant the best shrubs for your new privacy fence, as well as advising you about any plants which may pose a poisoning risk to children and pets near your property.
Posted on behalf of Dusty Edinger, Tommy Gun Lawn Care