My garden is overlooked by my neighbour’s house & my fence gives no privacy, my £7.99 solution is recommended by pros
FORKING out for a new fence to give your garden some privacy can be a pretty expensive cost.
But what if you could achieve the same effect by simply adding some greenery around your home, achieving a gorgeous oasis on a budget?
According to market research and home improvement trends, the demand for garden fencing, including privacy fences, has been on the rise.
Not only have people realised that these can offer additional privacy, but garden fences can also enhance the aesthetic appeal and boost the value of their properties.
A typical UK garden requires around 10-15 panels – and these don’t come cheap.
Luckily, as cash-savvy expert has come to rescue with a more purse-friendly alternative, listing several trees and shrubs that can provide added privacy without costing you a fortune.
Dropping bombs of knowledge on Spotify, the pro, Steve Bender, urged to snap up evergreens ”that grow into a narrow column”.
Japanese Holly
One of the recommendations the whizz mentioned in the Ask Grumpy podcast was Sky Pencil, also known as Japanese Holly.
Available at most garden centres in the UK, this gorgeous evergreen is a narrow, columnar shrub that grows up to 8 feet (2m) tall and 2 feet (61cm) wide.
With pruning, you can maintain them at a height of 6 feet (2m) – however, if you have a pet, it’s best to steer clear of this option, as its berries and leaves can be harmful to dogs if ingested.
Britons can buy the gorgeous evergreen for as little as £7.99 from Hedges Direct, making it a cheap solution to your privacy worries.
Thuja plicata Sugar & Spice
Similar to Japanese Holly, Thuja is a narrow-growing, upright plant that’s ideal for smaller spaces.
This evergreen boasts very fine texture with green foliage on orange-brown stems, and will leave your garden with a gorgeous warming scent when clipped.
This plant is heat tolerant and a good vertical accent plant for small spaces or mixed borders.
Skyrocket Juniper
Heading to the local garden centre before the harsh winter season arrives?
The expert – who likes to call himself The Grumpy Gardener – also advised to look for Skyrocket Juniper.
This ornamental tree has a slender elegant shape and an unusual steel blue foliage.
Although it is easy to grow and likes most soil types, the ideal conditions consist of full sun and dry soil where possible.
The large pick is perfect as an evergreen screening tree in small town and city gardens, as it is fairly slow growing and when mature will be around 5-6m.
Garden features that add the most value to a house
A well-kept garden can add anywhere between 5-20% to the value of a property.
Sellhousefast.uk carried out a study and consulted 36 estate agents, garden designers and property professionals from across the UK.
And the experts revealed the garden feature which adds the most value to a property is a shed.
- Shed – 82%
- Patio or paving – 76%
- Secure fencing, walls or gates – 72%
- Outdoor lighting – 66%
- Sturdy decking – 62%
- Water features eg. fountain or pond – 58%
- Modern garden furniture – 54%
- Artificial lawn/grass – 40%
Blue Arrow Juniper
Blue Arrow, also known as the Blue Rocky Mountain tree, is tightly columnar in habit and will grow to around 2.5 x 0.5 metres in 20 years.
Any well-drained soil in full or part sun will suit and this tree can tolerate some drought and exposure.
These evergreens look great planted alone as a specimen tree or in groups of two or three for a formal garden theme.