Working with boundaries & trees

Working with Boundaries & Trees

Often in gardens of all shapes and sizes, we find ourselves having to screen off views around the edges of our boundaries. While this is sometimes for purely aesthetic reasons, it can also be for the sake of privacy.

Boundaries

If you're lucky enough to have walls around your garden, simply putting a trellis on top can provide all the privacy that you need. With trellis, you can either go high-end and have bespoke ones made specifically for your garden, or you can purchase ones from a garden centre and cut them to size if necessary.

Don't worry if you don't find your trellis particularly inspiring to look at, the aim with trellis is to eventually cover it in trailing plants anyway, so think about the long term here rather than the short term.

Siting Your Trees

If you have space, always try and include a tree in your garden. Trees come in all sorts of varieties and sizes, so whatever the size of your space, you'll be able to find one for you.

Trees are measured by the girth of their trunk, so if you are looking into buying a big tree, make sure that you are capable of moving it into position yourself, or able to find someone who can do this for you. You will also need to consider how you are going to get it through to your back garden. Be sure to measure all the entry points so that you know your chosen tree will fit before you purchase it.

When you are choosing a site for your tree, don't position it anywhere where it will block the sun if you want your garden to be an open aspect space. Take particular care not to position your tree on an eastern boundary as this will cast a shadow on your south-facing border.

Think carefully before you plant, as many trees should last for more than your lifetime so it's vital that their living space is carefully considered.

Another thing to consider is whether you intend to use your trees as focal points from your house. If you want to, consider lining them up with your windows or your backdoor. They can also be used to block out ugly views or provide privacy from neighbours.