Home Repair and Paint Guide

There are a lot of reasons for building a fence around yards and patios. They provide a measure of security and also keep roaming pets out of your yard. But what if fences are not allowed by local zoning ordinances or HOA restrictions? In this case a hedge of privacy bushes could work as a very nice substitute. Planting bushes and shrubs will provide a natural look to your yard and can grow high enough for privacy in areas that have two story houses.

So what type of border should you use? A good choice would be what’s known as a “loose border”, consisting of different kinds of evergreens and deciduous plants. This type of layout requires less overall maintenance because the shape is allowed to follow a more natural growth path. All that’s needed is weeding and general shaping to keep things looking good.

In planning for a loose border, select shrubs that will attain the desired height and width. The plants also need a fast growth rate as well as dense coverage. Make sure you leave enough setback from your property lines so the plants can grow without crossing over into your neighbor’s property. It you set them too close, you’ll have to spend a lot of time with pruning shears and that would defeat one of the main advantages of this type of layout.

When planting loose borders for privacy, put your tallest plant selections in the back row and shortest in the front. Keep spacing to the minimum required for the type of plants you use. Don’t crowd them, and also don’t leave too much space between each plant. Be mindful of the amount of sun exposure. Sunlight requirements for flowering bushes can be hard to meet if you have a lot of shade. Most flowering bushes require about 6 hours of sun per day.

Blackhaw Viburnum is a deciduous shrub that yields white flowers in May that turns to edible fruit. In the fall, color is offered by the bluish black berries and also by the leaves. Dark green foliage changes to purple and bronze in the fall. It will reach a height of 12-15′, with a spread of 8-12′.

Rose of Sharon is a flowering shrub that can reach a height of 8′-10′ and spread of 4′-6′. Blooms can be red, pink, blue, purple or white. Rose of Sharon works well in shrub borders. A row of these shrubs planted close together forms a colorful privacy screen.

Compact American Cranberrybush Viburnum has a dense, rounded growth. White blooms in May and June change to red berries that attract birds. It starts out glossy and green, then turns reddish-purple in the fall. Height is 4′-5′ and spread is 3′-4′.

Emerald Arborvitae is a tall evergreen shrub. It has flat, long-lasting needles and dense growth. It works very well as a privacy hedge and requires little maintenance. Narrow and upright in form, it grows to a height of 15′-20′, with a spread of 4′-6′.

Irish Junipers are a favorite evergreen shrub for privacy bushes. They have dense growth and narrow, columnar form and are ideal for walling out unwanted sights, sounds, and curious neighbors. Irish juniper has a bluish-green color and grows to 10′-12′ in height. These evergreen shrubs are narrow and resemble a column.

Make sure the privacy bushes you select are rated for growth in your zone. Ask someone at your local nursery for guidance. With a little work and some maintenance, you can enhance the look of your yard and have privacy at the same time.