7 ways to make your yard more sheltered

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
Introducing a Stunning and Decorative Garden: The Gallery Garden, Cool Gardens Landscaping Cool Gardens Landscaping Modern Garden
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Spending time outdoors has immense benefits. Studies suggest that exposure to nature boosts concentration and creativity and helps induce feelings of calm. One of the most convenient ways to get your daily dose of greenery is by spending more time in the yard or garden. Yet, it can certainly be a bit difficult to enjoy the outdoor living spaces of the home when they receive direct exposure to the road or to the neighbour’s yards. Outdoor entertaining may also feel out of the question when just about anyone who passes the house can peer in to the party. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of simple and clever ways to cover up the yard. Doing so will help you more fully forget the hustle and bustle of the outside world, while also making the space more visually appealing.

Cover up with a trellis

To offer a bit more stability and mitigate some of the maintenance requirements of a hedgerow, purchasing a trellis and allowing vines and other climbing plants to grow will certainly add privacy to the yard. It’s important to remember, that the plants will need some care as they begin to grow over the trellis. 

The returns are totally worth it however, as the plants bloom and thrive over time. Some climbing plant varieties to consider are wisteria, hydrangea, and climbing rose. Plus, the trellis itself will add a good amount of privacy on its own.

Reinforce with a faux hedge

One of the simplest mechanisms for adding a bit of privacy to the yard is by purchasing a set of faux hedges to reinforce existing barriers between the yard or garden and those of your neighbours. Faux hedges come in many different shapes and sizes, so you have a good chance of finding what you need without having to put in a lot of maintenance. 

For example, these low hedges and their containers adding just the right amount of additional privacy and definition to the entryway. In this way, they work nicely with the existing fence. Of course, you could certainly choose taller and more prominent faux hedges instead. It’s important to know that faux hedges are more expensive than organic ones, but the investment could very well be worth it if you loath garden maintenance and don’t feel like waiting for the hedge to take form.

Go natural with a live hedge

For those looking to strengthen their green thumb, you could certainly try for a natural hedge. These are more cost effective at the outset than the faux hedge whilst still being relatively easy to maintain. You can get creative and prune the hedge yourself or hire a professional to get you started. 

As we can see in this unique garden setup by Cool Gardens Landscaping, the hedge is a virtual living wall where you can even hang mirrors and images! If you have the patience, a natural hedge can serve as a lovely creative outlet and a natural alternative to a fence or stonewall. We recommend choosing a more robust evergreen variety like laurel or yew.

Add a potted screen

For those with smaller gardens or outdoor terraces, hedges can often be too big. Privacy is especially important for raised terraces and the like because they are even more exposed to the public. If you’ve been wondering how you can add a little greenery and natural freshness to your terrace or balcony, try adding a potted screen. 

Potted screens offer the perfect spots for planting the flowers and herbs of your choice. This is an excellent way to personalise the small terrace by capitalising on that often underused vertical space. This look will also work well to shield a patio area from the neighbours. The potted screen is excellent for renters too, because it is completely impermanent. It also allows you the ability to easily swap different plants in and out.

Hang drapes to hide certain areas

While we don’t suggest hanging drapes around the entire perimeter of a large yard, they can be wonderful assets to the patio, arbour, veranda, or balcony. Drapes will add a breezy, tropical feel to the yard, and they aren’t too difficult to install. 

You could opt of billowy white or go bold with a more vibrant set of colours. The result is that you’ll have a relaxing, luxurious, and romantic hangout all to yourself. Not to mention, hanging drapes is quite easy on the wallet with little need for added maintenance. Just remember to take them down during the winter months or rainy season. We recommend choosing more durable, waterproof fabrics to help the curtains stay in good shape.

Cultivate a vertical garden instead

We’ve already touched a bit on the benefits of maximising vertical space, but there are quite a few ways to do so. One of the most effective ways of using the vertical space in your yard, garden, or balcony is to add a vertical garden. 

Vertical gardens can take many different forms from a simple set of vertically oriented planters to a full-on living wall, as pictured here. The wall structure is usually made of wires that help to support the climbing plants as they grow. Some also have space to add planters for those plants that must be embedded in soil to grow. Living walls are great for creating privacy around areas like the pool or on the patio. They come in virtually any dimension you’d like, too. There are also vertical garden starter kits for those who are new to this ergonomic form of gardening.

Install a pergola

To obtain the benefits of multiple different suggestions on our list, try installing a pergola. Pergolas are much like trellises, except that they typically extend overhead as well. The result is that climbing plants can grow on three sides, which can offer both privacy and shade. Further, it’s quite easy to install curtains on a pergola, as demonstrated here. You can then illuminate the pergola with garden lights, tiki torches, or candles to complete the look. 

Most pergolas will create privacy on their own as well through its walls. Pergolas can certainly help to make the outdoor spaces of your home more liveable, but be aware that the pergola itself will likely be on the pricey side—although we feel they are totally worth the investment! Not to mention, many home improvement stores offer free installation services.

Now that you've got the whole privacy thing down, it's time to spruce up the yard for garden parties and gatherings. To do so, start by checking out these ways to turn your garden into a hive of social activity.

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