Your own oasis, be it in the garden or on the balcony, is becoming increasingly rare these days. No wonder, as real estate prices continue to rise. Nevertheless, most homeowners and house builders want to draw boundaries around their property and keep unsightly things out of sight.
When choosing the right privacy screen, you should carefully consider how it should be designed. Green hedges or high walls provide protection, but the higher they are, the less light and sun comes onto the protected property. In addition, some privacy protection options can also cause trouble with neighbors.
The earlier, the better – planning privacy protection
A privacy screen should not only be erected after the garden or balcony has been designed. Protection from prying eyes should be considered right from the start of planning. Maybe protection from wind and noise is also desired? – Another reason to include privacy screens in the garden design from the start: Once the feel-good oases have been designed, it can happen that the privacy screen seems like a foreign body that does not fit harmoniously into the design. Another reason to start planning the privacy screen early: Once the garden and balcony have been designed, it can be difficult to get to the places that need to be worked on with heavy equipment.
In addition to the practical aspects, design aspects are also the reason why the planning of privacy protection should begin with the planning of the garden or balcony. Ideally, a privacy screen sets accents and only protects certain areas of the garden from prying eyes from strangers.
Versatile privacy protection – choosing the right privacy protection
Especially if the privacy screen should not only be practical, but also be a design feature of the garden or balcony, then it makes sense to include new variants in the selection. The privacy screen can be designed in many variations:
- as a living privacy screen in the form of hedges, climbing or potted plants,
- as a permanently installed privacy screen, with classic materials such as wood and stone or new products such as plastic,
- as movable privacy screens, in the form of awnings, roller blinds or screens or
- as a multifunctional privacy screen, for example as a garden kitchen or firewood stack
There are no limits to your creativity when choosing privacy screens. For example, rustic materials can be used to create interesting accents through the way they are combined. Even existing gardens with old plants and existing elements do not have to be completely redesigned; old elements can be effectively showcased. However, for unusual ideas or when redesigning gardens, it is always advisable to work at least partially with a garden architect.
Preparation of construction
Once the decision has been made that a privacy screen should be built and the first ideas have already been developed, the next step should be to clarify the legal basis. It is important to clarify how high the level of protection can be, particularly at property boundaries. If plants are intended to serve as protection from prying eyes, then the distance must be clarified at the border with the neighbor. To ensure a good relationship with your neighbors, you should also coordinate the new protection with them. In the best case scenario, both sides benefit from the privacy protection, for example if a hedge is to be planted that does not require cutting. The next step should include precise planning. While structural solutions provide privacy immediately, plants only offer protection as they grow and not throughout the year. For annual climbing plants, you should consider which climbing aid is ideal and how this aid can provide protection. For woody plants, additional privacy protection is usually only necessary in the first few years or later after a strong rejuvenation cut.
Implement privacy protection yourself
Not all forms of privacy protection require a garden architect or landscape planner. Many ideas can also be implemented on your own. The main focus should be on selecting the right materials.
- If the privacy screen is to be made of wood, then you should choose wood that is weather-resistant for a long time. In addition to native woods, which require regular care, tropical woods, which are much easier to care for, are particularly suitable for outdoor use.
- If you are afraid of the maintenance effort, you should choose plastic, metal or glass. These materials are not only weatherproof, they can also create effective accents. An interesting eye-catcher can also be created, especially in combination with natural materials.
- If the eye-catcher is to consist of perennial plants, you should pay attention to which climate zone the garden is in. In Germany there are also zones where Mediterranean plants can be used outdoors all year round. In other zones the plants must definitely be winter hardy.
In addition to choosing the right materials, you should also make sure that the garden or individual areas are not shielded too much. Laypeople in particular should therefore implement the privacy protection piece by piece in order to be able to test step by step how the privacy protection works.
Strictly speaking: More than a privacy screen
Even if a privacy screen is primarily intended to shield your own garden or balcony from prying eyes, it often also serves as protection from noise and wind. Ideally, the protection is included in the garden planning, but subsequent installation is also possible. If the legal basis is correct, construction can begin. You should let your creativity run wild. More than just wooden fences or hedges are suitable as privacy screens; many other materials not only protect - they add attractive accents.
Privacy protection that you can buy ready-made
Many hardware stores and garden shops offer a wide selection of privacy options. You can also find a whole range of providers on the Internet who specialize in privacy protection for the garden, balcony or terrace. The materials used are very different, so that you can always find a privacy screen that visually matches the rest of the appearance of the garden.
- If you prefer something modern and futuristic, you will definitely find exactly the right privacy screen in the Plexiglas and stainless steel range. This not only ensures protection from prying eyes in the garden, but can also become a real visual highlight.
- If large areas are to be covered, you should consider a wall, which does not necessarily have to be an unsightly concrete wall.
- There are also natural stone walls that can be covered with different plants and, in addition to the plants, also give many animals a new home.
- There are also many privacy options made of plastic, but they are usually more functional than visually appealing.
- If you are more close to nature at this point, you can use a privacy screen made of bamboo or rattan, because the selection is very large here too.
- However, it can be even more close to nature if you create a privacy screen made of climbing plants, for which a wooden frame or pergola is required as a base and stabilizer.
- Furthermore, you can also use nets to build a very nice privacy screen: fishing nets, peppered with a few plants or decorative utensils from the areas of summer, sun, beach and sea, are particularly suitable for small terraces and balconies.
Privacy protection that you can quickly build yourself
You can quickly build such a pergola or trellis for privacy. Simple wooden strips, which can be found in almost every hardware store, serve as a basis. A wide variety of climbing plants come into question, with ivy being particularly popular here. Ivy is evergreen, so you can benefit from such privacy protection even in winter. Alternatively, you can also create a scented garden and place various plants, spices and herbs on a trellis. They not only provide the perfect privacy protection, but also offer a highly aromatic experience at the same time.
