Privacy Options
What options are there to create more privacy, security or barriers on your property? Well, most of the time you have two primary options:
Fencing
Hedges
Fencing is the better option here, as far as privacy, security, safety and even sound barrier is concerned. Fences and gates, especially in your back yard and on the sides of your home, are vital for the safety and security your kids and dogs especially. If you live on a busy street and your kids or dogs will be hanging out in the front yard more often than not, fencing this area in could be a smart idea with a driveway gate.
Front yard fencing in most areas will likely have height restrictions of up to 4’ tall maximum (including some gaps), unless you get plans and a permit to go higher. Most back yards will have a maximum of up to 6’ tall, but there’s sometimes an allowance to go up to 8’ (and sometimes that top 2’ can only be a trellis-type barrier). You generally won’t want to install a fence much taller than 8’, as it starts to get heavy and could require costly reinforced posts, etc., to keep it sturdy. Overly tall fences can also start to look a little “fortressy” the higher they get. For additional sound-proofing/security in the back yard, an upgrade to a Cinderblock privacy wall could be called for, but that can get quite high in price, and a wall may not be as natural and aesthetically pleasing as a nice wood fence.
Some great options for wood fences:
Cedar or Redwood Dog Ear (cheapest [can cut the tops flat for a bit of a cleaner look]).
Smooth Cedar or Redwood, horizontal or vertical with framed edge (we love the horizontal style).
Hardwoods (wood from the center of the tree) or more dense woods like Clear Cedar/Redwood, Mangaris, Ipe, etc., usually done in a horizontal style. This type is very costly, but definitely worth it if budget allows [they last longer, generally require less maintenance, don’t come with knots in the wood, etc.]).
We stain all the fences we install to help them last longer and for termite-resistance. Depending on the wood and the stain used, you’ll want to re-stain anywhere from every 1-2 years to every 5 years to keep them in good shape. In some situations where you want to keep a higher quality wood in good shape and you use a lighter color or clear stain to bring out the natural wood color, you’ll want to apply the initial stain, then stain it again about a year later. That second stain lasts longer than the first one after layering it on (two to several years maybe), so you can stain as needed after that point. The framework and posts we install for a majority of our wood fences and decks is a pressure-treated wood (chemically treated and pressurized so it lasts a long time in the ground and is termite-resistant [this is a normal thing that pro fencing companies do]).
Gates also come with several different options, styles and layouts like fences and hedges do. No need to get too into them layout-wise, as it’s usually pretty obvious where you’d need a gate; but a more unusual circumstance with gates would be if you plan to hedge in your front yard and you now have an open driveway and front pathway entrance. In this case, you can always install a pedestrian gate and driveway gate to fill those gaps. This type of setup can give you the feeling of a bit more privacy and security, but it’s not a great option to hedge in your front yard if you want to let your dog loose out there, until the hedge gets VERY thick (which takes years), or never. The style of this option can be very nice with the contrast of a bright green hedge against smooth, natural wood gates, but it isn’t quite the most functional/reliable/secure. Sometimes, just going with a solid, short fence all the way around might be worth considering, even if you just do a hedge on the inside of it for more privacy/style. Though, adding a hedge and fence both can of course come with a bit of a cost.
Hedges (rows of the same/similar shrubs/trees to form a barrier) are a solid option in many scenarios. As far as the perimeter of a back yard is concerned, it’ll generally always be recommended to fence/wall it off from your neighbors’ yards first regardless; especially for your kids’ and animals' safety, as well as being able to restrict access for harmful wildlife like coyotes, etc. In some cases, people will want to add hedges in the back yard, even when there are existing fences when:
There are see-through fences like chain-link, etc., that should be covered up for looks/privacy.
There is a somewhat unattractive, older fence that isn’t damaged, but would look better if covered up.
You just like the look of a green wall!
You may have wanted a really tall fence for privacy/sound-proofing, but you found out that that isn’t really reliable due to the heavy weight in the wind, cost, or city ordinances. So, a hedge would grow much taller and cover that upper section above an existing fence.
You have an existing short fence (say 4 or 5 feet tall) and would rather not add new material to it to make it taller (could clash) or replace it due to cost, but you need the privacy/security.
Hedges are just generally going to be a lower cost than fencing, so adding hedges in front of fences you don’t want to mess with (as long as they’re not completely rotten or have large holes/gaps) could be a good option; it really just depends on the situation.
Hedges can be used intelligently in a variety of situations like covering up trash storage bins, etc. You can also use a smaller hedge around a front yard or to divvy up a back yard where you might need a minor barrier for dogs or other animals, style, etc., but where you don’t necessarily need a large privacy hedge. Some cities don’t allow you to put almost ANYTHING of height in your front yard without a permit, especially fencing. In these situations and others, and in the case where you might have a somewhat plain front yard of grass, cutting out those first couple feet of grass, moving the sprinklers back and installing a short hedge could be a simple, yet dramatic upgrade style-wise and to deter neighborhood dogs (a lot of people have an issue with this on their lawn).
Your general hedge sizes:
One-gallon for a miniature short hedge (only should be used due to budget constraints).
Five-gallon for a standard short hedge (perfect size to start with for a short hedge barrier).
Ten-gallon for a miniature privacy hedge or somewhat mature short hedge (only should be used due to budget constraints for the privacy hedge).
Fifteen-gallon for a standard privacy hedge or a fully mature short hedge (still can be somewhat straggly for the privacy hedge, but the next size up is pricey, and it’s nice to be able to train and shape your hedge how you want as it grows).
24” box for a mature privacy hedge (expensive, but worth it if budget allows).
30”-36”+ box for a very mature privacy hedge (very expensive and honestly unnecessary in a majority of cases when the 24” is available, but could be potentially necessary in particular conditions. This could be a better size for a primary, good-sized, aesthetic tree in your yard, as opposed to an entire hedge).
Some of your best privacy hedge options:
Podocarpus - Our #1 choice in hedges, it comes with thin, bright green leaves, it grows quickly, and, most importantly, its roots are minimally invasive.
Silver Sheen Pittosporum - Comes with frosty green leaves and dark stems, grows only up to 15’ tall and its roots are minimally invasive.
Purple Hopseed - Comes with dark red/green leaves, grows at a decent rate (but only up to 15’ tall) and its roots are minimally invasive.
Privet Ligustrum - Comes with thick, green leaves, grows quickly (but only up to 15’ tall) and its roots are shallow and somewhat invasive.
Ficus Nitida - Comes with thick, green leaves, grows quickly and its roots are shallow and extremely invasive; will destroy walls, pathways, sidewalks, foundations, etc., similarly to Magnolias.
Short hedge recommendations aren’t as important here, as there are so many different options we could use for one, but some ideas to start with could be Westringia, Little Ollie, Japanese Boxwood, certain sages, etc.
This can all be a lot to look at. Really, all it comes down to in the end is what’s realistic for your property, security and privacy, and which options align best with your spending range. Schedule an assessment to get a professional out to take a look and find out what’s best for you. Let’s give you and your neighbors something lovely to look at!
-Cody Simpson, Chief Landscape Consultant