You’ve just moved into a new house and you love it, except for the lack of privacy in the backyard. Or, perhaps there is an unattractive view over one side of the fence. Maybe you’d like to create garden rooms and need ideas for dividers. Whatever the reason, creating a DIY privacy wall just takes some imagination and perhaps a stroll through the second-hand stores.
DIY Privacy Wall Ideas: How to Make a Privacy Wall
A privacy wall can be a living wall, i.e., created using live plants, or a stationary wall, one made with new or repurposed elements, or a combination of both.
Living Walls
Planting evergreen shrubs and hedges around the perimeter of the space is the traditional way to create a secluded backyard. Some good choices for plants are:
- Arborvitae (Thuja)
- Bamboo (Various)
- Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
- Cypress (Cupressus spp.)
- False Cypress (Chamaecyparis)
- Holly (Ilex spp.)
- Juniper (Juniperus)
- Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
- Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)
- Yew (Taxus)
Stationary Walls
Check in the garage for unused items that can be repurposed as a privacy screen, or visit the second-hand stores for ideas. Examples include:
- Old doors or old window shutters are painted, or left as is, and connected with door hinges to create a privacy screen accordion style.
- Wood lattice panels are erected with wood posts that are sunk in the ground using concrete.
- Curtains are hung on each side of an open porch.
Many retail options are available to help with the view, and can fit anyone’s budget.
- Faux boxwood hedges in planter boxes can make a quick screen or divider.
- Large pots filled with tall, dense plants can hide an unattractive view. Think evergreens or, in summer, choose canna lilies, rose of Sharon, bamboo or ornamental grass.
- Vertical garden fabric pockets can be hung from a pergola on a deck to obscure a neighbor’s view. Fill the pockets with potting soil and plants. Some are designed with a watering system.
Creating privacy around the home can make an outside space more enjoyable and a relaxing, secluded garden for the family. To learn more about finding the right tree for your space, click here.