Invest in the best plants for privacy - as screening plants will block out any unsightly views or disguise boundaries. The days of nosy neighbours peeking over will be long gone. Whether you’re promising yourself a summer BBQ get-together or throwing a garden soiree inspired by Bridgerton, you owe it to yourself to protect your private garden retreat. From floral to fruity, these outdoor plants, once established, will look good on the ground, or on your decking.
With the help of Louise Curley from Garden Answers Magazine, we're able to answer all of your burning questions about finding the best screening plants for privacy. For year-round privacy, consider our guide to these stunners, to block the neighbour's view and regain control of your sanctuary. By using climbing plants, you can screen out any "nuisance noises and ugly views, and you don’t need to resort to the usual suspects of conifers and laurel," Louise says. If you're not looking to frame your garden with hedge plants, consider an evergreen shrub that grows tall.
Best plants for privacy at a glance
• Perfect for winter gardens: Feather Reed Grass ("Karl Foerster") - View Offer at Crocus
• Fragrant, woody climber: Star Jasmine - View Offer at You Garden
• Natural, green leaves: Fargesia rufa ("Non-Running Bamboo") - View Offer at Gardeners Dream
Below, are some of our favourites, with the help of writer Louise Curley. They range from framing and fragrant trees to ornamental grasses for an elegant and stylish touch to your space. While you may want to keep your neighbours from peering in, it's important not to annoy them, says Louise: "Consider how any screening might affect them, such as blocking their light or roots damaging drainage and structures." It is best to consult with those on either side of you before you buy. Then, you'll be able to block out that ugly wall you hate with a plant that prefers shade.
Best Screening Plants for Privacy
Goblet-shaped, citrusy flowers
www.thompson-morgan.com
This evergreen Magnolia Grandiflora tree has gloriously shiny leaves with rust-coloured undersides and pure white, goblet-shaped flowers that open late in summer with an intense, sweet, citrusy fragrance. It doesn’t like strong winds but if you have a sheltered plot then it’ll shield you from your neighbours’ gaze in style. For a compact garden, choose smaller varieties like ‘Little Gem’.
Pros
- Versatile growing conditions
- Ideal for sheltered plots
- Pure, white and pretty flowers
Cons
- Doesn't like strong winds
Perfect for winter gardens
www.crocus.co.uk
Use this easy-to-grow ornamental Feather Reed Grass ("Karl Foerster") that erupts in summer with feathery plumes of flowers to create the perfect airy screen for a seating area. The blooms gradually fade to golden and the bleached stems and foliage last well into winter, so it’ll shield you through late-season evenings, too.
Customer Review: "Beautiful grasses. We love the movement in light winds & the way the sun catches the nutty colour in both the morning and evening light. The wind & heavy rain this year caused some damage but the plant recovered well after snipping out the damaged grasses."
Pros
- Ideal for exposed or sheltered spaces
- Blooms gradually and lasts well into winter
- A perfect airy screen for a seating area
Cons
- Available to order from Autumn
Shades of purple and red
www.gardenersdream.co.uk
Ideal for compact gardens, this deciduous Sorbus vilmorinii ("Rowan Tree") will add privacy without plunging your plot into the shade, with lots of smaller leaflets making up individual fern-like leaves. These turn striking shades of purple and red in autumn with crimson-red fruit that fades to a pretty prink.
Pros
- Tolerant of most soil types and positions
- Striking shades of crimson red
- Ideal for smaller, compact spaces
Cons
- No customer reviews
Springtime white flowers
www.crocus.co.uk
This bushy, deciduous Amelanchier ("La Paloma") tree has a delicate framework of branches so it’ll obstruct the view without blocking out too much sunshine. It will bring masses of white flowers and attractive bronze foliage to your plot in spring and, in summer, dark red fruit that blackbirds will devour.
Pros
- Attractive bronze foliage
- Blackbirds love the dark, red fruit
- Delicate and will keep you in the sun
Cons
- No customer reviews
5.
Star Jasmine
Fragrant, woody climber
www.yougarden.com
We love this twining, woody climber at Modern Gardens because it’s so easy to grow as long as you give it a sunny, south or west-facing spot. To add privacy to your outside space, grow Star Jasmine across trellis panels attached to the top of a fence or wall where its evergreen leaves will screen year-round. Enjoy the scent of clusters of highly fragrant white flowers in summer too.
Customer Review: "The plant was very healthy and ready to plant in my garden."
Pros
- Fragrant white summertime flowers
- Leaves will screen year-round
- Perfect for growing across a trellis
Cons
- Prefers shelter and south or west-facing spots
Striking, bright red
www.crocus.co.uk
Want to swap your front fence for a no-nosy-parkers hedge? The leaves of this evergreen Photinia ("Red Robin") shrub unfurl a striking bright red in spring then mature to a sumptuous dark green. Trim it up to three times a year for a fresh flush of red shoots each time. In frost-prone areas, train as a wall shrub against a south or west-facing wall.
Pros
- It can cope with hard pruning
- Versatile and evergreen
- Springtime flowers and fruits
Cons
- Full sun or light shade is preferred
Unfurling pink buds
www.crocus.co.uk
This ornamental pear with white blossom unfurling from charming pink buds is one of the best deciduous trees for privacy, thanks to its lovely conical shape which obscures neighbouring houses nicely! The Pyrus calleryana ("Chanticleer") is also early into leaf in spring, yet one of the last to lose its foliage in autumn.
Pros
- Ornamental, charming flowers
- Excellent for small urban gardens
- Fresh, new foliage will appear each spring
Cons
- Some small stock issues
- Requires full sun to thrive
Statuesque in a mixed border
www.crocus.co.uk
Turn a seating area into a private sanctuary with a screen of this statuesque Miscanthus Sinensis ("Malepartus") grass. Its slender leaves have a distinctive white stripe down the centre and the silky flower heads are nothing short of magnificent. Quick to establish, this grass turns a beautiful reddish-brown in autumn. After, it dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
Customer Review: "Planted in Cornish hedge to give a little privacy. Allows access to small fence behind if necessary. Love the 'plumes' when in flower."
Pros
- Ideally placed in a border
- Silky, feathery plumes glow
- Establishes quickly
Cons
- Needs full sun to thrive
Natural, green leaves
www.gardenersdream.co.uk
With colourful yellow-green canes and dainty leaves that move easily in the wind, Fargesia rufa ("Non-Running Bamboo") makes a fabulous screen along a fence boundary, giving plenty of privacy for a small footprint. Fargesia plants are one of the best types of bamboo plants due to their multiple, short canes and delicate appearance. Its rustling masks traffic noise, too. Bamboo can be invasive but this one is compact enough to go into a pot.
Pros
- Short canes and delicate appearance
- Evergreen plants last year-round
- Reliable bamboo plant for your garden
Cons
- Requires some extra TLC
Buyers Guide
Choosing the correct plant for your garden and lifestyle will ensure that your plants for privacy have a good start and thrive in the future. You need to keep the space around your screening plants in mind as the roots can spread, so be mindful of drains and buildings. Before planting, consider...
Height - should be a main requirement. After all, you need the screen to be and decide on plants that will not outgrow the allocated space - or take too long to grow to the height you desire.
Soil - is important, too. Make sure the ground is prepared. Find out what soil type and pH you have in your garden.
Direction - determines where your plants will have to face, as well as the shelter and shade they may receive.
Moisture - is also something to investigate. Keep between 20 and 60 per cent for healthy growth.
FAQs
Which is the fastest-growing screening plant?
Bamboo, generally, grows the fastest.
Which of these screening plants can be put into pots?
If you’re looking to get privacy in your garden but don’t have any shrub space in the soil, you can pot these plants into larger outdoor pots and leave them on your decking or patio:
Do I need planning permission to plant screening plants?
Louise from Garden Answers writes: "It’s important to check planning regulations or covenants on your property before planting hedges – plants such as leylandii may be banned and there can be restrictions on boundaries next to roads."
So, typically, any new tree or hedge planting, adjacent to or near a public right of way or highway, may require the consent of the Highways and Byways department of your local council. Check that the covenants attached to your property do not prohibit the planting of specified species or features - and whether your property is in a Conservation Area, too.
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Piper Huxley is a Homes, Garden and Wellness Product Writer for Modern Gardens Magazine, an all-rounder. When she’s not writing about houseplants, she’s tending to her own growing collection…