Privacy Trees

Landscaping Ideas

The house I grew up in had a privacy fence that reached all around the perimeter. In some ways I really liked it. I liked the feeling of being sheltered from the neighbors and the outside world. It made both the backyard and the front yard seem so much more serene. There were, however, things that I really didn’t like about it.

Privacy fences seem a little bit too overt for me. I know it is a matter of personal taste, but even at the time I felt a little too closed off. When I moved into my own house, I wanted something that did the same job, but did it more subtlety. That is when I discovered privacy trees.

A lot of people like privacy shrubs and trees. Unless you need a security fence or some other safety device, a privacy tree can do everything that a man-made structure can do. It doesn’t make it impossible to enter your yard, but it does screen it from outside view and make it clear that no one is supposed to come in. It also gives you a feeling of privacy. For most cases, this is enough. Usually, unless your yard is wide open and welcoming, people won’t wander in.

Best of all, privacy trees provide a much nicer backdrop than fences do. Don’t get me wrong – you can get a nice looking privacy fence. You can make them out of stone, wood, or any other material you might fancy. Stucco fences can be beautiful – particularly with potted plants sitting on top of them.
Nonetheless, nothing beats having natural trees. They muffle sound more, they have a beautiful look to them, and they rustle gently in the breeze. There’s no better way to help you forget the world and relax than to have a thick barrier of privacy trees between you and everyone else.

There are a lot of different kinds of privacy trees, but most of them are evergreens. Evergreens have a lot of advantages. First of all, they are hearty enough to live almost anywhere. Second of all, they stay green all winter long – definitely an advantage. Deciduous trees lose their leaves, cutting down on the privacy protection that they provide during the winter.

Evergreens, on the other hand, get even thicker during the winter with a nice coating of snow glazing them. Although heavy snow falls can sometimes tear down branches, this is the exception more than the rule. In general, these trees are very hardy.