Garden Privacy Ideas for Overlooked Homes

With spring finally here, Brits are getting ready to head out and enjoy their gardens. 

But, although we may like seeing our neighbours from time to time, it can feel a bit uncomfortable to sit outside and soak up the sun if we have a garden overlooked by neighbours. Especially in terraced homes where you may be overlooked in multiple directions—impeding on your sense of privacy when in your garden. 

New-build homes can have gardens that feel particularly overlooked, and with a reported 16,072 terraced and 34,778 semi-detached homes built last year, ways for people to create garden privacy are more pressing than ever. 

To help anyone wanting to know how to make a garden more private, our team of gardening experts at Grass247 have shared six key ways to create more garden privacy ahead of summer. 

How to get privacy in an overlooked garden

1. Using planters

There are a few key things to consider when it comes to garden privacy. The first, and one of the easiest things you can do is bring in some large planters with taller plants and trees. 

These can create a more natural boundary for your garden, especially if you have your own section in a shared garden, and offer a quick fix for any immediate problems. Place planters around any seated areas to create a sense of seclusion in the zones you spend more time in. 

Potted hedges can be a uniform way to add height to your garden and offer more privacy, and work particularly well in more modern and minimalist gardens. 

For those wanting a more colourful garden, you could opt for dense, bushy flowers such as fuchsias. Or taller blooms such as sunflowers and dahlias to add more peace and privateness to your garden.

2. Garden screening and trellises

When thinking about how to make a garden more private, another quick and easy option is to simply invest in some garden screening via trellises. There are plenty of trellis styles out there to choose from—you can get modern, metal trellises or opt for more natural, wooden designs, depending on your style. 

A garden trellis is both functional and decorative, offering you an aesthetically pleasing way to add height and coverage to your garden. Essentially putting a wall between you and your neighbours windows—giving you plenty of shielding when you want to spend time outside. 

For any structures you can then introduce climbing plants to add a more natural appearance to your garden and fill in any gaps. Climbing plants such as clematis, jasmine or honeysuckle are a great addition to trellises and will create a natural sense of privacy in the garden.

3. Use trees for garden privacy

When looking for longer term solutions, consider planting some trees around the boundary of your garden. Trees will contribute height and offer a canopy that can aid any privacy or garden screening that you’re after. 

Those with smaller gardens may not consider this as an option, due to the smaller footprint available, but there are some ideal small garden trees for privacy, including Hawthorns and Field Maples.

To help conserve water when maintaining your trees, you can collect rainwater to nourish your garden in a sustainable way.

4. Overhead structures and pergolas

Pergolas and overhead structures are great when looking at privacy ideas for gardens, as these will shield you from above. 

Pergolas can create a sense of enclosure and cosiness in your garden–ideal for any seating areas—and will create a focal point for your outdoor space which will come in handy for any outdoor entertaining. 

You can also add hanging baskets and climbing plants to introduce even further privacy in the garden. Plants such as wisteria are a beautiful addition to a pergola when flowering and will add further shade to the area. 

If you’re unsure on a structure like a pergola, you could introduce canopies or umbrella shades to create more overhead privacy on any seating areas. These can be moved or packed away, offering you some flexibility with your garden screening.  

Shade is also a great way to maintain the heat of any artificial grass in your garden, helping you keep your lawn cool in the summer.

 5. Get clever with your garden furniture

When considering overlooked garden ideas, you should also think about how you experience your outdoor space. 

For instance, if your garden seating is facing other homes, you will be more aware of seeing your neighbours—and them seeing you—which will take away any feelings of privacy. 

So, to add a sense of seclusion, an easy fix can be to position any seating areas so that you are looking towards your own home. This will keep your focus away from neighbouring homes and external elements. 

If your garden furniture isn’t under cover of a pergola or shade, exposure to the elements may leave it looking lacklustre after a long winter. 

To spruce them up, check out our budget-friendly cleaning hacks for any patios and outdoor furniture.

6. Use water features to create garden privacy

When thinking of garden privacy ideas, an overlooked element is also how well you can hear your neighbours, and how well they can hear you. 

Water features can be the perfect addition for anyone wanting to create a sense of privacy in their garden, as these will help cover any outside noise such as traffic or anyone else enjoying their garden. 

The sound that comes from your water feature will also help drown out your own conversations—perfect if you don’t want to be overheard by any eavesdropping neighbours.