When we think of creating outdoor privacy, we often think of fences to keep prying eyes away from us, but there are so many different options here. A private outdoor space should do more than just block out the neighbors. It should be a space in which you will long to spend time.
Yes, fences will work for outdoor privacy. But, you can create a quiet and private sanctuary with materials other than fences. Think of outdoor privacy more in terms of creating rooms rather than in terms of building fences. For example, some areas for outdoor privacy could include:
- A breakfast nook
- A secret garden
- A lounge for afternoon naps
- A reading nook
- A bathing pond
- A dining room
This goes back to the notion of zones in your landscaping. Fences and other tools of outdoor privacy are still part of landscape design.
Chose one type of private outdoor area or combine them into a collection of private spots. You want to be careful how you section areas off, though, if you decide to have multiple private spaces. You want the sense of keeping the rest of the world out as you flow from room to room. You don’t want a feeling that your outdoor space is divided into boxes.
Outdoor privacy can be created through the judicious application of good landscape design. Some of the tools that you can use to in your landscaping arsenal include the following:
- Vine covered trellises
- Sturdy wood arbors to create doorways
- Hedges
- Bushes
- Informal clusters of plants
- Trees
- Natural features of the existing landscape, such as boulders or land grading
- Rock walls
- and yes…
Fences
Keep all of these different options in mind when you are planning out your space. Within the tools listed, there are several options for each one. Hedges come in all shapes and sizes, as do fences, plants, trees, etc. Sketch out a few of the options and see what works for you.
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