When you live in a suburb, you value your privacy. It’s a luxury to have a space all to your own where nosy neighbors can’t peek in or ruin your solitude.
It’s not wrong to crave some peace from prying eyes. But privacy works in other ways too; it can screen things that aren’t very attractive to see, such as a neighbor’s shed.
Luckily, there are many options when it comes to privacy landscaping. And they can all help you get the seclusion you crave, as well as block unsightly views. Here are some tips on landscaping for backyard privacy.
7 Ideas For Backyard Privacy Landscaping
Sitting in your suburban Chicago backyard enjoying a nice day can be such a great experience … as long as you don’t have to look at your neighbor’s pile of trash or unsightly objects in their lawn.
You may live close to your neighbors, but that doesn’t mean they have to know what you’re doing every moment of the day.
These 7 creative landscaping ideas for privacy can give you clever and attractive screens that feel natural.
1. Living Screens
Living screens made up of evergreen and/or deciduous trees can bring both beauty and privacy to your backyard. Hedges, in fact, have been a privacy landscaping hallmark for years. And, depending on the tree or shrub species, you can plant them to reach varying heights.
Some favorite plants we enjoy for privacy screening include:
- Arborvitae
- Norway Spruce
- Black Hill Spruce
- Viburnum
- Lilac Varieties
- Columnar Hornbeams
2. Tiered Plantings for Backyard Privacy
You can plant gardens in tiered layers for something beautiful to look at as well as privacy landscaping.
The basic idea is to start with a taller layer of trees or tall shrubs that border a section of your property. Then, incorporate medium-sized shrubs in front of that. Finally, add dwarf plantings and perennials in the nearest layer. This multi-tiered concept can bring varying colors and textures to your space.
3. Pergolas Add Privacy
A wide open yard can have a lot of benefits, but they aren’t the most ideal for privacy landscaping.
You can create intimate spaces, however, with a pergola and surrounding plantings that form a nook. The open pergola frame permits light and wind to pass through, so the space can be both breezy and bright, along with cozy. Pergolas also enable you to both gain privacy and keep great views.
Filling the sides and top with vines can also bring serenity in the form of floral color and a nice scent.
4. Pavilions
Think of a pavilion as a true outdoor room with a ceiling to protect you from rain and open walls to let in sunshine and views. Pavilions are great for backyard privacy.
You can block unsightly neighbor yards with plantings on one side or curtain rods with trendy panels that can be kept closed for an intimate dinner or pulled back for more open and lively discussion. This is a landscape privacy idea that gives you multiple options.
5. Outdoor Fireplaces
Not only is a fire feature a much sought-after garden feature, but it can offer some privacy, too.
If you build the hearth and chimney into an expansive stone wall, it defines an outdoor living space and creates a focal point for privacy landscaping. Your eyes are drawn to the roaring fire instead of your neighbor’s trash cans.
6. Cedar Paneling For Landscape Privacy
Cedar paneling, a modern partial fencing option, can shield a section of your backyard from curious neighbors while providing your yard with a textured and natural looking backdrop.
It can become a landscape privacy idea and an attention-grabbing focal point in your outdoor living area design.
7. Custom Privacy Landscaping Solutions
When you want privacy landscaping, a long-term solid fence doesn’t have to be your only solution.
There are many custom ideas KD Landscape can create in suburban Chicago based on your needs and unique space challenges.
Anything you can dream up we can create. Think garden beds that use a variety of plants in a vertical growing platform to create height, privacy, and visual interest. Even raised beds or containers can provide height and intimacy.
Maybe you’re picturing a rock wall with plants growing in between the layers or a privacy treatment that uses multiple ideas to create a secret garden effect.
When you want privacy and a gorgeous vista to relax in, there’s really no limit to what you can do to create this kind of functional and fabulous space.
Ready to Add Some Privacy to Your Outdoor Space?
Whether you’re looking for a pavilion to relax under while enjoying a family dinner or you want to sit in your hot tub behind a gorgeous and lush screen of trees, neighbor’s prying eyes don’t have to follow you. You can have your backyard moments and your privacy, too.
Maybe you have an open backyard, and the expanse is making it hard for you to visualize how privacy landscaping can work for you. Or maybe your unique property layout or elevation make determining your best approach to seclusion more challenging than you thought it would be.
Let KD Landscape help. We have years of experience in creating landscaping ideas for backyard privacy in the Greater Chicago area. We can review your needs and goals and provide you with a wealth of ideas to make your backyard the intimate nook you’ve always wanted it to be.
Ready to see how KD Landscape can transform your suburban Chicago backyard into a more private space? We’d love to share our design and installation expertise with you. Get started today with a free consultation. Together, we can prepare a plan that brings you the relaxation you’re after.
