Increasing fence height to improve privacy in the garden - help!

[PitifulPrincess]

I desperately need to increase the height of my back fences after years of being stared and shouted at in my garden, please see my photo for what it looks like.

My back neighbour had a tall fence that was the same height as the dark grey ones you can see but it fell down in a storm 5 years ago and they've never replaced it despite us politely asking. Our fences are 6ft tall, is there something we can add to the top that would be tall enough to stop nosey heads peering over? I've looked at trellis but it doesn't look very private still as they all have large gaps and I don't know how I'd secure it. What can I install considering my current fence posts etc? Would love to know what others in a similar situation have done

In the UK you need planning permission for a fence higher than 2 metres.

Other ideas -
Bamboo in pots along the fence.

Plant a laurel hedge - it grows pretty quickly but would take a few years to give you privacy.

I don’t think a fence would help but a gazebo would give privacy.

Like this

Not a cheap option, but some pleached trees, e.g. photinia, planted along there would give you instant privacy.

Oh that is awful, I would have to plant some evergreens along the back there. Or move?! 😅

What can I install
Here's a novel idea. How about installing plants in your garden?
If you have a flat lawn up against tall fences it just looks like a box. Get some plants in there.

There are "instant" hedge options where you buy 6ft+ laurels, they are relatively thick and will grow pretty much anywhere but if you have problem neighbours then chances are they will come at you for the high hedge ruling.

Two options, one is bamboo, I am sure it is classed as a grass not a shrub/tree so is outside of the high hedge ruling. Pots would help contain it as some are invasive, others are not but if you are not really into gardening this would be higher maintenance.

The second and better option would be to put a shed at the bottom of the garden and if you can go the whole width. According to planning rules you are allowed to go up to 2.5m to the eaves height.

Rules are here https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/outbuildings/planning-permission

But make sure you don't need planning for your house in your area.

How about a garden sail type screen? https://www.coversandall.co.uk/solar-shades/sun-shade-sail/classic-sun-shade-sail-sc

A beech hedge works well.
Green (and red if you want) foliage in the spring, summer autumn and then most stay on in the winter but turn brown. They then drop off in the spring just before the new growth comes along.
Available as an "instant" hedge but far cheaper if you buy as medium plants and can wait a couple of years.

Matched with trellis, that will give you a massive improvement.

Conifers or laurels would solve your problem.

If you plant then just be careful of the boundary line once it's grown out as well as up

You could put a shed / summerhouse / playhouse at end of garden, it's 2.5 metres height limit without planning permission. Need to ideally leave 45cms all round for putting up and maintenance but otherwise can use width.

Red Robin/Photina trees, one per planter, placed near eachother along the fence line. We drilled a bit of trellis into a large, sturdy planter (we don't own the fence so won't attach anything to it.)

The Red Robins were about £40 each for a decent size in B&Q when we got them. They grow quick! And the leaves are a good size for privacy. Instead of letting it grow like a bush, we secured the branches into a pleached shape, using twine, interwoven through the trellis, securing the branches up in place. You can't see the twine much now, atleast from our side.

Within a couple of years, they've totally covered the fantail(?) style trellis. We trim off any branches that are going off course/going over the height of the trellis and securing/training the good branches to cover the height/width of the trellis. The only downside is the leaves. I'm sure they shed twice as many leaves as they seem to hold 😁 but definitely worth it for the privacy.

Might be worth putting a brick or two in the base of the planter, if there's a chance the wind could catch them.

That is what we did, and it worked infact 6 by 6 gave privacy and at the side we have a climbing rose perfect.

Try plants first

Only get plants/trees if you can comfortably maintain them, otherwise you will need to employ someone to trim them every year. The sail or a gazebo would improve privacy.

A lot of people are suggesting plants and that would be my suggestion too. However it would mean taking up the paving at the back of the garden to plant them, unless you put them in pots. If you put them in pots you will need to keep them watered and fed. Don’t underestimate the importance of that in summer or they will die. You would need big pots to minimise the amount of watering.

You have my sympathy OP as I would hate this. We are overlooked and planted pleached japanese privet along the boundary line. It wasn’t particularly cheap and they’ve taken a few years to fill out but it’s transformed our privacy so I would consider it worth the money.

You can add trellis to the top of a fence. You just need to add some tops to the existing posts and then it will secure fine. AFAIK this is not considered fence in 6ft rule. If it's trampoline overlooking that is mostly bothering you the trellis will sort that as it's going to be hard to peer through the gaps when youre moving.

Absolute nightmare. The leaves from next door’s Photinia drive us mad. How about trellis and an evergreen Jasmine. Fabulous fragrance in the summer.

I think the only solution, as others have said, is to plant a hedge or pleached trees.

Unless you’re blocking a view or stopping light to your neighbour it’s ok to let them grow tall. @Silvertulips has posted a pic of what the result would look like. It should keep noise from neighbours down too.

The rear neighbours haven't got any concern for your privacy if they've installed the trampoline close to the boundary, so I wouldn't worry too much about blocking the view (probably mainly into your garden) or leaves landing on their patch - they are free to cut hanging branches down on their side (might have to move the trampoline though😂).

If you plant a hedge of evergreen and it grows to 10ft providing a solid barrier all year round, then it will fall foul of the planning laws around “high hedges” and your neighbours can demand you can it down. Better to have a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees. Just one in each corner and a clematis in trellis in the middle would give decent screening and look great. But it will take 5 years or more from planting to perfection.

Yep, but my neighbours at the other side have a huge Red Robin tree which drops it's leaves into ours so it makes no difference to me to sweep all the leaves up! Still worth it for the privacy though! Would much rather pick leaves up on my own terms than be pestered by neighbours randomly and persistently invading my peace 😇😁

Id go for a raised bed and clumping bamboo (possibly mixed with Portuguese laurel). (That's actually what I do have.) Very easy to maintain, mine get an annual trim. The bamboo sounds lovely in a breeze.

100% preschool trees or hedge for this.