What trees to screen?

[QueenOfIce]

Above the fence we are overlooked by 4 terraced townhouses. I really want to put up some screening trees.

Looking for above the fence with low foliage on the trunk, pleached trees o guess though open to options. Was thinking about Japanese privet. Any other suggestions?

I'd like to plant some fairy's thimble around each tree area so it has a sort of woodland feel. I'm a total novice, please help!

It isn't native to the UK though - how about pleached hornbeam instead? They'd be a bit cheaper for the same size too, although they aren't evergreen.

(I'm all for planting native species where possible - it helps our wildlife more than non-native trees)

Have a look at the Majestic trees website - they have before and after pics for screening and took about specific situations. (I bought three trees from the last year and they were fantastic ... I still look for ideas on the website). Also do some research by wandering around an RHS garden with a notebook, that’s free to members and you can ask them for advice too if you get a years membership (soooo worth it).

I loved the idea of the privet but the trunk grows to 7m so it'll be huge and there will then be a massive gap between the fence and foliage won't there? I have no clue about trees at all!

I’d break it up with a mixture of small trees for gardens...small cflowering cherry, an evergreen or two, a mountain ash...

Are they above fence trees Carafe? Needs to be above the fence to shut the neighbours out but I don't want huge trees taking up massive space in the garden either.

We’ve got pleached hollies and pleached evergreen magnolias (other bit of the garden).

For a woodland feel, you could even consider birches but they aren’t evergreen or very dense - good for allowing light for underplanting but you might still get glimpses of houses in between the leaves.

They should get above the fence and provide a curtain effect. You could do some climbers as well if it’s a sturdy fence. Once they bulk up you can easily get a couple of feet above the fence and a range of evergreen and scented etc.