Overlooked garden

[Whyemseeaye]

A little advice needed if anyone would be kind enough to help a gardening novice!

We have a small garden 8.5 x 8.9m. Very overlooked from the back.

I’m planning to plant some Laurel or similar to create privacy - but was unsure if this is the best option. I don’t want anything that’s going to go wild and take over or get in to the neighbours garden.

I’d also like to get a small tree for the corner of the plot, to give some shade - we’re south facing and without shade most of the day.

Any advice or thoughts would be gratefully received. I don’t want to do the wrong thing so have done nothing as a result

TIA

I've just posted on another post, while my young clematis and honey suckle are growing I've put this up for some privacy. It opens up to a few metres and 6 feet tall.Maybe an idea?
I cant for the life of me think of their name ( room divider?

No hedge gets over grown unless you don’t tend to it, then thy all do.

Laurel is fast growing, you need to trim it annually, I would say though it’s very bushy so will take some space width wise.

Chinese redbud "Avondale" is absolutely beautiful. Amelanchiers are good too. They're deciduous so the branches will provide some privacy during winter while still letting light into the garden and house.

Thanks so much for both of your responses!

@kerkyra a privacy screen is a good idea, and one I will look in to - I’d have to train the children to leave it alone. Could be a tough job

@Bluntness100 I was worried about bushiness of Laurel and similar. What we need is the coverage it provides but not the thickness of that makes sense. We don’t have a huge amount of space to lose to depth

@MilduraS amazing - I’m going to have a look at these now. Thank you!

I’ve never had more than a balcony before and even with this relatively small space I feel a bit out of my depth. I just want it to be lovely 😊

@MilduraS ooooh, it’s BEAUTIFUL

Laurel will take up a lot of space and most are also poisonous... I'd choose something else.

I would plant a multi stem deciduous tree, one that gives a lot of year round interest, dappled screening, something like an Amalanchier Lamarckii.

I agree Laurel would be too large. When I was thinking of planting a hedge, I looked at Hazelnut, especially red leaves varieties, so pretty and easy to,keep under control

You could plant two crab apple trees in that space

So glad I asked here

Laurel is definitely off the list, I didn’t realise it was poisonous!

I’ve had a look at Amalanchier, it’s beautiful and I think would it would suit the space. It’s on the shortlist!

Laurel is definitely off the list, I didn’t realise it was poisonous! In the days when it was felt acceptable to collect butterflies (there were also far more butterflies in those days), you would kill the specimens by putting them in a jar with a couple of laurel leaves, and let the cyanide fumes overcome them.

It won't happen with a hedge, but if you let your laurel become a tree, it has lovely candelabra like sprays of white flowers, followed by bunches of fruit in shades of green and red before they all finally turn black.

We have a similar garden and have:

2 x crabapples
2 x standard 'red robins'
1 x amalanchier lamarckii
1 x self-fertile dawrf damson (this one is my favuourite because it gives fruit and lots of sight cover without taking up much space on the ground).

Everyone thinks I am tree made but they work well together to break up line of sight with overlooking windows. I'm thinking we could fit a weeping purle beech in too

Really consider leaf season. Our neighbours planted two Acers which, while lovely, only come into leaf in late June and start to drop leaves in late September - meaning they actually provide little privacy.

I’m in a similar situation and am having pleached red robin trees planted on the rear fence

@PoorPawsPickPawpaws thanks for your suggestions - I’ll certainly give some thought to how much leaf coverage we get throughout the year!

Like @Sugarandtime we’re considering some pleached trees along the back fence. We are just so overlooked

In this very warm weather I’ve been conscious of my children being seen undressed in the garden, so want to ensure next year we’re in a better position re privacy!

I’d love to have lots of trees and even though we have a nice amount of space one side is a bit awkward because of the garden gate and also the side of our garage and door.

I’d love just a blank square, perfectly level, with plain fencing on every side. Then I could do what I wanted

We recently bought a house with laurel hedges. They are the same height as the first storey of the house... and a metre wide.
You can still see in the garden from the upper floors of neighbouring houses.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

The next time we buy a house the nearest neighbours will be a speck on the horizon…that’s the dream anyway

[quote Whyemseeaye]@Aroundtheworldin80moves

The next time we buy a house the nearest neighbours will be a speck on the horizon…that’s the dream anyway [/quote]
We moved from a house with no neighbours (as the houses either side were empty). Adjusting to hearing other people(and them hearing us) was strange.
Luckily the neighbour who likes playing music in his garden office has good taste!

(The other benefits like our 10yo being able to go places without being driven by a parent makes up for not being as private)

@Aroundtheworldin80moves I’d definitely say it’s all swings and roundabouts. I love the countryside peace but my husband is already pushing for a home where we don’t have to drive the kids everywhere.

Perhaps a lottery win and we could have one of each!

As an alternative for the screening, if you didn't want something to take over, get or buy some large, long, deep planters which can sit along the fence line. Bamboo is a quick growing option. Yes, some are invasive, others are just clumping, but my containing in a pot, they can't take over.

We want a privacy corner and a gardener friend recommended a Tasmanian acacia tree. Quick growing, non-deciduous so leaves all year and a pretty, yellow wattle flower. I don't know which exact variety, but might be something to consider.

I really wish we had planted an evergreen hedge along our neighbours fence - I’d personally go for something evergreen if it’s privacy you want

I planted a Portuguese Laurel hedge, fast growing and not as invasive as Cherry Laurel.

Made our own box planters out of old pallets to give them more height.

How about a garrya? They are pretty easy to train against a trellis or fence and have lovely catkins.

I use them in Christmas arrangements and they last for ages once cut. They're evergreen too so will provide decent privacy in time, although obviously I'd say buy as big as you can.

You could grow a couple of buddleia while other plants are establishing or in addition anyway ... grow real fast..lovely flowers to attract butterfly..and can chop back to ground in spring to create smaller shrub or leave big.... lots of lovely rich colour options these days...

Bamboo is great as a screening plant. It's low maintenance and doesn't take over as it mostly grows vertically