Help with blocking house at end of garden!

[Seatherny]

Hello! I’m looking for some advice on how best to block this house at the end of our garden, the grass is raised higher than the garden path on the right and the gate to the car is directly infront of the house. Would a tree look strange plonked in the corner of the grass? What tree would do best? It’s a north facing garden but gets lots of sun. Thank you!

You could plant a tree but I don't see how that would help unless it's in front of the gate. What's the issue with the house being seen?

Could you move the gate to the left and then have a tree in the corner? I guess you're wanting to block line of sight from the window?
If the tree is on the grass it's going to be quite large before it has a span to cover the building.

I also don't see the problem?

It's not like you're particularly overlooked?

As previous poster said, you need to get through the gate so I'm not sure what you could do, really.

You could buy a Rowan or Silver Bitch tree (or even two for balance) and plan on the bottom right of your lawn.

It’d look lovely and they grow fast, within a year it’d block out the house and give you a private, green and self contained feel.

A 10 foot tree is about £250-£300 including delivery. It’ll attract birds too and you can decorate it with solar lights. You may also want to research evergreens.

The best way to block the house would be to put the tree further forward, not the corner of the lawn. Roughly where the thicker edge starts.

This would block it from the house much sooner than a tree at the far end, which means you could use a smaller tree. I'd go for something flowering and with a beautiful bark, maybe one of the copper barked cherries.

What if you relandscaped and moved the path and gate to the left alongside the raised bed and re-turfed where the current path is? Then plant a tree in the bottom right corner.

Now I want a silver bitch tree. I'm grey haired, so it would be my tree alter ego :)

What about an espalier along the fence then over the top of the gate?

Two trees like this.

Pleached trees that go over the gate? They’re not cheap but you wouldn’t need many and they’re instant.

Thank you for all your advice! I just want it to feel a bit less exposed/more private so i will have a play around with all your ideas 🫶 thank you!

The one on the right is half on the path. If it was over on the actual lawn it is unlikely to block anything as the line of sight goes right over the gate.

You need a wattle.

They grow fast and have lovely blossom in the bleakest months.,

You can plant a tree in a path - if you dig a hole, there’s soil under the stones / paving slabs too! Trees could go anywhere including next to the fence.

What is on the other side of the rear fence and gate? Is there a grassy verge area or just a footpath? I know someone who asked permission from their council authority to plant some shrubs on the other side of their fence, which was granted on condition they were maintained by the householder.
If you could extend the shrubbery behind the fence along and also plant a shrub at the right hand gatepost, that might be an easy option.

@LadyNairne

You can plant a tree in a path - if you dig a hole, there’s soil under the stones / paving slabs too! Trees could go anywhere including next to the fence.
Yes. You could technically plant a tree in the middle of the path.
But it's pretty weird. It kind of defeats the purpose of the path

I think I would look at instant hedges and would plant up at least 2 or 3 plants at the bottom of the garden near to the fence and gate. We bought 6ft cherry laurel that will grow anywhere I think. That will cover some of the houses you can see. You can buy pleached trees again from instant hedging sites. I would consider some kind of support to train a climber over the top of the gateway too if possible.

I know a lot of people seem to thing there isn't an overlooking issue but I think some areas have houses backing onto houses and so are just used to having a house whose garden backs onto your garden.

When we lived in Dorset we had a similar view, it was partly solved by a palm tree and two Cordulines (or similar name). They all have slim trunk and bushy tops and no lower branches so children or adults on the lawn not inconvenienced but lower branches.

Archway? Eg a metal one with climber like an akebia?or a series of them over the path?
Or if you like more rustic, train apple trees?

I think an archway over the pathway then a taught espalier wire from the archway to the fence and train a fast growing clematis up the arch and along the wire.
You could add lights for evenings in the garden and no-one can see past them if facing all directions.
I got a bit carried away drawing it

You need something evergreen though. A silver birch (and some others) will only provide cover for some of the year. It’s a tricky one if the gate can’t be moved but I like the arch.

Evergreen honeysuckle is rampant!

Do you want to screen the path or your house or the seating area?
This shows that a smaller tree near to the table would screen the bbq table rather than waiting years for a tree planted nearer the neighbour's house to grow tall enough to screen their house.

It's not that large a space and I feel tree might dominate. If get one, get something that will stay compact.

Is it from the house and the patio that you mainly want the other house blocked? In that case I'd put your shielding plant(s) closer to your house. The reason being that if you have the shield at the end of the garden it has to be very tall to block the other house. If you divide your garden into rooms you can have a lowish trellis round your patio and block the view without it needing to be high.

Or if you do want to do the end of the garden put a trellis up on both sides of the gate and grow climbing plants over the arch across it.