Short garden but want privacy

[cleo333]

Hi all , we have a wide short garden and would like to grow something for privacy, preferably year round cover what do you suggest ? We are a bit worried about big roots too , having spent ages pulling up roots already

I’m considering red robin (photinia ) but Claude AI advises that if it grows too tall it would still count as a hedge and could be cut shorter if neighbours object.

Mix of evergreen and deciduous trees. All evergreen counts as a “high hedge” and isn’t allowed.

pleached trees are expensive but quickest.

This isn't strictly accurate. It only counts as a nuisance high hedge if it's two evergreen or semi evergreen trees/shrubs or more in a line, which obstructs access or light to a neighbouring property. If anyone objects, it might well not fit this criteria, and even if it does it might still be permitted up to a certain height.

OP - is the area you wish to shield at the end of your garden, at the side or all along the perimeter? Observe which way the neighbours gardens are receiving light throughout the day and how it might be blocked by a line of evergreens. For instance if it's at the end of the garden and any hedge would face north it may be that no light would be blocked.

I have found hebes are good for this purpose.They are well behaved shrubs that are not considered invasive and are not reputed to damage property.

I have some Hebe Midsummer Beauty in one part of the garden where I wish increase privacy. Although they usually grow into rounded shrubs, I've limited their stems to 3 or 4 at the base, meaning they take up little space at ground level and I can under-plant quite easily with smaller perennials and bulbs. With this number of stems they have developed more into a tree shape, with leaves and flowers at the top canopy. They are about 3 metres tall.
It isn't a dense canopy and allows filtered light to reach the neighbour's garden with little impact. It doesn't provide complete privacy as its not a heavy screen but it is sufficient. And it flowers from June to November in most years and sometimes longer than that.

What do you want privacy from - neighbours in their garden, passing pedestrians, first floor windows?

If privacy from above, a pergola is effective.

Tree doesn’t have to be against neighbours fence. A photo is several feet from their fence would be good.

Diagram

Should say a photinia is several feet from the fence

Two metres is allowed and that will afford good privacy.

That sounds lovely. I am investigating trees that would be in full sun above the wall but north facing below- so they would only have sunshine once they grew taller than 5ft x how long did yours take to grow tall? They look pretty.

That’s helpful, thank you . It won’t deprive them of light as they are south side of the wall and we north side. But would like more privacy - we are terraced neighbours and it’s a fairly narrow side return.

This Is a guide to pruning for thickness as well as height.

https://www.google.com/search?q=uk+photinia+pruning+for+thickness+as+well+as+height&client=safari&hs=5r79&sca_esv=0a1aba6b912ecc9d&biw=1180&bih=684&sxsrf=ANbL-n4K5C1Dr6CGiOU4nqge0MIvqHhXJA%3A1772631233114&ei=wTSoabTTBs_Li-gP5cnAoAE&ved=0ahUKEwj0t973rYaTAxXP5QIHHeUkEBQQ4dUDCBM&uact=5&oq=uk+photinia+pruning+for+thickness+as+well+as+height&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiM3VrIHBob3RpbmlhIHBydW5pbmcgZm9yIHRoaWNrbmVzcyBhcyB3ZWxsIGFzIGhlaWdodDIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwAzIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA0iIOlC4CljlJHABeAGQAQCYAZABoAG4CaoBAzUuNrgBA8gBAPgBAZgCDKAC8wnCAggQABiABBiiBMICCBAAGIkFGKIEwgIFEAAY7wXCAgQQIRgKmAMA4gMFEgExIECIBgGQBgiSBwM0LjigB44ssgcDMy44uAfwCcIHBTAuNy41yAcegAgB&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

I grew my hebes from small cuttings - just sticking the cuttings in a jar of water and they sprouted roots very readily. From this, it took about 3 or 4 years to reach above a two metre fence. It's an area of the garden in shade for much of the day but it does get some sun in the mornings, Now that the hebe canopy is above the fence it has access to much more light.

I actually started out with Photinia but it didn't much like the shade... and ants farming greenfly into the folded new leaves meant the shrubs looked a sorry sight, along with recurring leaf spot issues.

Is it just a small area of the garden that you really want privacy in? Like a patio? In that case you can plant much shorter stuff than directly around that area and because the angle from you at your table to bush is higher that it would be to a bush at the edge of your property, you need something much shorter than you would at the edge. And it can work to break the garden up in an interesting way and create a sense of enclosure.