What could be done to make this garden more private and less awful?

[KievLoverTwo]

One of the reasons I dislike new builds is that you often have people able to see into your garden from three sides. This secondhand NB is not quite that bad, but I would dislike sitting out there and looking at a bunch of tall houses. What could you grow to be higher than that wall to make it less awful, and how quickly might that happen? If we chuck a bunch of money at it, can we buy something that’s already quite tall (but won’t grow massive)?

The rest looks pretty bland, but I am sure with creativity it could be nice(r).

(unusually it doesn’t have a terrible teeny kitchen and it has quite a lot of floor space, maybe suspiciously cheap, if a bit dated, and the location is good)

tyvmia.

Cypress are too big, I think.

A non clumping Bamboo could be perfect.
Look into Pencil Pines, Virginia Creeper on a criss cross of wires,
Also things for a pergola or climbing wire frame ..
Japanese Wisteria
Hops - and you can brew your own beer with barley etc.
Happy Wanderer - plant a yellow and a blue/purple
Cecil Brunner, climbing rose (or another climbing rose)

Induction hobs are brilliant. Much better than gas, and far better air quality in the house - gas cookers are a big risl factor for asthma.

Put trellises up right away so you get some privacy. Then, depending on sun direction, plant grapevines, rambling roses, wisteria, boston ivy. Loads of colour, privacy, and doesn't block all the light dead like leylandii.

Like others have said, your local garden centre can advise.

I think the lovely wall more than compensates for being overlooked, it would be a really pretty garden with wispy trees and flowerbeds.

The garden is too small for proper trees so I would ignore the option of most evergreen. Bamboos but only in pots! They’re a curse if they get out of control.
You can put up trellis but only if it’s your fence. Looking at the side fence, I suspect it’s your neighbour’s.

Frankly I think this garden is only suitable if you hate gardening and are a city type that don’t mind being overlooked. That house that directly overlooks you could put a trampoline or a climbing frame up against the fence and would you be fine with that? I know many who wouldn’t care and carry on regardless. If it bothers you now, do think how it’ll work in the future.

I think that has the potential to be really pretty, I love a walled garden. Assuming their seat set is at the sunniest spot too - that's good because it turns your attention inward, ie you won't want to sit facing the other houses. Espaliered trees (not leylandi, the space is too small) and lots of planting - if you're not planning on staying forever then I'd focus on pots.

I wouldn't assume the Astro is to hide drainage problems, they obviously don't garden! Just a plea to try and sell it on rather than just taking it to landfill - it doesn't biodegrade.

Please don't plant bamboo!

Trellis on top the walls, if allowed, a load of wire tapped into the walls to support climbing plants. Then plant loads of Star Jasmine and fragrant climbing roses all around. Smells lovely and pretty to look at.

Once you soften the walls it won't feel so stark.

Star Jasmine mostly stays evergreen, btw. Please please don't plant Leylandii!

Please don't plant bamboo!

Disagree. A clumping one is nice.

I think some folks have misunderstood the ops request. She’s not asking for ideas to make her garden look interesting, she’s specifically asking how to plant so she is not overlooked.

To break up the straight lines in front of a fence or wall, I was advised to plant a mixed shrub border. This gives interest and the irregularity breaks up the straight lines.

It doesn't need to be fancy shrubs. Photinia red Robin grows quite quickly and colour interest. I'm not a fan of yellow but forsythia gives a decent burst of colour. Both these easily pruned. There's Choiysia varieties with white and scented flowers. Something like sambucca or continus for a dark red.

So the variety of colour and varying heights draws the eye away from the regularity of the wall/fence.

Fair enough but when you ask gardeners on here they tend to be helpful and supportive by not only giving advice but also offering other ideas which the OP is welcome to ignore if they don't like them. We're a helpful bunch us gardeners.

Can you check under the astro turf before you decide? It may have been put down because the soil is too poor, weed-ridden or full of builder's rubble for anything to grow.

Thanks for all you replies, everyone. Even if we don't go for this house it's extremely useful. We build so many houses these days with so little privacy. So it's really good to know there are many options.

I have had a look at the street view and I think there are two insurmountable problems.

It's RIGHT on the road straight into town. The OH doesn't cope well with noise (at least right now when he's permanently stressed). The last house we looked at on this road (+45k but slightly too small) had a thirty foot drive. So noise would have been less of a problem.

The second thing is there is a block of allocated garages and all the houses are right on streets so there's basically no overflow parking. Now at the moment we have a huge garage (25ft X 28ft) which is frankly ridiculous but we store all our tools, carpet cleaner, very expensive big BBQ, ladders, overflow fridges, jet wash, lawn mowers and a ton of tools in there. Whilst I am prepared to compromise on not having all those things, I think completely losing all of them would be a step too far for us, kind of like you have lost that 'grown up' aspect of your home where you have all the things you need to get stuff done, if that makes sense.

If you lost garden space to a shed I think it would look dreadful. There has already been a chunk (maybe 5ft) of garden eaten up with a small kitchen extension.

I do like nice gardens and I have no problem with plant maintenance. Our last two rentals have had 0.3-0.5 acres of grass and we are kinda done with that. I think my ideal garden would be about 1.5 times the size of this one, maybe x2.

I think if it had an ASHP it would be mentioned in the and they're so expensive that they are a huge selling point. I think they have installed the wood burner in the kitchen because it's one of those where you just drill a massive hole through a wall, and I bet their electric bills were sky high. So they though 'hole in the wall, cheap wood, job done.' God only knows where they store the wood!

@Twiglets1 I have used an induction briefly this year and it was vastly superior to the dreadful 60cm ceramic cooker we have. It's not my favourite but induction would be an upgrade on current setup.

I absolutely get what you are saying re: 'glad you are looking before 2025.'

Yesterday the house was full of flies again, overnight the wind sounded like it was moving the roof, and I had my second cotton mop arrive that sheds all over the floor where it's got no sealant and is so rough. We just keep chucking small amounts of money at solutions that never really work, but the biggest irritants is it's literally never possible to get it clean, and the bloody flies. We will spend more time this weekend trying to cover more things with net.

It's always a fight. On the surface it's a beautiful fancy house and she has filled it with fancy italian hardwear, stunning custom kitchen, etc etc (we have THREE Belfast sinks!). But when skimping on the more boring things, and through complete lack of maintenance, it battles with stuff you can't change every day. And, she is LOVELY. She called me yesterday and said 'oh, all the 90cm ranges are rubbish? Don't worry, we will just get X back to rearrange the kitchen again and you can have a 110cm.'

And here electrician was here in 2.5 hours when the heating broke!

I actually think we are going to start looking at a completely different area with a vast population and thus many more houses now, so maybe we will have better luck there than we have thus far this year.

I do like the curved wall in the garden I posted.

I think it is a useful exercise to do what you have just done with that house, it helps focus you on what works as a compromise and what is a step too far. I think going from a garden the size you have now to something that size would be too much of a step down so you are sensible to say it’s too small.

Totally get the garage, we have been without for a year and it is a huge relief to have one in our new house again. Fingers crossed the new area has something for you.

If you lost garden space to a shed I think it would look dreadful.

I had a summerhouse designed like a posh shed, it was lovely and spacious and at the back out of view, it had a concealed storage space where I stored the mower, garden tools on racks with hooks on and pots and compost. From the front it looked like a summerhouse with double doors and internal wood slats like a beach house. I was very sad to leave it behind when we moved house but we've got plans to recreate one where we live now.

That’s good that you are expanding your search area @KievLoverTwo and hopefully you will find a property that is right for you & your partner in the next few months.

hedges! You need tall and thickish hedges.
btw, the garden itself isn't bad, looks nice and neat.
just the overlooking is a problem i guess.

Bamboo is a monster and famous now for undermining foundations, be very careful how and where you put it.