Suggestions how to create privacy in a terraced house garden?

happypants

As the title suggests I'd like to create more privacy in the garden of our terraced house. It's not very big but not overly small, of rectangular shape and overlooked by houses on all sides.

We bought the house because we really wanted to live in the area, nice village outside Dublin, close to parents etc

With the kids we like to spend time in the garden, we recently had some landscaping work done, nice patio, grass and a shed. However, we are overlooked by all our neighbours by all angles. I would like to plant some hedges/ trees? Or something that might give us a bit more privacy, as it is now, I feel like we are in a goldfish bowl and everyone can look in. I wouldn't want to plant anything totally obnoxious or unruly either, we live in an estate.

Any advice welcome!

_Brian

First thing I'd say is do you really think people want to watch you playing in your garden ?? There's a big difference in people being able to see you and people watching you.

You could plant tall narrow plants like clump forming bamboo along the fences, they are nice and grow quick enough to 12-15 ft, but not cheap.

Another option is sink a few well positioned posts and put up one of the sail type shades. They're very stylish (if done well) and stop sight lines from above.

looksee

Presumably you can see into all your neighbours' houses from your upstairs windows. How much time do you spend looking into their gardens? Probably about as much as they spend looking into yours

If you have only low walls around your garden then you could put in some fencing, but if there is already fencing then you are only talking about overlook from bedrooms. The more you block lines of sight the more sunlight you lose. Maybe you could just put in one or two medium sized trees to give you a place that is not overlooked, but it will be realistically impossible to make it private from all directions.

seamus

You're probably overthinking it, people aren't staring into your garden.

In any case, you can raise your walls up to a height of 2m without planning permission. Trellising allows you to feel like you have more privacy without making it feel claustrophobic.
You are also free to plant trees for privacy, but they will always come with their own downsides. Even if you don't block your light, you'll block someone else's. Then rather than a neighbour who's ambivalent about you and not looking into your garden, you'll have a neighbour who thinks you're an asshole.

_Brian

It's the compromise of high density living that as the density increases privacy areas decrease.

Maybe focus on obscuring a dining area. It will attract less attention.

recedite

Make a private seating area just at the back wall of the house. The rest of the garden is always going to be overlooked.
If the back wall is north facing.... well you should have thought of that before you bought the house.

happypants

Cheers for the replies! Of course I don't think people sit looking out their window into our garden, I don't look into theirs at all! Well maybe a quick glance when I'm closing the curtains to see what gardening work they've done but that's about it! It's a 3 storey house, as are the houses all along so the garden will always be overlooked but I suppose I'd like to give it a more enclosed feel

The garden is north facing unfortunately, but we really wanted to live in the area and the house was in our budget and a great size for the price so we didn't let that put us off. It gets a nice bit of sun from 2pm onwards though so we're happy enough. its been a busy two years so finally we're getting around to putting some thought into plants and hedges etc

Rancid

happypants wrote: »

....so the garden will always be overlooked but I suppose I'd like to give it a more enclosed feel ....

As suggested already, make a seating area near the end of your garden, that's where you'll get the most sun in a north facing situation.
Think of bamboos to create that enclosed feel while not restricting light, they'll also give a little protection from wind.
Have a look at Phyllostachys aurea, they should be ideal for your garden. Non-clumping, too.

Day Lewin

A semi-circular enclosure around your seating area will capture sunshine and add privacy. You can settle back into your little alcove and stretch out, facing the sun. Trellis, wattle, or planting. Set up a bench (plank on two bricks) and experiment with some screening eg sheets on poles to find the best way of achieving just one little patch of total privacy.

Rancid

Day Lewin wrote: »

A semi-circular enclosure around your seating area will capture sunshine and add privacy. You can settle back into your little alcove and stretch out, facing the sun. Trellis, wattle, or planting. Set up a bench (plank on two bricks) and experiment with some screening eg sheets on poles to find the best way of achieving just one little patch of total privacy.

Great advice, totally agree.