Treehouse overlooking garden

wardides

Hi all, was looking for some advice. Our back slopes up towards houses behind, so we are somewhat overlooked. No real issue here, however last year neighbour behind and slightly left of us build a raised treehouse backing on to myself & next door neighbours back fence.Base of treehouse probably begins at top of our fence so raised roughly 5ft over our fence. Again no real issue, only the side of the tree house is as per below - has a balcony of sorts which means kids are hanging over, predominantly our side, as shouting into their friends next door! *I should emphasise must smaller in width than the image below but taller, image is just to explain the balcony aspect which is the real impact!*



I don't overly want to make an issue of it, but does have an impact as at times stuff get's thrown in, but mainly it scares the absolute bejasus out of our rescue dog so that's not ideal. We have artificial grass in the back half of the garden so looking to try get a tree which is more or less fully grown that I could place in back left corner. Again just to give us some privacy and hopefully as minimal impact on the treehouse or neighbours behind! Any suggestions? Would need to be roughly 6/7ft tall I imagine, with preference on low maintenance and impact on neighbours if that's possible!

Any experts with any suggestions?

tampopo

Not an expert but start with a rowan sapling and let it grow. An evergreen would be better, of course but not sure of any that won't take over.

looksee

A 6 to 7 ft high tree is really not very big and would not make any appreciable difference to the situation. It would also be rather vulnerable if it were within reach of the tree house. It would not (as I am understanding the situation) make any difference to the dog or things being thrown over.

I gather that is not the actual treehouse in the pic? Are you suggesting the balcony opens over your garden? That is a bit unreasonable if so. Could you draw a bit of a plan, or a photo (I understand why you might prefer not to do that!). A large shrub(s) might work better, but it would be helpful to actually see the situation. Anything planted is going to take a couple of seasons at least to be any use.

endacl

Start with a chat. If it’s similar to the image you posted, it could easily be dragged to a different part of the garden.

wardides

No sorry, photo in original post was just for reference. Photo of actual treehouse below! Bear in mind we have torn up the garden and placed fake grass down and slightly reduced the gradient, meaning the garden is slighlty lower at the back. Reason I said 7ft is, if you can make it out from the image, the issue is the children keep hanging over the pink balcony on the side. So just want something to block that vantage point, so only needs to be a foot over the fence for this I imagine.

No way I'd ask them to move as was built in place and would only be moving issue from me to another neighbour. Imagine reason treehouse was here is also because they are friendly with neighbours directly behind me (their next door neighbours on the treehouse side!). Thanks for the suggestion though! Was hoping I could purchase a fully grown tree to instantly have an impact, even though I know these are not cheap.

https://imgur.com/a/Al5qzv8

_Brian

That isn’t even backing onto your garden, presuming the photo is taken from your garden.

I’d say stay quiet.

Provide your dog with a space he can hide out on if he’s scared.

wardides

_Brian wrote: »

That isn’t even backing onto your garden, presuming the photo is taken from your garden.

I’d say stay quiet.

Provide your dog with a space he can hide out on if he’s scared.

Why would I need to "stay quiet"? I never said I was going to engage with the neighbour, and was actually quite insisting on not causing them any hassle.

Maybe you can't make out from photo, that is probably taken from the wrong side of my garden. No issue with the treehouse, albeit a bit of an eye sore, but the issue is the balcony feature on the right and side which is constantly inhabited by kids during the summer months gawking into our garden. Just looking for a tree to get some privacy back to that corner of the garden from what is essentially a raised terrace overlooking our garden!

I'm assuming if I built a raised decking where the base was at the top of my fence my neighbours wouldn't be chuffed either! Again, no issue with the treehouse, just looking for suggestions to get a bit more privacy.

macraignil

Here is a link to a price list of a nursery close to where I live but you might be living closer to another one where the cost of delivering the tree might be less. It is getting close to the end of the bare root season and getting a potted tree is usually more expensive. Before deciding what to plant check the full grown size of what you select. There are a number available at the size you suggest above but many will grow to something far too big for a suburban garden. Maybe a mountain ash or a cotoneaster cornubia might fit the space.

Where's the tree?

Shaunoc

Christ, it is fugly. Offer to paint it for them at least

_Brian

Plant the tree now.
The kids will be grown up and the tree house rotted away before the tree provides any screening.

looksee

Ok, I can see how a tree might help but you would need something around 10 - 12ft to make an impression, which isn't all that big tbh. I just put in a Himalayan silver birch which was around €35 (not exactly sure) and which just, with some gentle bending of branches, went into my smallish car, which would make it about 10ft I suppose. Don't squash it right into the corner, it would need to be 4 to 5ft away from the fences at least, and protect it from the attentions of the dog until it gets established.

pwurple

Birch would be suitable for the garden size, but it’s light, open branched and airy, and in my experience does not provide very much screening for years. Something like a laburnum might work, small tree for a garden. How much are you willing to spend? A more mature tree will be more expensive, but as you have gone for plastic grass I assume you want an instant effect.

wardides

pwurple wrote: »

Birch would be suitable for the garden size, but it’s light, open branched and airy, and in my experience does not provide very much screening for years. Something like a laburnum might work, small tree for a garden. How much are you willing to spend? A more mature tree will be more expensive, but as you have gone for plastic grass I assume you want an instant effect.

Yeah ideally a tree that has matured would be ideal, aware this will cost significantly more! Hadn't overly thought budget, roughly €500 would have been ballpark, but depending on impact I guess.

kylith

Are you married to the idea of a tree? You could raise the height of your fence a couple of feet with a trellis and plant a climber. Would provide screening quicker than a tree. Pots of bamboo could work too.

wardides

[PHP][/PHP]

kylith wrote: »

Are you married to the idea of a tree? You could raise the height of your fence a couple of feet with a trellis and plant a climber. Would provide screening quicker than a tree. Pots of bamboo could work too.

Absolutely not committed to just a tree, would be open to any solution. Tried to look at trellis but could not really find any to suit. Definitely would be open to some recommendations.

_Brian

Bamboo is great, just make sure it’s clump forming rather than spreading.

Rodney Bathgate

Are the pictures not raised shed rather than tree houses?

Sleeper12

endacl wrote:

Start with a chat. If it’s similar to the image you posted, it could easily be dragged to a different part of the garden.

I agree.

I got a smaller version over 20 years ago. The balcony was going to be facing the back of my house. Neighbour rang in a panic as it was being put up. She felt that she would be overlooked. I paid a few Bob extra to dismantle it and put it up with the balcony facing away from the neighbour. Why would I want to upset a good neighbour

Sleeper12

Rodney Bathgate wrote:

Are the pictures not raised shed rather than tree houses?

They are sold as a tree house but they are basically a barna hut on stilts

Turbulent Bill

wardides wrote: »

[PHP][/PHP]

Absolutely not committed to just a tree, would be open to any solution. Tried to look at trellis but could not really find any to suit. Definitely would be open to some recommendations.

Unless you want some kind of permanent screening in that area anyway, a taller fence panel attached to the existing one might work to block the line of sight. The kids will outgrow the treehouse quicker than any decent screening planting will take to establish. The alternative is to get something like a Leylandii, but they're horrible and would cause more issues than they solve.

Maybe approach the owner and put a small panel on the balcony itself to block the view? Very minimal change from their perspective.

endacl

_Brian wrote: »

Bamboo is great, just make sure it’s clump forming rather than spreading.

Bamboo is evil.

Hardest job I ever did in a garden was remove bamboo that had spread under patio slabs. Took a 15 minute tea break a few hours into it, and when I got back the exposed skeletal roots had all turned green and headed vertical.

Bamboo is evil. Don't go near bamboo. Actually, do. Buy some, and immediately kill it with fire to prevent some other poor sod planting it.

pwurple

wardides wrote: »

Yeah ideally a tree that has matured would be ideal, aware this will cost significantly more! Hadn't overly thought budget, roughly €500 would have been ballpark, but depending on impact I guess.

300ish will get you a mature birch from a tree wholesaler. It's a big enough job planting it. Are you semi-d there, do you have access to the garden for delivery? You could put down a little group of three... one mature and two smaller. It Would look more natural than one solo tree.

Liquidamber might suit as well, or parrotia. I have a soft spot for trees that give stunning colour in autumn.

listermint

endacl wrote: »

Bamboo is evil.

Hardest job I ever did in a garden was remove bamboo that had spread under patio slabs. Took a 15 minute tea break a few hours into it, and when I got back the exposed skeletal roots had all turned green and headed vertical.

Bamboo is evil. Don't go near bamboo. Actually, do. Buy some, and immediately kill it with fire to prevent some other poor sod planting it.

Never forget digging that out of the parents garden.

It had grown under 3 party walls. Absolute hell plant. Had to use a chainsaw in the soil to cut the roots out to remove the queen root centre she didn't want to come out willingly. Weighed about 150 kg. It's the worst plant imaginable in a garden.

Was pulling small shoots from the soil for about two years after to stop it taking hold again.

_Brian

endacl wrote: »

Bamboo is evil.

Hardest job I ever did in a garden was remove bamboo that had spread under patio slabs. Took a 15 minute tea break a few hours into it, and when I got back the exposed skeletal roots had all turned green and headed vertical.

Bamboo is evil. Don't go near bamboo. Actually, do. Buy some, and immediately kill it with fire to prevent some other poor sod planting it.

Clump forming is fine.
Have it planted 25 years and no problems

endacl

_Brian wrote: »

Clump forming is fine.
Have it planted 25 years and no problems

Obviously a shill for big bamboo. You’d want to take a good hard look at yourself.

:pac:

_Brian

endacl wrote: »

Obviously a shill for big bamboo. You’d want to take a good hard look at yourself.

:pac:

Damn.
Cover blown.

Kintarō Hattori

What about some red robin? I have it planted by two walls and it gives a good bit of privacy and it grows pretty quickly too.


(That's not mine btw- just a web photo)

GreeBo

Whats the total height of their shed?
If its over 4M then it needs (needed!) planning

_Brian

GreeBo wrote: »

Whats the total height of their shed?
If its over 4M then it needs (needed!) planning

Prob falls under temporary rather than permanent building.

GreeBo

_Brian wrote: »

Prob falls under temporary rather than permanent building.

We I'd say its as permanent as any other shed?

looksee

The aggravating thing is that to put up a wall/fence high enough to screen it you would be way over the allowed fence height for a back garden. It seems petty to argue over a kids playhouse, but it is an eyesore, I would not be impressed at having it stuck in my eye-line. If they were reasonable they would have put it more to the centre of the garden so that it was marginally less obtrusive.

I don't think I would be inclined to pay several hundred euro to put in a single tree though. Even one of those silver birches I mentioned would break up the outline of it, which is what is most important. You also need to know what direction the garden is facing - which garden is blessed by the massive shadow that thing would cast? There are any number of tree types you could put in, but I would suggest you do not go for solid blocking, just break up the shape of it.

GreeBo

^ it really is a totally unsuitable structure for the type/size of garden

kravmaga

OP, as another poster here said its a shed on stilts, Id say its in breach of planning permission laws, its not a temporary building, looks to be fixed in a permanent position.

Its absolutely hideous looking, deffo plant a tree to block that monstrosity from your field of vision

Beebe

wardides wrote: »

[PHP][/PHP]

Absolutely not committed to just a tree, would be open to any solution. Tried to look at trellis but could not really find any to suit. Definitely would be open to some recommendations.

Hi, I’m just wondering if you have come up with a solution to your “treehouse” problem? We have the same problem except our next door neighbours treehouse is facing in towards our house and only about 1m from the boundary wall. It has really reduced our privacy since they put it up! We are now thinking we may need to spend some money on a mature tree too.