Privacy screening with plants: combinations that shelter your garden with style

Privacy without a bare fence

A timber fence does the job, but it is not always attractive. And it hardly radiates warmth. A living green screen is a different story: it filters noise, captures dust, provides nesting sites for birds and changes with the seasons. What is more, a plant screen can grow to exactly the height and width you need.

Here are five combinations for an effective and beautiful privacy screen.

Combination 1: Bamboo screen with underplanting

Fargesia murielae 'Jumbo' or Fargesia robusta 'Campbell' — both clumping bamboo species that do not spread. They reach 3 to 4 metres tall and form a dense screen within two years. Plant them 80 centimetres apart. At the base add Liriope muscari (evergreen, purple flowers in autumn) and Hakonechloa macra as a graceful transition.

Crucially: choose only Fargesia species. Phyllostachys and other running bamboos are a nightmare — they invade neighbours' gardens, lawns and patios. Fargesia stays politely in place.

Combination 2: Mixed evergreen hedge

Forget the monotonous conifer hedge. A mixed evergreen hedge is far more interesting and resilient. Combine Prunus lusitanica (Portuguese laurel, glossy dark foliage), Osmanthus burkwoodii (fragrant white flowers in April) and Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' (fiery red new growth).

Plant in a zigzag pattern at 60-centimetre spacing. After three years it is dense. The advantage of a mix: if one plant fails, you do not get a gap. And you have colour and texture variation all year round.

Combination 3: Climbers on wire framework

No space for a wide hedge? Then go upwards. Install a neat frame of tensioned cable or mesh (180 centimetres high) and plant a combination of Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine, evergreen, wonderfully fragrant in June), Clematis armandii 'Apple Blossom' (evergreen, pink-white flowers in March) and Hedera helix 'Glacier' (ivy with silver-variegated foliage) as a quick filler.

The star jasmine is the star but needs a sheltered position — against a south-west or south-facing wall is ideal. The Clematis armandii fills quickly and gives early blossom. The ivy fills gaps where the others do not reach.

Combination 4: Ornamental grasses as a summer screen

Not for the full year, but from May to February tall ornamental grasses provide a fantastic screen. Miscanthus sinensis 'Malepartus' (2.5 metres, red plumes) alternated with Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' (1.8 metres, strictly upright). Together they form a transparent but effective screen that sways and rustles in the wind.

Cut everything back to 15 centimetres in March. You then have a few weeks of open view until new shoots emerge. If that feels too exposed, combine with a low evergreen shrub such as Lonicera nitida in the foreground.

Combination 5: Pleached trees with underplanting

Platanus acerifolia (London plane) or Carpinus betulus (hornbeam) trained as pleached trees on clear stems is an elegant solution for screening at height. The trunk is bare to eye level, above which the pleached frame forms a green screen. Combine with a low hedge of lavender or box beneath for structure at and below eye level.

Pleached trees need pruning twice a year — in June and December. The result is architecturally crisp and suits both modern and traditional gardens. A row of three pleached planes gives more privacy than any fence, and in many jurisdictions is not classified as a boundary structure requiring permission.

How much space do you need?

A bamboo hedge: at least 60 centimetres wide. A mixed hedge: 80 to 100 centimetres. Climbers on a frame: 30 centimetres (the slimmest option). Ornamental grasses: 80 to 120 centimetres. Pleached trees: 40 centimetres for the framework, plus distance from the boundary.

Bear in mind any local regulations regarding planting distances from the boundary line. Rules vary by region and municipality, so check before you start.

Design your green privacy screen

Want to see how a bamboo hedge or row of pleached trees would fit in your garden? Upload a photo at gardenworld.app and see how different screening options change the space. Choose exactly the right combination for your situation.