You have just moved into a new house and you like it very much, except for the lack of privacy in the backyard. Or maybe there is an unattractive view on the side of the fence. Maybe you want to create a garden room and need the idea of dividing lines. Whatever the reason, creating a DIY privacy wall only requires some imagination, perhaps wandering in a second-hand store.
DIY privacy wall ideas: how to make a privacy wall
The privacy wall can be a living wall, that is, a wall created using living plants, or a fixed wall, made with new or reused elements, or a combination of the two.
Living Walls
Planting evergreen shrubs and hedges around the space is the traditional way to create a secluded backyard. Some good choices of plants are:
- Arborvitae (Thuja)
- Bamboo (Various)
- Burning bush (Euonymus alatus)
- Cypress (Cupressus spp.)
- False Cypress (Chamaecyparis)
- Holly (Ilex spp.)
- Juniper (Juniperus)
- Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
- Viburnum (Viburnum spp.)
- Yew (Taxus)
Stationary Walls
Check in the garage for unused items that can be repurposed as a privacy screen, or visit the second-hand stores for ideas. Examples include:
- Old doors or old window shutters are painted, or left as is, and connected with door hinges to create a privacy screen accordion style.
- Wood lattice panels are erected with wood posts that are sunk in the ground using concrete.
- Curtains are hung on each side of an open porch.
- Faux boxwood hedges in planter boxes can make a quick screen or divider.
- Large pots filled with tall, dense plants can hide an unattractive view. Think evergreens or, in summer, choose canna lilies, rose of Sharon, bamboo or ornamental grass.
- Vertical garden fabric pockets can be hung from a pergola on a deck to obscure a neighbor’s view. Fill the pockets with potting soil and plants. Some are designed with a watering system.
Creating privacy around the home can make an outside space more enjoyable and a relaxing, secluded garden for the family.
