5 Trees for Screening Your Lovable Neighbors

Most of us live in neighborhoods, and mostly, we love our neighbors. They’re great, but…

The neighbors have a bird’s eye view into our backyard barbecues and the opportunity to take notes as we dash across the driveway in our PJs, putting the trash cans out before the garbage truck arrives. We’d also like to avoid looking at their lovely collection of junk cars. What about a view of their bathroom window? Can we cover that up with trees and shrubs?

Mixed borders to create privacy is ideal. The opposite of a mixed border is typically a straight row of Leyland Cypress, and while useful, it’s pretty dull. Don’t worry. You can have your secret garden, or at least some privacy, by installing living walls or “screens” with a few well-placed evergreen trees and shrubs. Here are five trees for screening your lovable neighbors.

This row of 'Emerald Green' arborvitae lacks plant diversity but is doing the job of screening. In some instances though, this is the best choice where space is narrow and small. — This row of ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae lacks plant diversity but is doing the job of screening. In some instances, though, this is the best choice where space is narrow and small.

Tips for screening

Diversify the plant material. Let’s say you plant a row of Leyland Cypress, and the bagworms show up and defoliate all of them. There goes your investment. If instead, you mixed the border with Leylands, hollies, magnolias, rhododendrons, and the like, then the bagworms destroy only a portion of your privacy and investment. Replacement costs, if needed, are less, and you still have some privacy while waiting on new plants to grow.
Plant multiple species in small groupings of three to five. Plant in a staggered or layered planting, not a row (if possible). This provides greater interest year-round. If you don’t have room for a layered planting, and a row is all you can do, diversifying is still a better long-term choice.
Avoid cramming plants on top of each other. Allow individual plants enough sunlight and air circulation to grow and fill out. The inclination is to cram a lot of plants as tightly together as possible for greater coverage. This leads to multiple fungal and bacterial diseases due to less air and sunlight circulation. Plants pass diseases between them, reducing the lifespan of your screen. Extra patience is required to wait for plants to fill out, but you save money and trouble. Replacing fully grown trees in the middle of a row of fully grown trees is no easy endeavor.
Remember your neighbors when planting. They will see the backside of your screen. Consider how to make it attractive from all sides.
Add shrubs and perennials to create a more natural border. A straight row of tall trees blocking the neighbors may be efficient, but it looks unnatural and static. Use varying heights and textures and add plants that bloom or have berries for year-round interest. Ex: Thuja ‘Green Giant’, Magnolia ‘Little Gem’, Viburnum ‘Conoy’, Inkberry holly, azaleas, and rhododendrons.
Understand the cultural conditions of your site and the requirements of the plants. Ex: Magnolias will tolerate some shade but too much shade; they will provide a screen but no blooms. The same goes for camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas. They may grow to provide the needed evergreen but will not bloom if the shade is dense. Certain conifers can tolerate more shade than others. Japanese cedars work in a somewhat shady setting. ‘Green Giant’ arborvitaes need full sun to thrive but can tolerate shade. The goal is to understand what you’re attempting. Don’t expect plants to perform as perfect specimens in less-than-ideal situations. Sometimes, we consider only the functionality of the plant. Will it thrive in this part-sun setting (i.e., will it be full and lush, bloom, and grow quickly)? Or will it survive and meet the need or provide privacy (i.e., grow but not necessarily be a perfect specimen)? Knowing how much sun/shade you have and what the plant’s needs are is important before you buy.
Stand inside your home and look out your windows. Where is coverage most needed? Will one large spruce or magnolia do the job? Or a grouping in one or two areas? Mark the spots with an orange flag to remember where to plant.
Consider how quickly you need screening. Trees are characterized by slow (< 12″ yearly), medium (13″-24″ yearly), and fast (25″+ yearly) growth rates. Remember that sunlight exposure, soil conditions, drainage, fertility, and other elements affect growth.
Stump grinding is necessary if you want to plant new trees. If the deciduous forest between you and your neighbor is full in summer but bare in winter, removing some trees to plant evergreens may be necessary. Be sure to budget for stump grinding when calculating the tree removal cost. Folks often skip this step to save dollars, but planting new trees in a mass of old roots is hard for the digger and the plant. For successful planting, the old roots should be gone, giving the new roots plenty of room to spread.
Plant for the mature size of the screen. What will it look like in 5 years, 10 years, and so forth? Plants don’t stop growing, so while they may look just the right size when you plant them, remember they’re going to grow. Plan for the ultimate height and width.