Creating a safe and secure landscape using elevations, structures and plants

by Sally Bouorm | April 1, 2012 10:29 am

By Clayton Ditzler

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Privacy is high on a homeowner’s wish list when developing their backyard oasis. This desire goes back to prehistoric origins, when feeling safe was of utmost importance for those who were constantly on alert for odd noises and nearby lurking creatures.

Today, there are many things that contribute to how private a garden feels. Newer homes tend to be placed closer together on shrinking lots, which only increase the visual distractions and unwanted noises in the backyard, while even acreage homes have neighbours, roads and other concerns regarding privacy.

Creating privacy can certainly be a challenge; however, with the right landscape design it is not insurmountable. The effort is worth it because when one feels safe and secure they are apt to be more comfortable as relaxation is at the heart of enjoying a backyard landscape and garden.

How’s the view?

The first step is to explore how the garden will be used and through this process identify the areas of the garden that require privacy. For example, a grassy area where kids might kick a ball around requires much less privacy than an area where the homeowner plans to sunbath.
A site analysis should be performed as part of this step to identify site-specific opportunities, which can be exploited to enhance privacy. Landscape elements and characteristics of neighbouring properties should also be noted, including locations of trees, windows and outdoor spaces. Views from inside the home to neighbouring properties should also be noted. From a privacy perspective, these views are just as important as those from the garden spaces.
Consideration should also be given at this time to any rules, bylaws, building permits or caveats, which may apply to the property. For example, some developments may limit the use of certain types of fencing and/or limit tree planting in some areas to preserve views.
With this in mind, it is always better to make a few inquiries before getting too far along in the design process.

Methods for blocking and enhancing visual lanes

A rough idea of how the garden will develop should start to form at this point, e.g. a dining area here, a spa there and so on. Visual lanes, which will need to be blocked or enhanced, will also start to appear as well as sources of potential noise and other related problems. This is where the utilization of specific techniques or a combination of approaches to enhance privacy becomes important.

Consider elevations first

Elevations can have a great effect on how private a space feels. From a raised deck, for instance, a 1.8-m (6-ft) fence offers very little privacy; however, from ground level this is a different story. In this case, rather than a raised deck, a functional landing can be developed that leads down to a ground-level patio.

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Further, changing the grade through terracing is another landscape option worth exploring at this time. This involves changing the grade of the garden through the use of retaining walls or planters, which are commonly made of stone, wood modular block or concrete. A common technique involves cutting back into a sloping grade and retaining it with a wall, thus dividing the garden and providing opportunities for tucking seating areas in next to the retaining wall. This technique creates an area, which not only enhances interest in the garden, but also breaks down the space into a more human scale (i.e. specifically designed with the client’s needs and constraints in mind, making it more useable, desirable and maintainable).

Feeling comfortable and tucked into a space often makes it feel more private. Spas, in particular, often benefit from being sunken or built into the landscape as it enhances the feeling of privacy.

Berming is another landscaping technique to consider. It involves raising the garden with earthen mounds without retaining. However, this technique requires a lot of space in order for it to be executed effectively. The sloping sides of the berm should not exceed a three-to-one slope, so the resulting ‘footprint’ (width of the berm) ends up being approximately nine times the height gained. Berms, if done right, can be used to elevate other landscape elements (e.g. trees) and can be very effective in deflecting sound (e.g. traffic noise).

Strategically placed structures

It is surprising how a visual lane will change after slightly modifying the elevation of the landscape. However, once the overall concept of the hardscaping has been laid out, it is then time to deal with the remaining visual lanes using lattice screens/privacy panels and/or plant materials.

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Lattice screens are commonly used to create privacy in gardens. These do not need to be overwhelming walls; one or more panels can be used to block specific visual lanes. These screens look best when visually anchored into the landscape, either through the use of greenery to soften them or by tying them into decks or other structures made of similar materials.

From a design perspective, one of the benefits to using lattice screens is the size of their footprint, which makes them effective in narrow spaces as they do not occupy as much space as would a tree or berm.

Privacy lattice made of Western red cedar is the most popular. In time, this material weathers to a silvery grey and does not require staining or other maintenance. The gaps in the lattice screens (approximately 38.1 mm [1.5 in.]) are typically the same width as the lath (thin, narrow strips of wood used to form latticework). While a lattice screen will not provide the same solid feel as a wall or fence, they effectively close off any visual lanes—especially when covered with a hardy vine. Depending on the client’s tastes and budget, designs can be simple or fancy keeping in mind they should stay within the overall scale of the landscape design and be in keeping with the style of the garden being developed.

Another option for screening, where lattice or other wood privacy panels may not be appropriate, is using frosted glass with aluminum frames. This screening alternative will tie-in perfectly with matching railing systems and can be used to block a visual lane from an upper deck, where no other option is feasible. In cases where a removable privacy screen is desired, louvered or hinged panels, which can be retracted when not in use, can be incorporated into the landscape design.

Other structures to consider

Privacy can also be created by incorporating a gazebo and/or pergola into the landscape and closing off the sides with lattice or frosted glass. Both of these structures not only create a backyard destination, but can also be used to create a visual focal point in the garden. By properly incorporating one of these structures into the landscape, it can provide the client a private, tranquil space overlooking their garden and landscape.

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Perhaps a fireplace is also part of the outdoor décor. Careful placement and design can make these structures the perfect addition for enhancing privacy. By incorporating a seating area to create a garden room and augmenting it with a few trees, the client would never know they were in suburbia.

Similar to this, the addition of a garden or pool shed also provides a great opportunity to increase backyard privacy. They can be positioned to block a visual lane or even incorporated into the overall entertaining concept by extending the roof coverage over part of the surrounding gathering space to create a cozy nook.

Another structure to consider, especially if noise is a factor, is a water feature. The sound of water is soothing and can help mask unwanted noise. They can be positioned near an entertaining area and do not have to be very large. Installing them against a wall or other structure will help to increase their effect by reflecting its sounds outward.

Privacy with plants

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Plants are by no means secondary to structures; they work in concert and serve an important role by lending a soft texture to the landscape. Besides their effectiveness at visual blockage, plants, which come in a variety of eye-pleasing colours, also have a dense, soft texture that absorbs sound.

Trees of tranquility

Trees play an important role in creating a private garden and because of their size they are some of the most significant.

For example, deciduous trees—those that drop their leaves in the fall—provide three seasons of privacy, which is often enough for outdoor spaces that are not typically used in the winter. On the other hand, evergreen trees provide four seasons of coverage and are very effective at blocking unwanted views from the residence.

Visual lanes tend to be bigger on larger properties and trees are the most effective way to eliminate them. Trees grow over time, so if budget is a concern, smaller trees can be planted, which will eventually provide the coverage and affect the homeowner desires.

On larger properties, where tree options are often not restricted, Colorado spruce (Picea pungenus) are popular because of their dense growth habit, comprising evergreen needles in green and/or blue-green hues. On smaller properties, many cultivars of the Colorado spruce, such as the Columnar Blue Spruce (Picea pungens ‘Fastigiata’), thanks to its narrow columnar form, are typically considered.

When electing to use deciduous trees on smaller properties, the Swedish Aspen (Populus tremula ‘Erecta’) or its cousin, Tower Poplar (Populus x canescens ‘Tower’), are very useful as they have a columnar form and grow quickly to create a dense screen. They also tend to have a dense branching habit, resulting in a reasonable amount of screening, even in the winter.

Shrubs of sanctuary

Depending on the requirement, many shrubs can also provide effective privacy screens—either in a mixed border or as part of a hedge.

Traditional clipped hedges are suitable in some situations but tend to be labour intensive and often too formal for many garden styles. Informal hedges, which are not clipped, are also effective if there is enough room, as these plants must be allowed to achieve their mature size.

Depending on the area’s climatic conditions, upright evergreen shrubs, such as juniper or cedar, can provide quite an effective privacy screen. In some situations, even grasses such as Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’), which grows to approximately 1.5 m (5 ft) can create an effective privacy screen.

Verdant vines

Vines are an important plant for privacy because they provide a softening effect to the hardscape and can be trained to grow up fences, screens and other structures.

One popular vine used to create privacy in landscaping is Hops (Humulus lupulus), which is a very hardy vine that grows quickly from the ground each season. Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is another favourite as it will take a full sun to partial shade and its woody structure gets more established with each successive season, often becoming quite architectural in nature.

By employing these concepts, landscape designers are limited only by their imagination when creating a garden and enhancing its privacy.

 

 

 

Clayton Ditzler is a certified landscape designer (CLD) with The Landscape Artist Inc., in Calgary. He has over 20 years of experience designing residential landscapes. He may be reached at clayton@landartist.com[6] or by visiting www.landartist.com[7].

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