Privacy landscaping helps create comfortable outdoor spaces, especially as smaller lot sizes place homes closer together. With outdoor living areas in high demand, backyard privacy landscaping has become essential for homeowners who want comfort without feeling exposed.
There are several ways to add screening, from perimeter plantings to fences, stone walls, and garden structures.

Fences & Walls

A solid 6-foot fence offers immediate, year-round screening and works especially well in narrow side yards. Fences are effective for property line definition and support privacy landscaping between houses where space is limited.

Fence Planting

Adding easy-care shrubs along a fence can enhance both appearance and function. Here’s how they make a difference:

• Softens the look: Shrubs break up the solid lines of a fence, creating a more natural and inviting appearance on both sides.
• Reduces glare: They help minimize the reflection from glossy vinyl or light-painted fences and can also brighten dark or weathered wood.
• Enhances privacy: When hedge height limits exceed fence height, tall plantings can add an extra layer of screening while blending seamlessly into the landscape.

Trees

Planting deciduous shade trees is a good way to obscure a neighbor’s view from a second-story window. Typically, they grow from 25-feet to 60-feet high, depending on the species. When planted near a property line, their large canopies provide privacy, as well as good shade in hot summer months.

Deciduous plants usually lose their foliage in late fall and winter. During these months, the trees’ bare branches allow the sun to shine brightly into the house for added warmth. Evergreen plants will act as a buffer and barrier and provide maximum privacy for your backyard landscape design year-round.

Screening

Movable screens provide an easy, affordable solution for privacy around patios, decks, porches, outdoor kitchen areas, and pavilions. Screens can be designed and built in a variety of materials, patterns, and colors to enhance any type of backyard setting.

Solid screens provide maximum privacy, as well as protection from the sun, rain, wind, and noise. Open screens provide light and ventilation for overcast and hot days.

Water Features

Water features, like fountains or bubbling pots, help mask unwanted noise from nearby homes or traffic. They support tranquility and complement other privacy landscaping elements.

A good landscaping plan will bring privacy to your backyard without making you feel fenced in and isolated from nature.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are affordable ways to add privacy landscaping?

Affordable options include fast-growing shrubs, container plants, and movable screens that work well in small or large yards. These solutions provide quick visual separation without requiring major construction. Many homeowners combine them to create flexible screening around patios or side yards.

How do I create privacy while keeping natural light?

You can use lattice panels, decorative screens, or columnar trees that filter views while still allowing sunlight to pass through. These features soften sightlines and preserve brightness in outdoor areas. They are especially useful for landscaping around patios for privacy without creating a closed-off feel.

Which trees work best for year-round privacy?

Evergreen varieties like arborvitae, cypress, and juniper provide dense foliage in all seasons, making them reliable for backyard privacy landscaping. They maintain their structure even in winter when deciduous trees lose their leaves. Their height and width can also help block upper-story views between houses.

Should I choose fencing or plants for privacy?

Fencing offers immediate coverage and requires less space, making it ideal for narrow areas such as side yard privacy screening. Plant-based solutions take longer to grow but add natural texture and seasonal interest. Many homeowners use both to maximize coverage and improve aesthetics.

Can water features improve privacy?

Yes, water features like fountains or waterfalls help mask unwanted noise from neighbors, streets, or nearby HVAC units. The sound of moving water adds a calming atmosphere to outdoor spaces. When paired with other privacy landscaping elements, they can significantly enhance comfort and seclusion.

Arbor Hills Landscaping Company Omaha | Best Landscaping Company in Omaha, NE

Arbor Hills Trees & Landscaping Services can provide you with everything from detailed maintenance programs to unique plant production, and other services in between. That means we build water features, walls, patios, irrigation, walkways, outdoor kitchens, lighting, and anything else you can help us dream up. Our professionally trained staff can build the landscape of your dreams and keep you from breaking any Home Landscaping Rules.