“Good fences make good neighbors,” said Robert Frost, but it doesn’t mean that a fence is the only way to gain some privacy on your property. Sometimes a good hedgerow is often better. It is certainly more beautiful. It provides wildlife habitat and it can be molded and shaped according to your whim. In this article, Gardenista provides some excellent examples how to use plants instead of panels to gain privacy while also beautifying your home. — Douglas

If you’re lucky enough to have a garden in a big city, you learn to accept the fact that while you’re out there, you’re in full view of everyone whose windows overlook your yard. Hanging an awning over your entire backyard or planting a tree big enough to screen everything isn’t a good option, since usually, getting the light you need to grow things is already a challenge.

So what are the best ways to make a small urban garden feel more private—or at least to create the illusion of privacy? For advice, we asked landscape designer Susan Welti, a partner in the Brooklyn-based Foras Studio. Susan has designed countless urban spaces; two of her gardens appear in our new Gardenista book.

Read Ask the Expert: How to Use Plants for Privacy in a City Garden via Gardenista



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An interesting link found among my daily reading