If you enjoy your privacy and want to create a private oasis in your own backyard where your neighbors are blissfully unaware of everything that you do, then you need some type of privacy screen.
There are many ways that you can create some privacy from your neighbors that are both easy and inexpensive. Have a look at these great cheap ways to block neighbors view for inspiration!
1. Install A Lattice Privacy Screen
A lattice screen is fairly inexpensive and easy to install. You can buy foldable lengths of lattice from your local hardware store or garden center. Once you’ve purchased your lattice, all you’ll need is a few upright posts to attach it to.
This is a great option because it can be quite versatile. It doesn’t take much to move your privacy screen if you need to. You also have the option to make it a permanent structure and grow some vine-type plants up the trellis to provide even more privacy.
If you want complete privacy in summer but would love the winter sun to shine through, then choose deciduous plants such as the grape vines in the image above. You could also choose something pretty like wisteria or maybe a more evergreen vine like jasmine.
Consider the elements when choosing a timber lattice though. If the screen will be exposed to lots of rain, it’s important to paint it with something like a marine varnish or outdoor paint to protect it.
2. Install A Bamboo Fence
You have two options with a bamboo fence. You can either purchase lengths of bamboo to make your fence or you can plant a clumping variety of bamboo to make a living fence.
If you’re going with the former, you might be able to find ready-made bamboo fence panels that you can purchase from your local garden center. This will make it easier to create an instant privacy screen.
On the other hand, if you would prefer a living fence, make sure that you purchase the clumping variety because this is non-invasive. You’ll find that the bamboo plants will grow fairly quickly and you’ll be able to block your neighbor’s view in no time with this type of screen.
A bamboo screen is also one of the most environmentally friendly options.
3. Plant A Fast-Growing Hedge
You might think that planting a hedge will take forever to block your neighbor’s view but not if you plant one with a fast-growing species such as pittosporum. These hardy and easy-care evergreen shrubs originate from New Zealand and can grow around 2 feet per year.
All that’s required with a green hedge is an annual application of slow-release fertilizer and a trim once or twice a year to keep it in shape.
Other fast-growing plants that are perfect for hedges include hawthorn, English or cherry laurel, Flame Amur maple, and Virescens western red cedar.
4. Use Climbing Plants To Create A Screen
It can be relatively inexpensive to create an effective screen using fast-growing climbing plants. You can even use recycled pallets to erect a structure for the plants to climb up. Just make sure that you secure them well with some sturdy posts.
Once your framework is ready, it’s just a case of selecting which types of climbers you want to grow. Choose fast-growing varieties that are suited to your particular climate and plant them fairly close together so that your growing screen will fill in as quickly as possible.
There are many different varieties of fast-growing climbers such as honeysuckle, jasmine, trumpet vine, clematis, and morning glory.
With these, you have the added benefit of lovely purple flowers and many also give off a gorgeous fragrance. Just make sure that you choose evergreen climbers if you want the screen to be effective all year round.
5. Use Large Potted Plants As An Effective Screen
Another easy way to block your neighbor’s view is to use a group of large potted plants that you place close together. This makes a very attractive green screen and also has the advantage of being totally portable.
If you don’t have any large pots laying around, you can pick these up fairly cheaply by keeping an eye on local yard sales. You might even find that you can pick up some seconds at a good price from your local garden center. It doesn’t matter if the pot has a chip or two if you can get it cheaply enough.
While established plants from nurseries and garden centers can be quite expensive, you can pick up some bargains by keeping an eye on local notice boards for people who are giving away established garden plants because they’re doing some landscaping.
If there are any tree farms or production nurseries in your area, go and visit or give them a call to see if they have some old stock that they’re wanting to get rid of cheaply.
6. Hang Some Outdoor Curtains
If you have an outdoor entertainment area or a patio that you want to screen from your neighbor’s view, you can easily hang some outdoor curtains. You can purchase these curtains fairly inexpensively from interior décor outlets or even online.
If you’re handy with a sewing machine, you can even make these yourself by purchasing heavy-duty lengths of fabric. To hang them, all you need is some brackets and curtain rods that you can purchase from your local hardware store.
This allows you to draw the curtains when you want some privacy or to pull them back when you want the sun to shine in.
7. Create A Vertical Wall Of Plants
Vertical gardening has become all the rage in recent years as people are using smaller spaces to grow a variety of vegetables, herbs and flowers. You can use the same concept to create a vertical screen of plants to block your neighbor’s view.
All you need is a structure to attach your plants to. This could be a standing trellis or even a frame you’ve constructed from sheets of rebar. Then, it’s just a case of purchasing some cheap balcony pots and attaching them to the frame.
Make sure that the frame is securely anchored because it will get quite heavy once you’ve added all the pots filled with soil and plants. To make this living wall as low-maintenance as possible, install a drip watering system to the top. As the pots at the top are watered, the excess water will flow through and water the plants below.
8. Create A Privacy Fence Using Old Doors
Become a recycling ninja by collecting a range of old doors and re purposing them into a privacy fence. Visit your local scrap yard and find some old doors that are roughly the same size. Ones with louvres work extremely well for this.
Once you get the doors home, paint them all the same color and stand them up against a solid timber frame that you’ve constructed beforehand. You can either place them close together or leave a gap between each one that you can fill with a large potted plant.
There are no limitations to what you can do. You’re only limited by your imagination.
9. Screen Your Outdoor Area With Bamboo Blinds
You can easily screen your outdoor with cheap bamboo blinds. These are ideal for surrounding a pergola, veranda, or covered porch. They’re fairly easy to install and you have the option of pulling them down or putting them up when your neighbors have gone away for the weekend.
10. Create Some Wattle Fence Screens
Wattle fences are very popular in the UK and are very simple to make using lengths of thin branches that are woven in between upright posts. This is similar to a lattice screen but it has a much more rustic appearance.
It’s also something that you can make yourself. You don’t have to use wattle branches either. Following the same concept, you can use other lightweight branches such as bamboo or even willow. Make sure you tie the branches on at the ends using strong twine.
You might also be able to purchase lengths of willow fencing at your local garden center.
11. Install A Corrugated Metal Fence
Corrugated metal is fairly inexpensive and is often available in a range of different colors. It’s also virtually maintenance free and will last for many years. However, it can be difficult to install yourself, so you might have to hire a professional fencer to erect it for you.
This will ensure that it’s installed correctly and will stand up to any strong winds or other adverse weather conditions.
12. Re-purpose Raised Garden Beds
Here’s another great re-purposing idea. You can use large raised garden beds and fashion them into privacy screens by placing some open lattice in the back of each planter box. Place a row of these along the area you want to screen off.
Then, grow some lovely flowering vines in the planter and train these up the trellis so that they block your neighbor’s view completely. These can also be moved around if you need to.
