It was Robert Frost who said,“Good fences make good neighbors.” In today’s fast-paced, noisy world, we need more privacy. With-out it, we become moody, grumpy neighbors.
Sometimes it is enough to define a line of demarcation along the boundary, so it’s always clear where your land ends and your neighbor’s begins.If that’s the objective, some plants effectively discourage trespassers.
FAST GROWING SHRUBS FOR PRIVACY
Most gardeners who landscape to achieve privacy are in a hurry for that screen. This often is the case if next-door construction just broke ground, or the neighbor just parked that Class-A motor home right at the property’s edge. Either way, you need to screen fast, right? There is a local Top 10 Plant List that will be of help, free for the asking, the next time you visit us here at Watters Garden Center.
MORE THAN GREENS
Evergreen shrubs play a critical role in landscapes’ property lines.Evergreens provide foliage to admire all year long. They also provide year-round privacy. Evergreen doesn’t mean you are limited to the color green. Many are available in shades of gold, silver, cream, yellow and blue.Our native Arizona Cypress is an excellent example of a fast-growing native that grows in blue colors that border on hues of silver, and it is hardy!
MIX AND MATCH EVERGREENS WITH BLOOMERS
For a more natural look, I encourage planting evergreens and tall bloomers. The combination creates the feel of a Secret Garden. The trick is to grow enough evergreen trees to block prying eyes while injecting enough flowering shrubs to keep your eyes always stimulated. An under planting of blooming perennials really creates a feast for the senses with a lot of WOW!
GARDEN ELEGANCE THROUGH TALL GRASSES
Grasses are often overlooked as a privacy screen. Throughout the mountains of Arizona, several kinds of grass grow well. Pampas grass is the first to come to mind, but there are many other choices. Consider our native bear grass, maiden grass, deer grass and zebra grass. Each grows fast and fills in quickly with beautiful plumes from autumn through winter. Look closely at native rabbit brush, stag horn sumac and Apache plume as companion plants to grass. They look great,are easy to grow, are animal resistant and all are carefree once fully rooted in the landscape. Clumping Bamboo is also a member of the grass family,several varieties of which grow well in the mountains of Arizona.
DETER TRESPASSERS
A hedge of Oregon Grape Holly isn’t likely to keep a severe robber off your property, but the pointed leaves on this chest-high native aren’t exactly comfortable to brush against. The discomfort level should be sufficient to turn away all but the most deter-mined would-be trespassers. Taller roses and old-fashioned pyracantha are two plants that also discourage unwanted visitors. The blooms are beautiful, but the stems are covered in vicious thorns. Birds will love you for either of these choices, as they of-fer safe nesting sites and food sources.
PLANT A HEDGE
Technically, hedges are plants grown tightly together and trimmed in to a living fence. Properly manicured,they form a partition that is as close to being a “wall” as plants possibly can be. We curated a block of tall ever-greens here at Watters Garden Center that grow into head-high fences and like to be trimmed and pruned. In fact, the more you trim these plants,the thicker they become. Visit us and ask for a personal tour of useful fence plants and more details on the best plants for your hedge needs.
HOW TO MEASURE
It’s a simple task to determine the number of plants required to create a hedge. Look on the grower’s tag for the mature width of the plant. Divide that number by 2 for the recommended spacing between each plant.This formula ensures fast growth with an overlapping branch structure that is thick, secure and perfect forhedging.
DEFLECT ANNOYING WIND
Trees are used at a property’s edge for many reasons. Not only can trees offer privacy, but they also break the assault of wind, so patios are bear-able. Large evergreens like Colorado spruce, Deodar cedar and Arizona cypress are first to be considered. This is also the place to plant a single row orchard with grape arbors between each tree.This design produces grapes to enjoy,defines your property lines, reduces prying eyes and cuts the pesky wind.
LATEST GARDEN NEWS
It’s been six months in the making,and the first edition is now online. I launched a digital garden center this month that makes researching local plants easier. Plant organization is precisely how a designer investigates them in the landscape. Trees are broken up into Evergreens, Shade and Fruit Trees to narrow down your search. This is an active list of plants that often changes as crops are harvested and brought to Watters Garden Center.
Top10Plants.com is for locals of Central Arizona only. Amazon will not be delivering a 300-pound tree to your doorstep. We have local delivery and planting teams hired to install plants for you or you may pick up plants yourself here at Watters Garden Center. Take a look and let me know how to make this new digital garden center even better.
Until next month, I’ll be helping gardeners design private property lines here at Watters Garden Center. QCBN
By Ken Lain
Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 W.Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or FB.com/WattersGardenCenter
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