General gardening topics

Top screening ideas for your garden

Garden Screening Ideas

There are many types of garden screening available to gardeners, from natural hedging such as leylandii, laurels or even bamboo which can look eye-inspiring to more garden screen ideas such as bamboo screening, decorative trellis and lattice framework.

Why use screening?

Screening, no matter where it is required is usually used to create an outdoor privacy screen. This may be to surround the whole of a garden boundary or maybe just to build a small area of privacy within your garden where you can relax in a smaller area.

Other reasons to use screening

  • Garden screening from neighbours
  • Hide unsightly views such as industrial estates, motorways or any other unwanted sight
  • High garden screening for privacy from higher areas

Types of screening

There are lots of plants that provide good screening such as laurels, photinia or even climbers, but as beautiful as they look, they can takes years to establish so one good idea is to put up artificial screening (non-plant types of screening).

Often by putting up screening such as bamboo, brushwood, reed or even artificial hedging (which is available to roll out), you can use these screening types and then plant living plants in front or behind the artificial screening. Once the plants become established after a couple of years you can remove the old screening. However artificial screening can do the job on its own and is very low maintenance.

If you are trying to totally block out a view or reduce noise, you may want to use solid screening with no gaps, whereas if you are trying to create a small area of privacy within your garden trellis work with patterns cut out can look elegant and still provide privacy.

It is also a good idea to use light coloured screening for small enclosed areas as it makes the area seem lighter and more spacious whereas dark colours may make the area feel confined.

Top Garden Screening Ideas

Natural Screening

There are many natural screening plants that can be used, some plants are ideal for smaller screening ideas whilst others will provide a height of up to 50ft if needed.

There are many natural screening plants that can be used, some plants are ideal for smaller screening ideas whilst others will provide a height of up to 50ft if needed.

One such natural screening plant is bamboo, it can be pruned with hedge loppers to any height and looks amazing and is very easy to grow. Some garden centres sell them as instant hedges grown in long troughs for instant impact.

Iinstant bamboo screening - Outdoor privacy screen using bamboo which is commonly used to form screening.

Other suitable plants ideal for screening include

Clematis montana
This climber needs to be grown against a fence or trellis work and provides masses of colour in spring. There are quite a few varieties from pink flowers to white flowers. Easy to grow and makes an excellent screen.
Forsythia
This shrub will make a dense screen of around 5-7ft and produces masses of yellow flowers in spring just before they come into leaf. After this they form a dense shrub with green leaves.
Photinia Red Robin
This shrub is brilliant for screening and is evergreen meaning it provides privacy all year round. The new growth is bright red which matures to dark green.
Hedging Laurels
A brilliant and fast-growing evergreen shrub often used for hedging but also suitable for planting to form a screen using several large plants.
Leylandii
Leylandii are the fastest growing of all the conifers and make excellent hedges. You can get them in green but the golden yellow variety known as Cupressocyparis Castlewellan is a popular choice
photinia red robin is a fast growing shrub

Photinia 'Red Robin' Ideal screening plants with its bright red foliage - Available from Thompson & Morgan


Artificial Screening  Ideas

Below are some good ideas of what is possible when you give it some thought. They include using trellis and decking for forming a patio area that is screened off using trellis (as shown below). Fencing is used down the side of the garden to form a divide and complete privacy. The trellis is then carefully chosen to match the fence and create a small area of privacy for a patio area whilst still be able to look down the garden?

Garden screen ideas made from wooden trellis screening

Designed by Jacksons-fencing.co.uk

Festnight Corner Pergola Arbour
See availability from the best retailers


Modern, sleek dark oak panels with a living wall

A more modern design, shown below, (by Singing Gardens) combines dark oak panels with stainless steel pillars and combined all this with a living garden. A stunning design which should get your imagination flowing. Living walls can be created by planting rockery plants and alpines

fence screening with living wall

Trellis Screening

The beautiful design below has combined trellis fencing to create privacy and used potted bay trees and buxus to create an elegance of modern design and style. A simple and effective screen.

modern garden screening using trellis fence

Reed Screening Ideas

Another alternative design (below) uses simple reed screening, this can be purchased on a roll and can simply be rolled out and either fastened directly to a fence or stakes. These stakes can then be driven into the ground and used as posts to fasten the reed screening to. A simple yet effective design. There are many types of reed screening

bamboo screening around outdoor dining area

Garden screen made from one panel

As sold by www.bau-outdoors.co.uk

The simple design (above) is made by Bau Outdoors and is a very simple yet effective way of providing a little privacy whilst still being able to enjoy the rest of the garden.


wattle fencing screen

As seen on apartmenttherapy.com

Another simple yet creative idea that we love is this design that has been used to create some shade and privacy using the more natural materials available.


Bamboo screening ideas

bamboo slat screen roll out screening

The bamboo screening above is ideal for providing an instant effect screen and can be fastened to existing fencing to improve the appearance. They make a big impact with minimal spend and are available in many sizes and designs


Another quick fix with minimal work required is this instant artificial hedge. They come on a roll and are simple to erect. They comes in many styles from conifer to ivy leaf climbers.

artificial conifer hedge

Primrose Artificial Conifer
See availability from the best retailers

artificial ivy hedge

This willow screening (similar to bamboo screening) is another effective screening idea used to create instant effect. The screening below has been fastened directly to a fence and would only take a few minutes to erect.

willow screening ideal for instant screening with no fuss

No products found.

These elegant bronze fence panels (below) are 60cm long and 51.5cm high and are ideal for screening and using to separate parts of the garden. They simply push into the ground and clip together, the material is weatherproof making it low maintenance compared to similar wood products. They take literally minutes to put together for quick results.

spiked fence screening

Parkland Plastic Fence Panels
See availability from the best retailers

Their are many garden screening ideas for all types of situations from budget screening such as willow screening to more expensive trellis work. We hope some of the designs above you you plenty of ideas to create your own bit of privacy.

Last updated on March 16th, 2021

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