Garden privacy

Beware of planting large trees! The local doctor ‘s surgery backs onto our garden and there are two self seeded oak trees in their car park now way higher than our house. Because they have grown so high, my greenhouse is in almost permanent shade and the fences have had to be replaced because the trunks are so big they reach across the boundary line between our properties. It cost me a small fortune to get the leaves swept up each year as I am not able to bend down that much. The trees are far too close together with branches crossing so are a danger but request to address the problem remain unanswered. Still at least no one can see into the garden from the back

I live in a semi detached 2 storey house and can only be overlooked by the attached house from their upstairs windows. I like my privacy so divided the garden with a patio outside the conservatory about 20 foot square with deep flowerbeds on 3 sides. The flowerbed that divides the garden is raised about 3 foot high and contains quite tall evergreen plants. This blocks off the view of the majority of my garden and tbh I don't think my current neighbours are remotely interested in what I'm doing out there.

I have some tall-ish deciduous trees in the sight-line. Similar garden, would have the same issue if I hadn't got the trees.

Unfortunately the neighbour behind me was an eccentric recluse who did no gardening and let sapling trees grow where they chose.
The girl who bought his house does no gardening either and one of the trees is becoming a problem close to my fence.So many young people seem to have no clue about plants or how to keep a garden.I had to get my son to cut back an invading shrub but can do nothing about the tree.
It must really annoy my other rear neighbour who is next door to her.I have seen him cutting bits off her side hedge which is now mainly brambles!

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

We've used a pergola in the past with climbers to give the sense of privacy in a seating area, also some shade. It didn't bother me when wandering around, just liked to feel private when sitting, or indeed sleeping in the garden. We're very lucky here, no one overlooks our tiny garden. Having said that we do hear snippets of conversation from the footpath the other side of the boundary fence, a useful reminder that sound travels!

We have tall fence all around our small garden, so are lucky. What puts me off going out there is when neighbours are out in their garden, smoking and talking in loud voices.

Unfortunately, this is a problem for many people as outside space is way down the list for most developers these days.
Creating a space either by planting shrubs or a long pergola along the side that you see as a problem- even if you don't want to grown any climbing plants up it, it will still provide a bit of shade and somewhere you can sit in relative privacy.
Or like others suggest, invest in a gazebo .
I am overlooked on 2 sides - one that they cannot see into my garden due to the fencing they put up and the other side I have planted several shrubs, but doesn't stop the new neighbours walking up and down the fence line peering through the gaps while they are smoking outside. I just tend to ignore them or shout out hello - they move away then!

faringdon59, there's been an increasing lack of privacy here, due to many new loft conversions.

I have a large garden, so I've planted trees at the far end (my woodland part) and tall shrubs in places 'mid way', with a climber-covered pergola nearer the house.

Apart from privacy, I do love the enclosed, 'woodland glade' feeling - and welcome shade in the south-east aspect.

When it's hot, I add a large pop-up fabric pergola between the house and the wooden structure. It has two 'sides' so we can pop straight out and sit in there, with total privacy. It's great on a summer's morning, when we breakfast outside in pyjamas!

Peasblossom I feel your pain. I've long said I think it should be a law that when you plant a tree it must be in a position such that the whole crown will be contained on your own property. So many plant trees near the boundary so you're forced to share something you don't like. Here you aren't even allowed to prune a tree without planning permission since we're in a conservation area.

Just a plea about planting trees.

Consider the impact on your neighbours. Your tree planted for privacy could mean their garden gets no sun at all and needs constant expensive lopping to stop it spreading over their side.
Trees and some shrubs tend to be shared whether you want them or not.

Consider root damage to the foundations too.

You can tell I’m suffering ?

We haven't ever had a house that wasn't overlooked one way or another. Its the price one pays for not living isolated in a field.

There are various ways of dealing with it if you really do not like it, short of moving to a property isolated in a field. First you can plant trees and bushes that break the sight line between your favourite sitting out place and the relevant windows, secondly you could put a climber strewn trellis on one or two sides of your sitting out place to give you privacy. Thirdly put a gazebo over your sitting out place, one with sides that can be put on or taken down at will.

Personally I just live with it. How much time do you spend looking out of your bedroom window watching your neighbours as distinct from gazing at your own garden and muttering about the weeds. Like most people, probably not very much time doing either.

SIL has a covered Pergola type of structure that she leaves up, it faces the sun and she is able to buy a new cover for it every 3 years or so, it’s big enough for a table and chairs and a sun lounger and is bolted into the ground (somehow, but it hasn’t blown away yet, so all is good ).
That stops her neighbours on either side from being able to see them relaxing in the garden.

Last week the 'Your Garden but Better' programme tackled this problem so you swill be able to see it on catch up it was on ITV. The couple concerned had a large budget but you could still use the principles of perhaps rearranging your sight line with a pergola, trellis or in their case a lot of very expensive trees. worth a watch though the couple concerned were overlooked by adjacent housing. Its nice to see how the other half live ( re the £33K budget they had.)