Hi all,
I have this front garden that happens to be west facing, so it gets full sun from 1200 until sunset.
I’d like to screen off the upper portion of the pathway to create a sunny patio area. I want to use some sort of screening to create some privacy, with the intention being to plant some evergreen climbers in front of.
I can’t decide on what material to use. I like the look of willow fence panels, or do I go with full height trellis panels instead? I’ll trim back the boarder plants and use some edging to create a gravel patio in the corner.
Have anyone got any better ideas please?
by Sanity___check
1 Comment
Do not put flat flimsy willow panels next to that curving path. It fights the natural geometry of your yard and will look like a cheap afterthought against those classic buildings across the street. Putting a tall hard wall right on the edge of a narrow walkway creates a claustrophobic tunnel effect. You want soft engineering here where the structure and beauty work together. Instead of flat panels you should plant a staggered sweeping mass of dense evergreen shrubs mixed with tall ornamental grasses. This gives you the privacy you want, handles the brutal afternoon sun, and flows with the landscape instead of chopping it up into little boxes.
If you are absolutely set on a hard trellis for climbers it needs to be heavy timber and it needs to step back from the path a couple feet to let the space breathe. For the gravel patio do not just dump stone on the dirt. You need a compacted sub base and rigid steel or stone edging otherwise that gravel will migrate straight into your turf the second you step on it. Before you spend a dime on materials or start digging up the lawn run that second photo through the GardenDream web app. You can overlay different trellis styles, living screens, and gravel types right on your space to see exactly how it functions. It is a great safety net so you do not accidentally build an ugly maze in your front yard.