How A Garden Designer Blocked Out Neighbours Using Plants — Not Fences

When garden designer Rebecca Firman (@rebeccainthecottage) moved into her new home in Liverpool, the garden was nothing more than a bland and unloved lawn. At one end, it gave onto a glorious stretch of farmland, but at the other, it was overlooked by rows of neighbours. The conundrum? Rebecca wanted more privacy without enclosing her garden with tall fences.

Ahead, Rebecca takes us through the transformation and explains why clever zoning and planting has maximised not only the view, but every inch of space too.

The before

RF: The garden before was a complete blank canvas – we didn’t even have a patio. It was very overlooked, had nothing to help wildlife, the lawn was bumpy and uneven and the fences were collapsing. But I saw the potential and knew it could be really special.

Rebecca Firman

The view of the house from the bottom of the garden, before and after

The after

RF: The garden has been such an escape for us as a family. I love the planting too, and because we started with a blank canvas we have been able to be selective and only include plants that we find beautiful. If anything, I would love to add more borders but that’s mainly because I am forever plant shopping and I am always trying to squeeze more plants in to the space.

Rebecca Firman

The plan

RF: We spent about a year discussing and planning how the garden could work best for our family. It was a really good size (18m long and just over 7m wide), but I wanted to create a more interesting journey to the bottom of the garden. I fell in love with the idea of garden ‘rooms’ or zones.

We decided upon an area for outdoor dining – close to the house for ease of set up and clearing away dishes – an area for relaxation at the bottom of the garden to enjoy the views across the farmland beyond, and a few little seats dotted around so we could enjoy different views of the planting.

Rebecca Firman

The process

RF: We wanted to drop the fence at the bottom to make the most of the view onto the farmland, which would leave us very exposed to northerly winds from the fields. So the first step was to add sectional fence panels throughout the garden to break the wind flowing through it. We added a layer at the bottom of the garden, zoning off the seating area, and another layer of sectional fencing further down the garden to shelter the area by the house.

Rebecca Firman

The garden zoning in action

We planted a number of trees which made the biggest difference to how the garden felt, including Pleached Photinia along one boundary for evergreen privacy, and three standard Elaeagnus along the other boundary for further evergreen screening.

To break up the hard landscaping, we created a pebble lined trough to the patio and planted three standard Ginkgo trees, which have been such a beautiful feature and turn the most stunning gold shade in the autumn.

We added plenty of planting and the garden is now a haven for wildlife including bees, butterflies and other insects, as well as a number of birds who have nested here. Everything is welcome!

Rebecca Firman

The biggest challenge

RF: The garden was very overlooked, so our planting decisions and locations have been really important – I wanted to feel private and tucked away at the bottom of the garden as opposed to feeling like I was on a stage.

Rebecca’s top tips for adding privacy

Don’t rely on one plant or one border to fulfil all of your privacy needs. You need multiple planting pockets that are strategically placed so no matter where you are in the garden you are not overlooked. I would say try to include two to three layers of borders for a full line of privacy. When people plant for privacy they often think of trees and bigger plants, but I like to use smaller shrubs and standard trees positioned near to seating areas which help layer up that privacy.

Archways are also a great addition to a garden and help bring height, structure and privacy to a space. Larger trees are great, but they shouldn’t be used in isolation.

My final tip for privacy would be to bring height centrally to the garden – don’t push all of your height to the boundaries! By bringing height centrally, this helps to add screening as you move through the space. My sectional fencing is a good example of this – don’t be afraid to cut into the space, basically. It makes the garden feel bigger too, as you can’t see the entire space all at once.

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RF: The bottom of the garden is where we always are drawn to as a family. It’s wrapped in planting which adds privacy, and we have lovely comfortable sofas and a parasol for added shelter. It’s a great place to relax and watch the sun set over the fields.

Favourite plants

RF: Sidalcea is my favourite plant of all time – I think every garden should have them! They are so easy to grow (pest-free, disease-free) and so good for pollinators, and they look stunning. I also love the Golden Indian Bean trees I have at the bottom. We went for a matching set, and they form a natural archway. The Cornus Contraversa (also known as the wedding cake tree) has been another showstopper. We added this to help screen the shed, but it’s planted in line with the kitchen window and provides such a beautiful view out.

Rebecca Firman

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