Natural Boundaries: How to Block the Neighbors with Beauty – Ken Lain

With so many new homes being built, privacy has become the number one topic of conversation here at the garden center. Every time you turn around, a new window is looking down into your patio, or a neighbor’s project pile is creeping into your view. Without strategically placed evergreens, your backyard can feel less like a sanctuary and more like a fishbowl.

The good news is that the solution doesn’t require a permit for a massive wooden fence. We can use ‘living walls,’ trees & shrubs that grow more beautiful every year while blocking unwanted invasions of privacy. July is actually an ideal time to get these living screens in the ground to take advantage of the growing season.

Choosing the Right Green Giants

When you’re ready to pick your ‘security guards,’ you want plants that have a proven track record in our local soil.

• Arizona Cypress: This is my personal favorite for a native evergreen screen. It mimics the look and color of a large alligator juniper but grows much faster, reaching over 20 feet tall and 12 feet wide in just a few years. It fills in completely, leaving no gaps for prying eyes.

• Austrian Pine: If you like the look of a Ponderosa but want something denser, this is your tree. Unlike many pines, the Austrian holds its foliage all the way to the ground. It has a stout, pyramidal habit and is much more resistant to bark beetles than our native Ponderosas.

• Junipers: Not everyone has room for a 12-foot-wide Cypress. For tighter spaces, we use varieties like ‘Hillspire’, ‘Blue Point’, or ‘Spartan’. These are tough as nails, and the newer varieties have little to no pollen, making them a “no-brainer” for those with allergies.

• Colorado Spruce: For a semi-formal look, the Spruce offers a perfectly symmetrical Christmas tree shape. They are incredibly cold-hardy and make excellent windbreaks, also diffusing the noise of busy streets.

• Red Tip Photinia: These are speedy growers that burst with fiery red new foliage in the spring. They can reach 10 to 15 feet tall, making them a colorful choice for a dense, informal hedge.

• Red Clusterberry Cotoneaster: This tough, versatile evergreen grows quickly to about 10 feet tall, with graceful, arching branches. It is particularly loved for the clusters of bright red berries it produces, which our local birds absolutely adore.

The 3-Step Success Formula

Adding evergreens isn’t just about digging a hole; it’s about ensuring they thrive for decades. Drainage is the most essential requirement for these trees to survive our mountain soil. To get them off to the right start, follow my three essential steps:

Amend the Soil: Blend one shovelful of Watters Premium Mulch into every three shovels of native earth. This helps the roots breathe and retain moisture.

Feed the Roots: Use a locally formulated 7-4-4 All Purpose Plant Food. The cottonseed meal in this blend promotes robust root formation and keeps that foliage looking deep green.

Stimulate Growth: Water your new arrivals with Root & Grow. This additive encourages the plant to establish a deep, healthy system quickly.

Whether you’re trying to hide a neighbor’s debris or just want to enjoy your hot tub in peace, a living screen is an investment that pays off in beauty and tranquility. If you want to dive deeper, you can download a free copy of my new book, The Secret Garden: Plants as a Natural Screen, at WattersGardenCenter.com.

Free Gardening Classes Every Saturday @ 9:30 am

Join us for these upcoming topics:

1. July 11: Simple Steps to Heal Your Sick Garden
2. July 18: Green Screens: Designing Living Walls for Beauty & Privacy
3. July 25: Designing Poolside Paradise with Patio Tropical Plant

Until next week, I’ll be helping gardeners plant better fruit trees here at Watters Garden Center.

Ken Lain can be found throughout the week at Watters Garden Center, 1815 Iron Springs Rd in Prescott, or contacted through his website at WattersGardenCenter.com or Top10Plants.com