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Outdoor Privacy Screens: Backyard Retreats and Outdoor Privacy Screens

Unless you're especially gregarious, you'll want a backyard retreat on your property, a place to which you can retire from disturbances after a hard day's work. You can incorporate such a backyard retreat on your property with outdoor privacy screens. Learn how to build fences and plant hedges great for screening out prying eyes.
Creating Outdoor Living Spaces for Privacy and More
Outdoor living spaces extend your home, effectively adding on new "rooms." By thinking in terms of equivalents to the floors, walls and ceilings you know so well inside, you can create outdoor rooms spaces that are at once functional and attractive. If you build your "walls" properly, you can enjoy private spaces outside that allow you to get away from it all to meditate or read.
Growing Hedges to Form Outdoor Privacy Screens
Shrubs can be planted together closely in rows and pruned to form dense outdoor privacy screens. Another option for outdoor privacy screens is planting shrubs more loosely to form borders that also shelter your backyard from prying eyes. It depends on the "look" you desire. This article looks at both evergreen shrubs and flowering shrubs, according to height.
Bamboo Plants as Privacy Screens
Although usually thought of as tropical plants, some bamboos are cold-hardy. This FAQ on bamboos provides an introduction on the subject, including the use of bamboo plants as privacy screens.
Fences for Backyard Retreats, Security and Decor
This FAQ looks at all aspects of building fences, including fence designs for backyard retreats. Topics discussed include popular materials for fences (wood, vinyl, chain-link), deciding between professional installation of fences versus do-it-yourself projects, aesthetic considerations and common mistakes in building fences.
Lombardy Poplar Trees
Lombardy poplar trees may be planted for quick privacy screens or windbreaks, as they are fast-growers. However, Lombardy poplars are not long-lived trees.
Lattice Fences as Outdoor Privacy Screens
Lattice fences are effective not only for hiding eyesores on your property, but also as outdoor privacy screens. Eyesores include unsightly HVAC units, garbage storage areas, and deck supports. Whether you choose wood or vinyl, building lattice fences to serve as outdoor privacy screens is a quick and easy way to improve the look of your landscape and keep neighbors from spying on your every move!
Privacy Screening With Hedges
Hedge plants may serve the practical function of affording a property some privacy or security. They can also be purely decorative. Examples of hedge shrubs are discussed in this overview, with links to more detailed resources.
Backyard Retreats -- Photo Gallery of Sacred Spaces
About's Holistic Healing Guide says this photo gallery of sacred spaces is "a showplace of photographs of the places that users submit to share their favorite 'sacred spaces'." Gain ideas from here for that backyard retreat you've been contemplating for your own landscape! For meditation gardens, privacy screens must not only isolate but also inspire!

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