Property owners and abutters often want to escape into the backyard to take a break. When landscapes are wide open, even the courtesy of saying hello and briefly chatting with neighbors reduces the peaceful enjoyment of the property.
Homeowners who do not want to invest thousands of dollars to stare at blank wooden fences can plant shrub rows so their greenery overlaps. Once the plants mature to a reasonable level, the naturally enclosed space delivers privacy and noise reduction. There are a wide range of shrubs that can be leveraged to create living privacy walls. The following rank among the popular choices.
Azaleas: Providing superior flower colors and thick greenery, azaleas remain a top choice for developing a living privacy fence. Property owners can select evergreen or deciduous varieties ranging from 6-20 feet tall.
Boxwood: This evergreen shrub remains a favorite in manicured landscapes as well as living fences. Depending on the variety, Boxwoods can reach 6-20 feet tall and deliver robust density. They resist blights well and require little maintenance to thrive.
Lilacs: This deciduous shrub is highly touted for its brilliant blooms and rich fragrance. Some varieties reach heights of up to 15 feet and offer enough leaf density to deliver backyard privacy. Although they lose their leaves during cold weather months, the benefits of deploying lilacs generally make them an excellent living fence choice.
Maple Leaf Viburnum: These plants grow upwards of six feet tall and form thick hedgerows. White cluster flowers appear during warm weather months and the leaves transition to distinctively colorful foliage during autumn. Property owners gravitate toward this variety because it ranks among the lowest-maintenance options.
Privet Plants: Reaching upwards of 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide, these shrubs contrast dark green leaves with white seasonal blooms. Homeowners and landscaping professionals consider privet plants a valuable fencing asset that handles full sun and a wide range of soil conditions.
It's essential for homeowners to keep in mind landscaping assets, such as privacy shrubs, tend to be a sound investment. Shrubs help beautify the grounds and the fact this strategy enhances the peaceful enjoyment of being at home supports increased property values.
About the Author
Carolyn Andrews
Carolyn Andrews has over 30 years licensed Brokerage experience in both California and Colorado. Born in England, Carolyn moved to California in 1980, then relocated to Denver, Colorado in 1991. Carolyn has also received recognition for Top Sales at RE/MAX Alliance Aurora in 2007-2008 and is a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame & Chairman’s Club, as well as a recipient of the ReMax Lifetime Achievement Award. Carolyn has sold over 2000 homes personally in her career. Carolyn has been actively involved in many aspects of the Real Estate business including investment property, luxury homes, mountain resort property, skiin/ski out, REO/default management, loss mitigation, valuations, and disposition. She has been a speaker and panelist at several conferences and has been consulted on many occasions by various organizations in the REO/financial industries for her expertise and served on many boards. She has attended numerous ongoing classes to stay abreast of changes in the ever-evolving Real Estate industry. She is the prior State Director for Colorado for VAREP(Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals). She is a member of 3 boards of Realtors including Metro Denver, Colorado Springs and Summit County mountain areas. She heads up The Andrews Group and is or has been an active member of NAR, CAR,REOMAC, CIPS, CRS, AREAA, NAPW, NAHREP, and is an original member of the ELITEReal Estate network. She was ranked #1 for most homes sold in Denver 2007 by Denver Board of Realtors, #2 for 2008, and #2 for 2009, #5 in 2010 and #4 in 2011 and has been consistently in the top 10 ever since. Carolyn Andrews has been a top rated Endorsed Local Provider for the Dave Ramsey Organization and also a Top Producing agent for 2018 for the Homelight Company.
