Ever gaze out at your garden and wish for a little more seclusion? Or perhaps that less-than-inspiring view of the neighbour’s shed or children’s climbing frame could use a serious upgrade? Ditch the drab fences and say hello to a vibrant solution: living screens.
These aren’t simply trellises with a few lonely vines or some spindly shrubs that you need to wait years to grow. At The Big Plant Nursery we supply large-specimen plants that will bring instant privacy, a dramatically improved view, and a whole host of other fantastic benefits that will transform your outdoor space into a true sanctuary.
Instant Privacy
Unlike waiting years for shrubs to mature or hedges to fill out, a well-established living screen offers near-instant privacy. Imagine hosting a summer barbecue or relaxing in your favourite garden chair without feeling like you’re on display. The dense foliage acts as a natural barrier, shielding your space and creating a more intimate and peaceful atmosphere.
With our planting service you can enjoy your new-found privacy without lifting a finger. Our professional team will handle everything, from ground preparation to precise planting and staking. You’ll receive comprehensive aftercare advice and planting warranties for peace of mind.
An improved view
Let’s face it, not every garden boasts a breathtaking view. Perhaps you overlook a busy road, an unsightly wall, or, as mentioned, that less-than-charming shed. Living screens offer a beautiful and natural way to disguise these undesirable elements. As your natural screens flourish, they’ll soften harsh lines, add texture and colour, and effectively redirect your gaze to a vibrant wall of green (and perhaps even flowers!).
Beyond Aesthetics: The Benefits
The advantages of living screens go far beyond just privacy and improved views:
- Enhanced Biodiversity: A living screen becomes a haven for wildlife. Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects will be attracted to the flowers and foliage, boosting the biodiversity of your garden. Birds may even find shelter and nesting spots within the dense growth.
- Noise Reduction: The dense foliage can help to absorb and deflect some sound waves, creating a slightly quieter and more tranquil garden space, especially beneficial if you live near a busy area.
- A natural windbreak: Dense foliage also acts as a natural windbreak and can be used to protect more delicate plants in the garden.
- Temperature Regulation: During hot summer months, the shade provided by a living screen can help to cool the area around it. The plants also release moisture through transpiration, further contributing to a more comfortable microclimate.
- Space Saving: Unlike bulky hedges that can take up valuable ground space, living screens utilize vertical space, making them ideal for smaller gardens or even balconies.
- A Touch of Nature: There’s something inherently calming and restorative about being surrounded by plants. A living screen brings a vibrant and dynamic element to your garden, connecting you more closely with nature.
Which plants work well as a living screen?
Common Hornbeam (Carpinus Betulus)
A slow-growing large deciduous tree with a fluted grey trunk and dense mid-green foliage turning yellow to orange in Autumn. With catkins in spring it provides year-round interest. The Hornbeam has a similar look to a Beech hedge but has better tolerance to heavier and wetter soils. It responds well to pruning so can be easily shaped into crisp, formal hedges, or left a little more relaxed for a softer feel.
Oleaster (Elaeagnus x ebbingei)
An evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves and small fragrant flowers in spring. It has striking foliage that is a light silver colour in spring, turning dark green in summer. The undersides of the leaves are often even more silvery, creating a lovely contrast when the wind rustles through them. The dense foliage provides excellent shelter and nesting sites for birds and other small wildlife. Its flowers attract pollinators while the berries can be a food source for birds.
A popular deciduous hedge due to its dense bright green foliage that turns copper in Autumn. The dense nature of a well-maintained beech hedge provides noise reduction and an effective barrier against strong winds, protecting more delicate plants in the garden. It also provides shelter and nesting sites for various birds and small animals.
Holly (Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’)
A small, neat evergreen tree with dark green spiny leaves that provide a rich and vibrant backdrop throughout the year. The vibrant red berries that appear in autumn and remain through winter are a major draw. They provide a beautiful splash of colour against the dark green foliage, adding significant visual interest during the colder months.
Red Robin (Photinia x fraseri)
A popular and quick-growing evergreen shrub known for the vibrant red colour of new foliage in spring that often continues through summer. The red provides a fantastic contrast to the mature, glossy dark green leaves making it an eye-catching hedge. Tolerant to pruning, it’s easy to maintain a formal shape and size while it’s dense foliage acts as a good windbreak. Red Robins can be grown in large containers making it suitable for patios or balconies.
Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’)
It’s large, glossy dark-green leaves remain lush an vibrant throughout the year providing consistent privacy making it a popular choice. It is known for it’s relatively fast growth rate, allowing you to establish a substantial hedge quickly. Fragrant flowers in spring are attractive to pollinators.
Portugese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica ‘Brenelia’)
Known for its more compact growth, Portuguese Laurel is well-suited for smaller gardens or situations where a less imposing hedge or screen is desired. It tends to have a denser, more upright, and often pyramidal growth habit, creating a neat and formal appearance with good screening capabilities from a younger age. Like other Portuguese Laurels, ‘Brenelia’ produces fragrant, creamy-white flowers, attracting pollinators. These are followed by ornamental red berries that mature to black, providing food for birds and adding seasonal interest.
Chanticleer Pear (Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’)
The ‘Chanticleer’ is our most popular deciduous screening tree. One of the first trees to come into leaf in the spring and the last to lose its leaves in autumn, it’s an excellent choice for gardens where privacy is an issue. Pretty white flowers in spring attract pollinators. Foliage emerges a bright and glossy green and remains on the tree well into autumn, when it turns a bright orangey red before falling. Its naturally narrow, upright, and consistently pyramidal shape makes it ideal for planting in rows for screening along property lines or as a street tree where space is limited. It provides good vertical coverage without spreading too wide.
If you’re dreaming of a more private and visually appealing garden, consider a living screen. With our delivery and planting service you can transform your garden instantly with minimal effort. And, if you aren’t sure which living screen is best for your garden, why not book an expert to come to your home? Our consultancy visits are just £75 and our experienced horticulturalists will provide tailored guidance to help bring your vision to life.
