For many homeowners, the backyard is their favorite destination to enjoy a little peace, quiet and relaxation. Unfortunately, the sounds of externals noises like barking dogs, traffic and neighbours peeking into your backyard can disrupt your attempt at tranquillity and privacy. Although it can be difficult to block out the outside world entirely, there are ways to minimize the annoyances. By planting the right type of privacy trees, you can reduce noise and gain privacy in your outdoor space.
Visually Appealing
The most visually appealing way to get some privacy is by planting natural barriers. With natural barriers, sound is absorbed by all of their parts such as leaves, branches, twigs and wood. The privacy they provide is not only important to your outdoor pleasure; they offer interest, colour and environmentally friendly attributes. When planned, planted and cultivated properly, they provide a beautiful and effective privacy barrier for your property.
Where to Plant
First, you want to determine where you will plant the tree, what kind of soil, drainage patterns and light conditions you are working with to ensure that the tree will thrive among its local surroundings. You want to choose a species that is ideally native, or adaptable, to the environment, such as Southwestern Ontario and the entire province.
The best privacy trees to plant in Ontario:
Emerald Cedar
An emerald cedar tree grows up to 25 feet tall and 8 feet wide. However, the tree’s growth slows down considerably when it reaches 15 feet and 4 feet wide. If you’re growing emerald cedar as a specimen tree, plant it so that its trunk is at least 3 feet from a wall, fence or the edges of other trees or shrubs.
Green Pillar
Green Pillar Pin Oak is a deciduous tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition. Green Pillar Pin Oak is recommended for vertical accent hedges & screening.
Dawyck Green Beech
Fagus Sylvatica ‘Dawyck Green is a great alternative to the more commonly planted fastigiated oaks and hornbeams. It originated from Scotland circa 1850. A beautiful medium sized deciduous tree (15-20m) with a columnar form, which rarely exceeds more than 3 metres width. It is ideal for specimen planting, screening or to form an avenue.
Tower Polar
Fast growing seedless tree with dense columnar form. Lobed leaves are green on top and furry white underneath. They are a sound barrier, screen or accent plant. An added feature is the yellow fall colour.
Bruns Serbian Spruce
A beautifully upright, narrow, pyramidal form with graceful branching and dense foliage. An elegant conifer that can be used in city gardens and larger landscapes as a specimen, privacy screen or windbreak.
Columnar Blue Spruce
One of the more distinctive evergreens, featuring bright blue needles on a narrowly upright and columnar form, branches forking upwards at a sharp angle; best used as a vertical accent in smaller home landscapes.
Pyramidal English Oak
Pyramidal English Oak is a dense deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
Enjoy Your Privacy
One of the most attractive ways you can protect the privacy of your home and family is to plant trees as a sort of natural wall. Besides privacy, trees will naturally bring shade and beauty to your property.
If you are looking to add more privacy to your landscape, call Envision Landscapes at 905-648-4040 and we will provide you with the best options for your property.