Everything You Need to Know About Privacy Plants for Spring

Thinking about installing privacy plants in your yard this spring? Dreaming of green hedges and sound-proof shrubs? Spring might feel like a long way off, but it’s just around the corner, and you’ll need time to plan your landscaping so that you can make your spring privacy plants a reality.

But where to begin? Here are useful tips and our three favorite Delaware native privacy plants to get you started. 

Start planning now. It takes a while to turn a design idea into reality – when it comes to landscaping, plan at least one season in advance. If you really aim to renovate your yard this spring, talk with a landscaper this month to stay on track. 

Know the benefits. Why install a privacy fence when you can let gorgeous, living shrubs do the trick? Living fences muffle urban noise by up to 50 percent, which is almost as much as what a stone wall can do! Plus, when you plant native shrubs and hedges, it’s good for the local ecosystem and native pollinators. 

Strategize your privacy border. Estimate how tall and wide each plant will be when it’s grown, so that you can space each shrub out and they don’t choke or overshadow one another. Plant a variety of plants in layers, so that you create a natural, earthy space that doesn’t appear too staged or planned. 

Our 3 Native Picks

Sweetbay magnolia. A flowering, native tree that can grow up to 60 feet, the sweetbay magnolia shows off creamy white spring and summer flowers with pleasant fragrances. Flourishing in full sun to partial shade, it prefers moist, acidic soil.

Eastern red cedar. This evergreen, which typically grows up to 40 feet tall, is resistant to weather extremes — drought, heat and cold. This tree prefers full sun and tolerates most soils. Added perk: If you enjoy birdwatching, it attracts a variety of birds including sparrows, mockingbirds and warblers.

American holly. Growing as tall as 50 feet and as wide as 40 feet, the American holly is the poster child for backyard privacy as both an evergreen and ornamental tree. It conveniently maintains its foliage year-round and prefers full sun and partial shade.

Create the private backyard of your dreams this spring! Contact the experts at Borsello Landscaping to get started.