I need to define our backyard from the neighbor's and intend to plant shrubs or shrubby trees. The line runs at an angle and this seems a better solution than fencing.
I'll plant them far enough into our yard to allow for future growth and a natural boundry that doesn't require constant trimming, but what to do until they reach that state? Just mow between them and along the property or incorporate some type of mulch border?
If anyone has ideas or done something similar I would love to hear about it and see your pictures. Thanks!
Landscaping a property line
Moderator: Chris_W
Hi Libby
The key to dividing property boundaries is to make it pleasant from all angles, yours and the neighbors.
I went for the big and bold, planted lots of annuals waiting for the trees and shrubs to get some size.
I did use a wooden rail fence mostly to keep me in bounds, but I got nothing but compiments on how it looked.
I ended up with a bird & butterfly magnet
This bed is 3o feet wide at the widest, by 125 feet long
pic's are from
2001 1st pic
2003 2nd pic
2006 3rd pic
The key to dividing property boundaries is to make it pleasant from all angles, yours and the neighbors.
I went for the big and bold, planted lots of annuals waiting for the trees and shrubs to get some size.
I did use a wooden rail fence mostly to keep me in bounds, but I got nothing but compiments on how it looked.
I ended up with a bird & butterfly magnet
This bed is 3o feet wide at the widest, by 125 feet long
pic's are from
2001 1st pic
2003 2nd pic
2006 3rd pic
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maidofshade
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Sep 17, 2006 1:26 pm
- Location: mn zone 4 lat 44.87N
The shrub is Heptacodium miconioides, (seven-son flower)
this one blooms in the fall, very fragrant, bee & butterfly magnet.
listed as a zone 5 plant, but has done very well for me in zone 4, rapid grower.
This bed seems to have worked to a positive with all the neighbors.
I had better picture's of the whole bed, but I seemed to have lost them when I changed computers.
this one blooms in the fall, very fragrant, bee & butterfly magnet.
listed as a zone 5 plant, but has done very well for me in zone 4, rapid grower.
This bed seems to have worked to a positive with all the neighbors.
I had better picture's of the whole bed, but I seemed to have lost them when I changed computers.
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WOW!! 
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Midnight Reiter Too
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Aug 23, 2003 6:20 am
- Location: Indiana Zone 5
It sure depends on your neighbors! Our neighbor's wife has come outside yelling at me when I do anything besides mow at the property line. Then our husbands come out and get involved. I've opted to plant yews in a line pretty far in and mow around them till they reach the property line. WHEW!
Give a Weed an Inch and it’ll Take a Yard
1st pic is the beginning of this bed
2nd pic shows how we were able to screen our deck, & still
leave a view for the neighbors.
3rd pic shows how effective a 30 foot planting of arborvitaes worked as screen.
The end result of this bed is showpiece & privacy screen that
could be enjoyed by all, without being taken the wrong way.
I did stay well within my bounds in case there would be objection, although that wasn't the case here.
It is hard to catch the whole of this bed because it is so large.
Ed
2nd pic shows how we were able to screen our deck, & still
leave a view for the neighbors.
3rd pic shows how effective a 30 foot planting of arborvitaes worked as screen.
The end result of this bed is showpiece & privacy screen that
could be enjoyed by all, without being taken the wrong way.
I did stay well within my bounds in case there would be objection, although that wasn't the case here.
It is hard to catch the whole of this bed because it is so large.
Ed
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maidofshade
- Posts: 546
- Joined: Sep 17, 2006 1:26 pm
- Location: mn zone 4 lat 44.87N
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nanny_56
- Posts: 3202
- Joined: Jul 01, 2006 5:07 pm
- USDA Zone: 5b
- Location: Putnam County, Indiana Lat. 39* 45' 54.2892" Long. -86* 41' 55.9284''
Midnight Reiter that is so funny, because that is one reason we moved!! Had big dispute with neighbor lady as her husband tried to add on (again) to their deck. Ended up they had to cut the deck back 6 inches to get it back on their side!! 
We let her spout all her knowledge about how much space there was between every house, then I brought out our copy of our suvey!! Priceless
Claudia
We let her spout all her knowledge about how much space there was between every house, then I brought out our copy of our suvey!! Priceless
Claudia
Claudia
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest" - John Muir
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest" - John Muir
Fences make great neighbors
I'm with Reiter....I had a wonderful border of perennials and shrubs, but the neighbor were mad they could no longer drive their SUV across my lawn to park it on theirs! One spring I came home and found each of 500 tulips had the bloom picked off (the neighbor's two children under 5). I also suspect the neighbors of taking divisions of all my plants one spring as well, when I was out of town for a couple weeks.
It continued on and on.
I eventually put up a fence. IT is the cure!
It continued on and on.
I eventually put up a fence. IT is the cure!
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Midnight Reiter Too
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Aug 23, 2003 6:20 am
- Location: Indiana Zone 5
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Midnight Reiter Too
- Posts: 964
- Joined: Aug 23, 2003 6:20 am
- Location: Indiana Zone 5
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toomanyanimals
- Posts: 732
- Joined: Jan 15, 2004 5:52 pm
- USDA Zone: 6a
- Location: Michigan Zone 6a
Ed, those 2 smiling faces are a delight!
Love your pictures and your 'living fence'.
The neighbors on both sides of us agree with us and do not want a Privacy fence. They each have neighbors with privacy fences, so we have a '3 house open area'. We are friendly enough to each other. They tell me how much they like my gardening and love to look out their windows at my flowers. Some of the garden beds they can see better than we can.
Hubby and I have talked about a split-rail fence with maybe a few low shrubs; Spiraeas, Red twig Dogwood - Artic Fire for winter interest, Prunus glandulosa 'Rosa Plea' (Pink Flowering Almond), Caryopteris. Not all of these, just a few repeated, but we haven't decided yet. We are keeping them under 4 ft.
A few small Japanese maples that can do well in full sun, and then the perennials and annuals along that fence.
I would probably plant a clematis or a climbing rose (Zepherine Drouhine - thornless) on the fence too.
We don't want a hedge, just a separation of properties. This picture shows how close the houses are. We do not want the side gardens to be as wide as this garden. We were thinking of keeping it to a width of 4ft. Don't know if this width is realistic though.
Love your pictures and your 'living fence'.
The neighbors on both sides of us agree with us and do not want a Privacy fence. They each have neighbors with privacy fences, so we have a '3 house open area'. We are friendly enough to each other. They tell me how much they like my gardening and love to look out their windows at my flowers. Some of the garden beds they can see better than we can.
Hubby and I have talked about a split-rail fence with maybe a few low shrubs; Spiraeas, Red twig Dogwood - Artic Fire for winter interest, Prunus glandulosa 'Rosa Plea' (Pink Flowering Almond), Caryopteris. Not all of these, just a few repeated, but we haven't decided yet. We are keeping them under 4 ft.
A few small Japanese maples that can do well in full sun, and then the perennials and annuals along that fence.
I would probably plant a clematis or a climbing rose (Zepherine Drouhine - thornless) on the fence too.
We don't want a hedge, just a separation of properties. This picture shows how close the houses are. We do not want the side gardens to be as wide as this garden. We were thinking of keeping it to a width of 4ft. Don't know if this width is realistic though.
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Be not simply good; be good for something.
Henry David Thoreau
Henry David Thoreau
Hi Sharon
I like the look of your flower bed, and it is nice that you can
have the open look.
I used the arborvitaes as a 30 ft' screen separating our deck and the neighbors pool, privacy for both of us.
Now if there were a bunch of lookers over there wearing bikini's everyday sitting by the pool I might of built a bigger deck with one of those binocular things mounted on it.
That wasn't the case here, though if I had known the guy was going to bring his girlfriend over when his wife was gone
.
They got divorced shortly after she found out, and there isn't any fence in the world could cut shut out the noise of her screaming at him.
You can be sure I was glad when he finally left even though I stopped learning all the new fancy words she was using on him, pretty colorful gal for as tiny as she was, and she had one of those voices that carried a long way too.
(PS, seen her a while back, she got re-married to a used car salesman, honest to god truth) gave me his card too
But even the dream comes to an end as the pool was taken down a couple of years when the place was sold.
The new neighbors are very private people who have done a great deal of landscaping, the place really looks nice.
But they sure do stick to themselves. I was sure because we had the same interest we would of become good friends, didn't happen though. Maybe some day.
I like the look of your flower bed, and it is nice that you can
have the open look.
I used the arborvitaes as a 30 ft' screen separating our deck and the neighbors pool, privacy for both of us.
Now if there were a bunch of lookers over there wearing bikini's everyday sitting by the pool I might of built a bigger deck with one of those binocular things mounted on it.
That wasn't the case here, though if I had known the guy was going to bring his girlfriend over when his wife was gone
. They got divorced shortly after she found out, and there isn't any fence in the world could cut shut out the noise of her screaming at him.
You can be sure I was glad when he finally left even though I stopped learning all the new fancy words she was using on him, pretty colorful gal for as tiny as she was, and she had one of those voices that carried a long way too.
(PS, seen her a while back, she got re-married to a used car salesman, honest to god truth) gave me his card too
But even the dream comes to an end as the pool was taken down a couple of years when the place was sold.
The new neighbors are very private people who have done a great deal of landscaping, the place really looks nice.
But they sure do stick to themselves. I was sure because we had the same interest we would of become good friends, didn't happen though. Maybe some day.
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eastwood2007
- Posts: 3517
- Joined: Jan 25, 2007 12:51 pm
- Location: kansas, usa zone 5b
Wow! Who knew? I guess I have previously been lucky with neighbors I have had. I gasped each time I read one of the posts. Just another reminder of why I like to live in the country. Next time someone gives me a hard time about my car being dirty 'cuz of the gravel roads, I am going to email them this post. Sorry, y'all. I feel for you. Especially the one where all your tulips were missing and plants divided. Amazing!!!! I can't imagine... What if you got the neighbors involved in the design? Maybe they would get on board with you rather than sabotaging....
Charla
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)
Latitude 38.57N; Longitude -94.89W (Elev. 886 ft.)