When house hunting in 2005 the top item on my list of priorities was a private backyard. The home I left behind in Spokane featured a neighbor who looked right down on my "private" patio as well as a right-of-way which allowed them to drive through my backyard. The house we were renting in Portland had a backyard that was anything but private. There were fences, but they were just the right height to lean on while you chatted with (or stared at) your neighbor. I could stand in the back yard and enjoy an uninterrupted view of the next 4 properties. No thank you! Of course it was my impatient nature that had me wanting to inherit a private space, rather than create it myself. Now I realize that when you create it, you control it. Meaning you don’t learn one day that your neighbor is going to cut down the 20ft tall Laurel hedge (on her property, which you thought was on your property) and build a 5ft tall wood fence. This is my long winded way of saying that I jumped at the chance to review Marty Wingate’s new book Landscaping for Privacy, Innovative Ways to Turn Your Outdoor Space into a Peaceful Retreat from Timber Press. After all two of the three sides of our backyard are still largely based on things (fences and plantings) not entirely ours, I need to start thinking and planning about how to take control of our privacy. (photo by Andrew Buchanan) This book is divided into chapters on Buffers, Barriers, Screens and finally at the back of the book, Plant Lists. The chapter on Buffers gives you detailed ideas on “Softening the Impact of Nuisances” whether they are manmade or natural. Barriers discusses options for keeping out trespassers and Screens helps you to hide the things you would rather not see, be they in your garden or a neighbor’s property. There are plenty photos to illustrate examples, most of which practical solutions that are do-able on any regular size city lot. (photo by Rob Cardillo) In the introduction Marty writes “…our choices are broader than any easy way out. An evergreen hedge may provide an easy solution to screen off the view of your neighbor’s hot tub, but it might not be the best idea for screening out traffic noise. Every spring, an army of arborvitae appears at garden centers everywhere. They provide a quick fix, but they are not necessarily the most appropriate answer to the question, “How can I make the ugly view go away?” Good design requires commitment. A tall, thin, “wall” of hedge plants can disguise a chain-link fence, but if those plants grow to 25 ft. tall and wide, you need to make the commitment to keep the hedge in check” (photo by Andrew Drake) It’s that kind of thinking combined with exceptional plant recommendations which make this book an excellent resource. In the section on planting a hedgerow Marty suggests the evergreen strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) next to a “showy ninebark” (Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Mindia’) and for a “broader assortment of interest, intersperse…with tall Oregon grape” (Mahonia aquifolium)….sounds beautiful! Definitely not another boring Arborvitae hedge. In the section on screening areas inside your property Marty reminds those wanting to hide garbage and recycling bins from sight to also keep in mind the view your neighbors have of these items. (photo by Andrew Drake) In the process of creating a pleasant view in your garden don’t create an eyesore for someone else. Yes! Imagine not having to stare at your neighbor’s plastic bins which they've hidden from their sight by placing right in yours. (I may have a bit of a personal issue with the bright electric Blue, Green and Yellow bins the City of Portland has issued to us all) (photo by Andrew Drake) As mentioned there is a plant list at the back of the book, and this section is invaluable. After devouring the terrific ideas in the preceding chapters you are then given the information you need to make good plant choices. The list is divided into groupings; Evergreen Shrubs, Plants for Hedgerows, Plants for Seaside Gardens, Plants for Windy Sites, Thorny Plants, and many more. Some of these groups are further broken down by regions and their unique growing climates. A short description is given for each plant along with its typical size, cultural requirements and USDA hardiness zone. (photo by Ellen Spector Platt) I believe that Landscaping for Privacy is a great resource in creating a truly private garden. Do you want to see for yourself? Timber Press has generously supplied me with copy to give away! How do you enter? Just leave a comment on this post by midnight on Tuesday the 10th. I’ll draw the name of a (completely random) lucky winner on Wednesday the 11th, please make sure I have a way to contact you if you win, and sorry U.S. residents only please. (photo by Andrew Buchanan) Also for those of you who will be attending the NW Flower and Garden Show in Seattle, or the Yard Garden & Patio Show in Portland (both shows in February) Marty will be speaking on this topic at the shows, I had the pleasure of meeting Marty at the Garden Bloggers Fling last summer and I bet she will be an energetic and engaging speaker. Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of this book from Timber Press for the purpose of a review. In other words, it was free…free however does not buy a positive review. If I didn’t think this is a good book I wouldn’t be posting about it. All photos used by permission from Timber Press and photo credit given under each photo.