Sometimes we need to establish a screen for several reasons; to hide an unsightly work area in our own yard (or a neighbor’s), to provide privacy for our own outdoor activities or just to establish where our boundaries are located. A fence provides more security, but a really attractive one can be pricey, so consider using plants to make your fenced in yard more attractive.

I often see a long border of the same plant – usually Leyland Cypress. This plant has its problems. Since the top grows fast, it has a shallow root system which can cause it to topple in a wind storm and makes it subject to diseases such as canker. When you have a border of just one kind of plant which grows to a large size and then one dies, you have a real “snaggle tooth” look to your border.

To provide the landscape with a lasting privacy border for any reason, I suggest you plant a variety of plants which, when grouped carefully, will give you interest in texture, form and color.

Here is a list of plants from which to choose. Do a little research on the internet to see each one’s characteristics. These plants are deer resistant. The sizes listed are the size at maturity,

Broad Leaf Shrubs
Fragrant Tea Olive – Osmanthus fragrans: 10-20’ in height, 6-10’ wide, evergreen foliage, fragrant white flowers. ‘Aurantiacus’ is a cultivar with orange or deep yellow flowers. There are several other cultivars.
Fortune’s Tea Olive – Osmanthus x fortunei: 15-20’ in height, 6-10’ wide, evergreen foliage, fragrant white flowers. ‘Fruitlandii’ and ‘San Jose’ are cultivars.

Holly-leaf Tea Olive – Osmanthus heterophyllus: 8-10’ in height (but can get 20’ in some environments), 6-8’ wide, very fragrant in autumn, slower growing than other tea olives. ‘Goshiki’ is a variegated cultivar better used as foundation plant or as an interesting specimen.

Nellie R. Stevens Holly – Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’: 15-30’ in height, 8-25’ wide, glossy green medium-sized spiny leaves, red berries. Rapid growth does not make it a weak plant, so give it plenty of room to grow and it will make a barrier soon. These are growing along the railroad on Highway 42 just north of downtown Locust Grove.
Burford Holly – Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’: 15-25’ in height, 8-15’ wide, glossy green leaves with one spine at the end, lightly fragrant flowers. ‘Dwarf Buford’ is a cultivar that grows to only 6-8’ tall.

Conifers – Needle-like leaves
American Arborvitae – Thuja Occidentalis: ‘Emerald Green’: 12-15’ in height, 3-4’ wide, lush green, grow about 12” per year after established. Very Columnar, useful in smaller spaces.

Green Giant Arborvitae – Thuja ‘Green Giant’: 20-30’ in height, 8-12’ wide, grow 3-4’ a year, plant 8-10’ feet apart.
Carolina Sapphire Cypress – Hesperocyparis (Cupressus) arizonica ‘Carolina Sapphire’: 40’ or higher, 15-20’ wide, Silvery-gray foliage, great lacy foliage with good aroma, red seed cones. Great to mix with green foliages.

Japanese Cedar – Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yoshino’: 30-40’ in height, 20-30’ wide, glossy green foliage. These are also planted along Highway 42 in Locust Grove. They grow 2-3’ a year when established. Plant 8-10’ apart to prevent dead branches.

All of these plants prefer full sun in order to produce the full, dense plant that you desire. The most important thing to remember is that a plant must be planted correctly and maintained the first year or two in order to have success in the following years. Do not plant too deeply and water thoroughly when needed. Plants will do poorly if their roots do not get oxygen, so do not plant in an area where water stands for any length of time. This causes root rot.

Choose carefully, design carefully, plant carefully, and maintain carefully and you will have success in your landscape.