Creative Ways to Create Privacy Screens Along Fence Lines

Plant Japanese Creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)

• Create a privacy screen along your fence line by planting Japanese Creeper at the bottom of several trellises. This ivy, also known as Boston Ivy, is a close-clinging vine, so it is sure to guarantee privacy. It is also a fast-growing vine, so it will provide that privacy quicker than other vine options. Since Japanese Creeper grows up to 60 feet, you can count on privacy that exceeds fence lines if needed. And the best think about this ivy is that it can be grown in just about any soil type, according to the University of Missouri Extension, and it can grow in the shade or sunlight.

Use Potted Plants

• Don't wait for shrubs or trees to grow in order to create a privacy screen in an area of your landscape; use large potted plants, such as the Boston fern, which can be an indoor fern but also grows up to 7 feet tall outdoors, or the Staghorn fern which reaches a 6-foot height. Place large leafy plants of varying heights together in a group in order to work as a privacy shield. Choose plants with wide spreads, like the Staghorn or Boston ferns, providing greater privacy. Add tall flat rocks or wooden structures as pedestals for plants in order to create an even taller screen with your potted plants. Leave some at ground level to provide thickness.

Screen With Bamboo

• Bamboo comes in a variety of colors and types, which make it ideal for you to find one that works for your planting zone and home landscape decor. This natural material offers a dense privacy screen that doesn't require any type of staking or foundational structure in order to act as a screen. Many bamboo types can thrive in sun or shade, with the exception of black bamboo, which has to have sun in order to turn from green to black. But a word of caution: some bamboo can be invasive, so check to see if the one you are considering meets that criteria before using.

Grow Grass

• Relegate your lawnmower to the shed and grow your fence line grass high -- as much as 20 feet with some ornamental grasses. Pampass grass will provide a privacy screen as tall as six feet and can be grown in planting zones 7 through ten. If you need a privacy screen between 10 to 15 feet tall, go with Giant Reedgrass for zones 7 through 10. Zones 4 through 9 can grow Zebragrass for a screen that will reach 6 feet in height.