Spending time in your garden is one of the simple pleasures in life. What isn't so pleasant is being overlooked by nosy neighbours, barked at by defensive doggos, or gawped at by passersby. With some clever garden screening ideas, you can completely transform your outside space and your enjoyment of it. Garden screens are a simple kind of garden decor that turns your garden into a tranquil outdoor oasis.
While privacy is the primary reason most garden owners opt for garden screening solutions, aesthetics also come into play. Garden screens can shield unsightly fencing and crumbling walls or even hide your wheelie bin store by adding a vertical surface that's easy on the eye. Trellis-style garden screening can also offer exciting planting opportunities, with the option to grow beautiful climbing plants up the structure.
The best garden screening ideas are relatively easy to install, which is great news for anyone with limited DIY skills. We're featuring some garden screening options that can simply be pinned into position, meaning you could enjoy improved privacy in your outside space, whether that's a garden or a balcony, in a matter of minutes. Check out our savvy selection of the best garden screening ideas below.
Best garden screening ideas to inspire you
Best bamboo garden screening
Best Artificial Store Bamboo is an ever-popular choice for garden screening. It's a relatively affordable, lightweight, and environmentally friendly option that offers a pleasing, natural material as a backdrop for your outside space. This screening is made up of individual vertical full-length bamboo slates lashed together with galvanised wire.
This is sold as rolls, available in three different dimensions; four by one metre, four by 1.2 metres, and four by 1.8 metres. If you're looking for privacy, it goes without saying the taller option is the one to choose. This can be attached to existing fences or walls with galvanised wire, cable ties, or tacked up with nails.
Pros
- Bamboo is a natural, environmentally friendly material
- Lightweight and simple to install against an existing fence
Cons
- This solution requires a fence or wall to attach it to
Best ivy garden screening
SunjulyIvy can be found in most British gardens, so it's a strong, native choice if you want a more verdant and botanical-themed garden screening. These SUNJULY ivy panels come in various pack sizes to suit the area you want to shield. The screens measure in at one by three metres, and you can buy from one to 10.
The vines are made from UV-resistant, non-toxic, high-quality plastic, while the weather-proof polyester fibre leaves look realistic and natural and will not fade even in strong sun and rain.
Pros
- Vines and leaves are UV-resistant so won't fade in the sun
- Available in a range of pack sizes to suit your needs
Cons
- Does not provide 100% privacy cover
Best trellis garden screening
SelectionsWe're huge fans of using trellis for garden screening, as it gives you a plant-growing opportunity. Fragrant honeysuckle, attractive clematis, or verdant hops are all strong options for climbing up your trellis, providing both privacy and an attractive botanical display.
As a material willow is naturally rain-resistant, and these trellises are designed to weather naturally over time, adding a rustic charm to your outdoor space. These trellises are framed for stability and come in a pack of three panels, each measuring 120cm by 45cm.
Pros
- Willow trellises will weather naturally over time
- Provides an opportunity to plant some climbing plants
Cons
- Plants will take time to grow to offer full privacy
Best retractable garden screening
VounotA retractable awning is a great choice for anyone wanting occasional garden screening, rather than a permanent shielding solution. When this side awning panel is pulled out of the housing, it offers complete privacy and can be effective as a sunscreen shield.
This comes in beige, brown, grey, and anthracite, a very dark grey. It is available in three sizes: 140 by 300cm, 160 by 300cm, and 180 by 300cm. According to reviewers, the smaller size is popular for use on balconies.
Pros
- This has a handy retractable design for use when you need it
- Available in four muted colours
Cons
- Housing will require DIY action to fix in place
Best hedge garden screening
True ProductsIf you're looking for garden screening that resembles a hedge, True Products' conifer-style screening fence is an Amazon's Choice product that currently enjoys a 4.3-star rating from positive customer reviews. Reviewers say it looks realistic and can work well as a windbreak.
This garden screening is made of maintenance-free PVC, which has been given a UV-protected coating so it will retain its colour. From a safety point of view, it's worth noting that this garden screening is fire-resistant. It is sold in panels measuring one metre high by three metres wide.
Pros
- This is made of fire and UV-resistant PVC
- Creates a natural-looking, hedge-like border for your garden
Cons
- Only measures one metre tall
Best net garden screening
Vounot A popular choice for balconies, this garden screening solution is made of thick netting with a shading value of up to 85%. It is made of durable HDPE fabric that is tear-resistant, weather-resistant, and UV-resistant.
Sold in rolls of various sizes, from one by 10 metres, to 1.8 by 20 metres, VOUNOT supplies this netting with the fixings you need to secure it. Depending on the size of the panel you opt for, you will receive a number of cable ties and plastic popper studs to thread the ties through.
Pros
- Can be cut to size to suit the area you want to shield
- Supplied complete with cable ties and plastic poppers
Cons
- No colour options - only available in dark green
Best fence topper garden screening
Premier Garden SuppliesAlthough not a standalone screening solution, we like this trellis-style fence topper panel as a way to add height to your existing garden fence, increasing your overall privacy. If you add in some plant pots with hooks to hang on top of the fence, you may be able to encourage climbing plants to grow up the panel.
This panel is made from high-quality, rough-sawn wood that's been pressure-treated for weather resistance and longevity. It can be stained, varnished, or painted to suit your garden aesthetic. Premier Garden Supplies offers these fence toppers in a variety of heights and widths.
Pros
- An attractive option to add height to your wooden fencing
- Potential to grow climbing plants on the panels
Cons
- Green flecks may appear on the wood due to the Tanalith pressure treatment
How we chose the best garden screening options
All of these garden screening ideas have been hand-selected by our team of Modern Gardens shopping experts. We carefully considered the design, efficacy, and difficulty of installation in our selection of the best. Our team has spent hours investigating and researching all types of garden screening to make it easier for you to find the very best, and we'd never recommend a product we don't believe in.
Where possible, we also test and share the latest and best products you should know about. And with help from Modern Gardens Magazine, Garden News, and Garden Answers, we share expert gardening knowledge to help you get the most from your product.
What is the best kind of garden screening?
This depends on several factors, including your budget, your DIY skills, the size of the area you want to shield, and what already exists in that space that you could possibly attach screening to. The easiest kind of screening to install are those you can easily attach to an existing fence. If you have the skills and the correct garden DIY tools, trellises and fence toppers are an attractive solution.
Do I need planning permission to install garden screening?
Most of the kinds of garden screening we're highlighting above do not require any kind of permission to put up. The only one that might is the fence topper if attaching the topper means the overall height of the fence is more than two metres.
What kind of plants are the best for garden screening?
Hawthorn and blackthorn are wildlife-friendly options that will provide a habitat for all kinds of creatures in your garden. Ever-popular laurel and privet are fast-growing options. Leylandii is possibly the fastest-growing choice overall, but you need to keep on top of maintaining it, as it can literally grow out of hand. Yew grows slower, but as a popular choice for topiary projects, can be shaped to suit your taste. If you want a decorative option, all kinds of euonymus hedges offer attractive foliage.
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Amy-Mae Turner is a Commerce Content Writer for Modern Gardens, Yours, Take A Break Pets, and A Modern Kitchen. When she's not pottering in the garden or mucking around in the kitchen, she can be found having doggy cuddles with her two beloved cockapoochis.