Our yard renovations continue! One of the first projects I wanted to complete first was installing these privacy panels. Simple materials with a very design forward feel and I was instantly in love. Our privacy panels project shows care and thought while also providing a beautiful place to show off specimen plants.
When we first started meeting, one point I mentioned is really important to us is to maintain privacy. Our small yard means our neighbors are very close by and we want to have a visual barrier between us (two cheers for bamboo!). But a bamboo enclosure probably doesn’t make complete sense, even though tempting.
On the plan from landscape architect Joe Brooks you can see how this looks. We already have some of these panels in our yard to keep the chickens from tearing up our yard and/or escaping. They are lightweight and cost about $25 per panel at Home Depot.
This project didn’t require any major plant removals or tear outs and the materials were really straight forward. It is also a two person job and with my dad in town it was a great afternoon project. It does require actually measuring for equal spacing, so it was a little out of our comfort zone where we prefer to “eyeball” everything!
Privacy Panels Materials:
- Lightweight cedar panels- I used the 72 in. Redwood Framed Diamond Trellis
- Posts – 6 ft. Heavy Duty Steel Green Painted T-Post
- Screws
- Bricks
- Containers
- (more on the irrigation to come!)
Privacy Panels Installation:
1. We began by running a string to help us keep everything in line.
2. We installed each posts, with the flat side forward, approximately the same height.
3. It helped us to use a level on the top board to make sure we were getting things square. You probably wouldn’t have to use one, but since it was already on hand it was helpful.
4. Each panel was screwed to the pole from behind to secure it. It is possible to bury these directly in the ground, but for added height we left them at ground level.
5. As each panel was completed we made sure to check for alignment.
Once the privacy panels were installed they instantly looked great! The next step was to find the perfect containers to set them off without spending a fortune. I was open to several types of containers but really wanted a terracotta or similar type of material. I made a trip to Deco Gallery in Apopka http://www.decogallery.biz/ and started searching.
Knowing that larger is better, I decided I didn’t want anything less than 18″ in diameter. Thanks to a sale (who doesn’t love a sale?!?) I decided on 2 pairs of matching containers. They are similar in mass and scale, helping to maintain the symmetry of these panels.
Each container was placed on a set of bricks to make sure they stay level and don’t sink into the soil too much. I love the natural feel of these containers and I think they will only get better as they develop a natural patina.
The final step for these was to fill with potting soil and install drip irrigation. Initially I didn’t plan to do this, but after a few days I decided it was better to do this now and plan for less maintenance in the long run.
A modified irrigation head on the other side of the paver walkway had several open feeds and was the easiest place to tie into the irrigation system. This zone is already on drip so it will have a proper timing for running and pressure regulation. Although it was much further than recommended, I simply ran the 1/4″ spaghetti tubing under the pavers and all the way to each container. For the furthest container this is probably 15′ and it seems to work just fine. There is slightly less pressure so the diameter of the water pattern is a little less, but for this container it will work just fine.
I secured the microirrigation tubing to the bottom of each trellis with zip ties to prevent tripping in the future– this could be by the dogs or by me! The large ‘Zulu’ sansevieria between the two pots is planted just in front of the tubing and also helps keep it safely tucked away.
These containers are now a perfect place for me to highlight some of my favorite plants. You know those plants that are kind of fussy and need some extra coddling? Yep, this is a great spot for those! This Philodendron ‘Limelight’ now has the showplace it deserves. If I find other plants that are expensive, or only a single plant is available, these containers in front the privacy panels are an excellent place to grow.
Its hard to believe that adding these privacy panels to the side of our garden has made such a difference. It really sets off the side and adds a nice clean look. What do you think?
