How to Create the Perfect Privacy Landscape in New Jersey

Privacy is one of the most common reasons homeowners begin a landscaping project.

A backyard may feel too exposed. A neighboring house may sit close to the property line. A pool area may need screening. A patio may face a road, parking area, utility equipment, or another view that takes away from the enjoyment of the space.

The right trees, shrubs, and evergreens can completely change how a property feels.

A well-planned privacy landscape can create separation without making the yard feel closed in. It can reduce unwanted views, define outdoor spaces, soften property lines, add seasonal color, and make patios, pools, and backyards feel more comfortable.

At Maple Leaf Farms in Manalapan, New Jersey, homeowners can explore privacy plants in person and compare their height, width, density, color, shape, and growth habit before deciding what belongs on the property.

With more than 135 acres of plant material, Maple Leaf Farms offers options for narrow spaces, large properties, formal hedges, natural borders, pool areas, road screening, and complete backyard transformations.

Begin by Identifying What You Want to Screen

Before choosing plants, decide exactly what the landscape needs to hide or soften.

You may want to screen:

• A neighboring home

• A second-story window

• A busy road

• A parking area

• A fence

• Utility equipment

• A pool

• A patio

• A side yard

• A commercial property

• An open rear property line

• An unattractive view

The height and location of the unwanted view will determine what type of plant material is needed.

A six-foot fence may only require medium shrubs to soften it. A neighboring second-story window may require taller evergreens or trees. A narrow side yard may need upright plants, while a large rear property line may allow for a broad mixed planting.

The best privacy plan begins with the view you are trying to control.

Measure the Available Space

One of the biggest privacy landscaping mistakes is selecting plants based only on height.

Width matters just as much.

A plant may reach the right height but become far too wide for the location. This can lead to crowded walkways, reduced lawn space, excessive pruning, blocked driveways, and plants growing into neighboring properties.

Before shopping, measure:

• The total length of the planting area

• The available bed width

• The distance from the house

• The distance from the property line

• The distance from fences and walkways

• The height you want to reach

• The location of overhead wires

• The location of underground utilities

A narrow planting bed may require columnar or upright evergreens. A wider area may allow for larger trees, staggered rows, and mixed borders.

Decide Between a Formal Screen and a Natural Border

Privacy landscapes generally fall into two styles.

Formal Privacy Screen

A formal screen usually consists of one repeated plant installed in a straight or gently curved row.

This creates a clean, consistent appearance.

Common choices may include:

• Emerald Green Arborvitae

• Green Giant Arborvitae

• Upright Hollies

• Certain narrow evergreens

Formal screens work well along:

• Property lines

• Driveways

• Pool fences

• Side yards

• Patios

• Long boundaries

They are especially useful when the homeowner wants a simple, uniform appearance.

Natural Mixed Border

A natural privacy border combines different trees, shrubs, and evergreens.

It may include taller plants in the back, medium shrubs in the middle, and lower plants along the front.

A mixed border can include:

• Arborvitaes

• Hollies

• Spruces

• Southern Magnolias

• Rhododendrons

• Viburnums

• Skip Laurels

• Flowering shrubs

• Ornamental trees

• Specialty conifers

This approach creates privacy while also adding flowers, berries, seasonal color, texture, and a more natural appearance.

A mixed border is often more visually interesting than a single row and can help prevent the landscape from feeling like a solid wall.

Emerald Green Arborvitae for Narrower Spaces

Emerald Green Arborvitae is one of the most recognizable privacy plants in New Jersey.

Its naturally narrow, upright form makes it useful where space is limited.

It may work well for:

• Narrow side yards

• Pool screening

• Formal property lines

• Smaller backyards

• Areas near patios

• Spaces where a broad evergreen would become too wide

Emerald Green Arborvitaes provide dense evergreen foliage and a clean, uniform look.

They are commonly selected when homeowners want privacy but need to preserve as much usable yard space as possible.

Spacing should be based on the desired final appearance, plant size, and available room. Planting too close can create crowding, while planting too far apart can leave long-term gaps.

Green Giant Arborvitae for Larger Privacy Screens

Green Giant Arborvitae is commonly used where taller, faster-growing screening is needed.

It is best suited to locations with enough room for its mature size.

Green Giants may work well for:

• Large rear property lines

• Screening neighboring homes

• Roadside buffers

• Large backyards

• Commercial boundaries

• Windbreaks

• Tall natural screens

They can create substantial height and density, but they should not be forced into narrow planting beds.

A Green Giant planted too close to a walkway, house, fence, or property line can become difficult to manage later.

These are best used where they have room to develop naturally.

Hollies for Dense Evergreen Privacy

Hollies are valuable privacy plants because many varieties provide dense evergreen foliage, strong structure, and seasonal berries.

Depending on the variety, Hollies can be used as:

• Tall privacy screens

• Medium hedges

• Foundation accents

• Pool screening

• Mixed-border plants

• Upright evergreen specimens

Options may include:

• Oakleaf Holly

• Blue Holly

• Hybrid Holly

• Japanese Holly

• Inkberry Holly

• Other upright or broadleaf evergreen varieties

Some Hollies have a formal appearance, while others work well in natural landscapes.

Their mature height, width, sunlight requirements, and pollination needs vary, so choosing the correct variety is important.

Skip Laurel for Broadleaf Evergreen Screening

Skip Laurel is often selected for dense, leafy privacy.

Its broad leaves create a different appearance from needle-type evergreens and can soften fences, walls, and property lines.

Skip Laurel may be useful for:

• Backyard screening

• Foundation borders

• Fences

• Pool areas

• Mixed evergreen plantings

• Partially shaded locations

It can form a dense screen, but it needs sufficient room to grow.

Like any privacy plant, it should be placed according to its mature size rather than its size at installation.

Southern Magnolia for Privacy and Character

Southern Magnolia can add evergreen structure, broad glossy foliage, and a distinctive appearance to the landscape.

It can be used as:

• A specimen tree

• A tall evergreen screen

• Part of a mixed border

• A focal point near a patio or large lawn

• A screen for larger properties

Southern Magnolias may provide privacy while also giving the landscape a more established, ornamental look.

They require enough room to mature and should not be treated like narrow hedge plants.

Spruce Trees for Large-Scale Screening

Spruce trees are useful where homeowners need substantial height, year-round density, and a stronger visual barrier.

Options may include:

• Norway Spruce

• Serbian Spruce

• Blue Spruce types

• Other specialty Spruces

Spruces may work well for:

• Large properties

• Road screening

• Wind protection

• Rear boundaries

• Natural privacy buffers

• Rural landscapes

These trees generally require more room than Arborvitaes or narrow Hollies.

They are especially effective when the goal is to create a large-scale evergreen backdrop rather than a compact hedge.

Rhododendrons for Privacy with Spring Flowers

Rhododendrons can provide evergreen foliage and dramatic spring flowers.

They are useful in partially shaded areas where traditional sun-loving privacy plants may not perform as well.

Rhododendrons may be used:

• Beneath taller trees

• Along shaded property lines

• Near woodland edges

• Around patios

• In mixed evergreen borders

• Near foundations with appropriate space

Their broad foliage and seasonal flowers add softness and color to privacy plantings.

They should be placed in soil and light conditions that support their growth.

Aucuba for Shaded Privacy Areas

Gold Dust Aucuba and other Aucuba varieties can be useful in shaded areas.

Their broad, often variegated foliage can brighten darker spaces while providing evergreen structure.

Aucuba may work well for:

• Shaded side yards

• Covered patios

• North-facing areas

• Woodland-style landscapes

• Mixed shade borders

• Areas beneath larger trees

It is not typically used for extremely tall screening, but it can be valuable in medium-height privacy layers where shade limits other choices.

Viburnums for Seasonal Privacy

Viburnums can add height, flowers, foliage, berries, and fall interest.

Some varieties may be used in deciduous privacy screens or mixed borders.

They can help create:

• A softer property boundary

• Seasonal screening

• Pollinator interest

• Flowers and berries

• Fall color

• A transition between evergreens and smaller shrubs

Because many Viburnums lose their leaves in winter, they are often best combined with evergreens when year-round privacy is required.

Layer Plants for Better Coverage

A single row of plants may block the view at one height but leave the upper or lower part of the landscape exposed.

Layering creates more complete coverage.

A strong privacy planting may include:

• Tall evergreens or trees in the background

• Medium Hollies, Rhododendrons, Viburnums, or Laurels in the middle

• Lower evergreen shrubs or ornamental plants along the front

This approach provides privacy at several levels while making the planting look deeper and more natural.

Layering also allows different plants to contribute flowers, foliage color, berries, and texture.

Use Staggered Rows Instead of One Straight Line

Where enough space is available, a staggered privacy planting can create better coverage than a single straight row.

Plants are positioned in alternating locations rather than directly beside one another.

Benefits may include:

• Faster visual coverage

• Greater depth

• Fewer obvious gaps

• A more natural appearance

• Better use of mixed plant types

A staggered layout requires more width, so it is best suited to larger properties or wider planting beds.

Create Pool Privacy Without Closing In the Space

Pool privacy should provide screening while keeping the area attractive and comfortable.

The goal is not always to surround the pool with one solid green wall.

A balanced pool landscape may combine:

• Upright evergreens for the main screen

• Hollies or Laurels for density

• Flowering shrubs for summer color

• Dwarf conifers for texture

• Ornamental trees for focal points

• Lower plants near patios and walkways

Plant selection should also consider:

• Leaf and debris drop

• Mature width

• Root location

• Distance from pool equipment

• Sun exposure

• Access for maintenance

• Sight lines around gates and walkways

Evergreens are often preferred near pools because they provide year-round screening, but mixing plant forms can make the area feel more like a landscape and less like an enclosure.

Screen a Patio or Outdoor Dining Area

A patio often needs privacy at eye level rather than extreme height.

Medium shrubs, broadleaf evergreens, small trees, and layered planting beds may provide enough separation without blocking all light or airflow.

Possible choices may include:

• Hollies

• Rhododendrons

• Skip Laurels

• Aucuba in shade

• Compact Arborvitaes

• Small ornamental trees

• Viburnums

• Mixed evergreen shrubs

Containers can also provide temporary or seasonal screening, but permanent plantings usually create a more integrated appearance.

Add Privacy Around Second-Story Views

Screening a neighboring second-story window is different from screening a fence or patio.

The plant must reach enough height to interrupt the upper view.

This may require:

• Green Giant Arborvitaes

• Large Hollies

• Spruce trees

• Southern Magnolias

• Tall ornamental or shade trees

• A layered combination of trees and shrubs

Placement is important.

A tall plant positioned closer to the area being used may block the view more effectively than the same plant located directly along the distant property line.

The sight line should be considered before planting.

Combine Deciduous and Evergreen Plants

Evergreens are essential for winter privacy, but deciduous plants can improve the overall design.

A mixed border may include:

• Evergreens for year-round coverage

• Flowering trees for spring interest

• Hydrangeas or Viburnums for summer color

• Maples or ornamental trees for fall foliage

• Shrubs with berries or colorful branches for winter detail

This combination provides privacy while preventing the landscape from looking repetitive.

Avoid Planting Everything Too Close Together

Homeowners often want immediate privacy and install plants too close together.

This may create faster coverage, but it can lead to long-term problems.

Overcrowded privacy plants may:

• Compete for sunlight and water

• Lose lower foliage

• Grow unevenly

• Develop poor airflow

• Require excessive pruning

• Become more vulnerable to stress

• Push into fences and walkways

• Lose their natural form

It is usually better to allow plants enough room to mature properly.

Larger starting sizes can provide faster results without sacrificing correct spacing.

Do Not Ignore Sunlight

Most privacy plants have specific sunlight needs.

A plant selected for full sun may become thin in deep shade. A shade-tolerant plant may struggle in an exposed, hot location.

Before purchasing, determine whether the area receives:

• Full sun

• Morning sun

• Afternoon sun

• Part shade

• Full shade

• Filtered light beneath trees

Maple Leaf Farms carries privacy options for different exposures, but the correct plant must be matched to the site.

Check Soil Drainage Before Planting

Privacy screens often fail because they are installed in wet or poorly drained soil.

Before planting, check whether the area:

• Holds standing water

• Receives runoff from a roof

• Contains heavy clay

• Sits at the bottom of a slope

• Remains wet after rainfall

• Has compacted soil

• Drains differently from nearby areas

Many evergreen privacy plants require good root-zone drainage.

Where the soil remains wet, the planting bed may need to be raised or redesigned.

Planting in a low, saturated area without addressing drainage can lead to decline regardless of the fertilizer or watering schedule.

Plant Slightly High Rather Than Too Deep

Trees and shrubs should not be buried below their natural root flare or crown.

Planting too deeply can reduce oxygen around the roots and create long-term health problems.

Privacy plants are often installed in long rows, which makes it especially important to establish a consistent planting height.

Each plant should be positioned according to the site, with the upper root area visible and the root ball not buried too deeply.

Where drainage is slow, planting slightly above the surrounding grade may be necessary.

Water According to Soil Conditions

New privacy screens require careful watering while roots become established.

However, watering too often can be as damaging as not watering enough.

Check the soil several inches into the root zone.

• If the soil is dry, water thoroughly.

• If it is damp, wait and check again.

• If it is wet, do not add more water.

• If water remains around the root ball, drainage may be the issue.

A long row of trees may not dry evenly. One end may remain wet while another dries faster because of slope, shade, soil variation, or irrigation coverage.

Do not assume every plant needs the same amount of water at the same time.

Consider Deer Pressure

Deer can influence privacy plant selection in many New Jersey communities.

No plant should be considered completely deer-proof, especially during winter or when food is limited.

However, some plants may experience less browsing than others.

When deer pressure is high, consider:

• Plant variety

• Property location

• Existing deer activity

• Seasonal protection

• Repellents

• Physical barriers during establishment

• A mixed planting rather than one vulnerable species

The team at Maple Leaf Farms can help identify options based on the location and intended use.

Plan for Long-Term Maintenance

A privacy landscape should remain manageable as it grows.

Before planting, consider whether the plants may require:

• Annual pruning

• Shaping

• Height control

• Fertilizing

• Deer protection

• Irrigation adjustments

• Mulch maintenance

• Disease monitoring

A fast-growing plant is not always the best choice if it quickly outgrows the space.

The right privacy plant should provide the needed coverage while fitting the homeowner’s maintenance expectations.

Use Larger Plant Material for Faster Results

Homeowners who need privacy sooner may choose larger trees or shrubs.

Larger plants can provide:

• More immediate height

• Faster visual screening

• A more established appearance

• Better definition of the property

• Reduced waiting time

At Maple Leaf Farms, customers can compare multiple sizes and determine whether smaller plants, larger specimens, or a combination makes the most sense for the project.

Do Not Copy an Online Layout Without Checking the Site

Online images and computer-generated landscape designs can be useful for inspiration, but they may not account for:

• Mature plant width

• New Jersey winters

• Soil drainage

• Deer pressure

• Shade

• Property lines

• Underground utilities

• Pool equipment

• Existing trees

• Local growing conditions

A layout can look attractive on a screen while being completely unrealistic for the property.

Seeing the plants in person makes it easier to understand their true scale, shape, density, and texture.

Privacy Should Still Look Like a Landscape

The most successful privacy plantings do more than block a view.

They also improve the property.

A complete design may include:

• A tall evergreen framework

• Flowering shrubs

• Contrasting foliage

• Ornamental trees

• Dwarf conifers

• Seasonal interest

• Curved bed lines

• Mulch and clean edges

• Plants at several heights

Privacy can be practical and attractive at the same time.

Landscape Design and Consultation

For larger privacy projects, Horticulture Specialists LLC may assist with landscape design and horticultural consulting.

A privacy consultation may help determine:

• The correct plant height

• The amount of available width

• Which views need to be blocked

• Where plants should be positioned

• Whether a formal or natural screen fits the property

• Which plants match the sunlight and drainage

• How to create pool or patio privacy

• How to combine evergreens and flowering shrubs

• How to phase the installation

The goal is to create privacy that fits the property rather than forcing one standard solution into every landscape.

Visit Maple Leaf Farms in Manalapan, New Jersey

The best privacy plant is not simply the tallest or fastest-growing option.

It is the plant that fits the available space, reaches the necessary height, matches the sunlight and soil conditions, and continues looking attractive as it matures.

At Maple Leaf Farms, you can compare privacy trees, shrubs, evergreens, and specialty plants in person.

Walk through rows of Arborvitaes.

Explore Hollies, Spruces, Laurels, Rhododendrons, Magnolias, Viburnums, and unique conifers.

Compare plant sizes.

See how different textures, colors, and shapes can work together.

With more than 135 acres of plant material, Maple Leaf Farms offers privacy options for small side yards, large estates, pool areas, patios, roads, fences, and open property lines.

Maple Leaf Farms Garden Center & Country Store

525 US Highway 9 South

Manalapan, NJ 07726

A private landscape should make the property more comfortable, more attractive, and more enjoyable.

The right plan begins by seeing the plants in person and choosing material that truly fits the space.