TL;DR: The best privacy landscaping ideas for backyard neighbors combine the right plants, the right placement, and a layered design that screens views without feeling like a fortress. Evergreen trees and shrubs (Green Giant arborvitae, American holly, Eastern red cedar, privet, skip laurel) form the workhorse layer. Flowering shrubs, ornamental grasses, and a strategically placed pergola or trellis add texture and faster results. The right plan depends on your lot, sight lines, and how you actually use the space.
Want a backyard that finally feels like yours? Call Borst Landscape & Design at (201) 254-5740 or reach out online for a design consultation.
Why Privacy Landscaping Ideas for Backyard Neighbors Matter More Than Ever
In Bergen County, lots are tight, neighbors are close, and a great backyard often comes down to one feeling: privacy. The right privacy landscaping ideas for backyard neighbors do more than block sight lines — they soften noise, define your space, support local wildlife, and turn an exposed yard into a sanctuary you actually want to spend time in. The most effective approaches use plantings (often combined with smart hardscape) to create layered, year-round screens that look intentional rather than defensive.
Here at Borst Landscape & Design, our expert team designs privacy plantings tailored to your property, sight lines, and style. Call us at (201) 254-5740 or contact us online to schedule a property walk-through.
What to Consider Before You Plant
A few questions shape every successful privacy plan:
- Where exactly are the sight lines you want to block — and from which seasons and times of day?
- How tall does the screen actually need to be? Often 8–10 feet is enough
- How quickly do you need privacy? Some plants establish in two seasons; others take longer but reward patience
- How much space do you have for mature width? An overgrown screen is worse than no screen
- Do you want year-round privacy (evergreen) or seasonal screening (deciduous)?
- What about deer pressure, soil conditions, and sun exposure on your specific lot?
Best Evergreen Plants for Year-Round Privacy in New Jersey
Evergreens are the foundation of most privacy landscapes because they screen all twelve months of the year. These five reliable performers thrive in Bergen County conditions:
1. Green Giant Arborvitae
Fast-growing, deer-resistant, and tolerant of a wide range of soils, Green Giant arborvitae is one of the most popular privacy hedges in Northern NJ for good reason. It can grow 3–5 feet a year when young and reaches a mature height of 30–50 feet. Plant in a row about 5–6 feet apart for a solid wall.
2. American Holly
A native evergreen with classic dark green leaves and red berries, American holly handles partial shade well and supports local birds in winter. Slower growing than arborvitae, but worth the wait — and the female plants’ winter berries are a bonus.
3. Eastern Red Cedar
Another native, Eastern red cedar handles tough conditions and provides year-round screening with a softer, more naturalistic look than arborvitae. Excellent for properties where you want privacy that feels native rather than manicured.
4. Skip Laurel
Skip laurel offers glossy dark green leaves, a fragrant white spring bloom, and reliable evergreen screening. It tolerates partial shade — a useful trait when neighbor properties or mature trees throw shade across the property line.
5. Privet
A traditional choice for a good reason: privet establishes quickly, takes shearing well, and creates a clean, formal hedge. Semi-evergreen in our climate (it holds leaves through most of the winter), and easy to maintain at a chosen height.
Adding Texture and Year-Round Interest
Pure evergreen hedges work, but a mixed planting almost always looks better and ages more gracefully. Layer in a few of these for color, season, and visual interest:
- Hydrangea (panicle varieties tolerate sun and bloom on new growth)
- Viburnum for spring flowers, fall berries, and excellent fall color
- Lilac for fragrance and a late-spring focal point
- Ornamental grasses (Karl Foerster, Miscanthus) for summer-through-winter movement and texture
- Japanese maple as a specimen plant near a sitting area
- Inkberry holly as a native, more compact evergreen alternative
Strategies for Faster Privacy
If you can’t wait three to five seasons for plants to fill in, a few approaches give you privacy almost immediately:
- Combine plantings with a fence — fencing handles the bottom 6 feet while shrubs and trees soften and extend it upward
- Install pergolas, arbors, or trellises with climbing vines for vertical, fast-establishing screens
- Plant larger nursery stock (8–10 ft trees and shrubs) — more expensive up front, but gives instant impact
- Use container plantings on patios and decks for immediate visual screening
- Build a low berm — even an extra foot of height under a hedge dramatically improves screening
Privacy by Zone, Not Just by Property Line
You don’t always need to screen your entire property. Privacy landscaping often works best when it focuses on the specific zones where you want to relax — a dining area, hot tub, pool, or reading nook. A well-placed cluster of evergreens behind a patio bench or a pergola over a hot tub often delivers the privacy you actually want, with far less plant material than wrapping the whole yard.
Common Privacy Landscaping Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing fast-growing plants without thinking about mature size — and ending up with overgrown screens that block sun and views
- Planting a single species across the whole boundary (one disease can take out the entire screen)
- Ignoring sun, soil, and drainage conditions on your specific lot
- Forgetting about your neighbors’ views — privacy works both ways and good design respects both
- Skipping layered plantings and relying on a single tall hedge for everything
- Underestimating watering and care needs in the first two seasons
Designing Privacy That Looks Beautiful, Not Defensive
The best privacy landscapes don’t announce themselves as privacy landscapes. They feel like part of a thoughtful overall garden, with sight lines, seasons, and proportions all working together. Bringing in a comprehensive landscape design plan makes a real difference here — privacy plays well with patios, lighting, and surrounding plantings when it’s designed as part of the whole picture.
Reclaim Your Backyard This Season
Privacy landscaping ideas for backyard neighbors don’t have to mean choosing between beautiful and effective. The right combination of evergreen screening, mixed plantings, and strategic hardscape transforms an exposed yard into a sanctuary — without making your property feel walled in.
Here at Borst Landscape & Design, our expert team can design and install privacy plantings tailored to your property, your views, and your lifestyle. Call us at (201) 254-5740 or contact us online to schedule a consultation. We serve homeowners throughout Bergen, Morris, and Essex County, NJ.
FAQs About Privacy Landscaping
Q: What grows fastest for backyard privacy in New Jersey?
A: Green Giant arborvitae is among the fastest evergreen options, growing 3–5 feet a year when young. Privet establishes quickly as a hedge. Climbing vines on a pergola or trellis can deliver visual screening in a single season.
Q: How tall should a privacy hedge be?
A: For most residential lots, 8–10 feet is enough to block second-story sight lines and create a true sense of enclosure at ground level. Taller isn’t always better — think about sun, mature width, and how the screen will feel from inside the yard.
Q: Are arborvitae deer-resistant?
A: Green Giant arborvitae is highly deer-resistant in most years, while emerald green and standard arborvitae varieties are heavily browsed. If deer pressure is high, lean toward Green Giant, holly, cedar, or skip laurel.
Q: How far should I plant from the property line?
A: Far enough that the mature plant doesn’t encroach on your neighbor’s yard. As a general rule, plant the centerline of a hedge half its mature width away from the property line. A landscape designer can plan exactly for your lot.
Q: Can I combine fencing with privacy plantings?
A: Absolutely — and it’s often the best approach. A fence handles the bottom 6 feet, evergreens and ornamental trees extend the screen above it, and the result feels far softer than a fence alone.
Q: Does Borst Landscape & Design handle privacy landscaping?
A: Yes. Here at Borst Landscape & Design, our expert team designs and installs privacy plantings as part of complete landscape projects — coordinated with hardscape, lighting, and your overall garden design. Call (201) 254-5740 or contact us online to get started.