No Peeking
Planting for privacy puts nature in its place
Planting sky-high evergreens for privacy doesn’t just provide paparazzi perches in L.A.
In Northern Michigan, where both high-profile and everyday homeowners consider quiet and solitude as lures for living here, residents enhance their properties with natural hardwoods, conifers and flowering shrubs that help ensure seclusion.
For those who are environmentally conscious, planting around a property’s perimeter also leaves a green legacy.
Local landscape designers are willing to go out on a limb for homeowners looking to plant for privacy. Gow Litzenburger, of Litzenburger Landscaping based in Harbor Springs, recalled the time his crew transplanted a dozen or so 50-foot maple trees to one exclusive Harbor Point property.
“They had to be transferred horizontally,” Litzenburger said, adding: “We’ve done some big trees.”
The trees were planted around a four-story home to block views, as the homeowner had a dressing room/closet on the top floor. The landscape company wanted to use a helicopter to get the trees in, but the association nixed the idea for fear it would blow shingles off nearby houses. Instead a 100-ton crane lifted them on-site.
The example is probably a more extreme one for this area, where homeowners are typically looking for more dense screening to protect estates and decked-out houses.
The most commonly used natural features used for privacy are cedar trees, Litzenburger said. The species can grow 30-plus feet in height with wide circumference, or they are typically pruned into columnar shape.
Hemlock works well in shaded areas, and spruce and pine are popular, too, for those wanting “immediate coverage,” Litzenburger said.
A 30-foot evergreen can run up to $1,000, depending on its dimensions.
Donn Vidosh Jr., vice president of Vidosh Landscape Centres in Charlevoix, said arbor vitae is also a popular species for year-round privacy.
“If you really don’t want to be seen, I would say our most typical solution would be an arbor vitae hedge,” he said.
He also cautioned homeowners to be wary of the effect the native animals are going to have on landscape choices.
“Especially be careful with cedar,” he said. “Deer like to eat many varieties of cedar.”
Year-round coverage isn’t always an issue for some seasonal homeowners who will likely be somewhere warmer when the snow flies here.
Those homeowners often choose flowering bushes and trees for their privacy needs, so they can enjoy the view looking out.
“If you’re only here in the summertime, it’s a whole different horizon,” said Vidosh.
One commonly used species is amelanchier, a flowering shrub that can grow up to 20 feet, with a sweet smell in the spring time.
Mammoth old lilac bushes, like those found on Mackinac Island, also provide stunning scenery while their density protects privacy. “They protect a lot of those cottages from the throngs of people,” said Litzenburger, who added that such bushes and any other variety can be made available if homeowners are willing to pay a higher price.
Hedges of various species can also provide privacy protection and they work particularly well if space between homes is limited. When there’s more space available, Litzenburger prefers to layer and stagger large and medium-sized varieties along with ground cover, “so you have different colors and textures and layers,” he said. “It becomes a lot more area, but gosh it sure looks a lot better.”
Vidosh also said a deciduous screen looks more “loose and natural,” while adding that using species like viburnum or burning bushes would take many years to achieve the dense effect.
“No deciduous tree is ever going to create the same type of screening as the evergreen variety,” Vidosh said.
Eco-friendly man-made structures are making their way into privacy screening as well, Vidosh noted. One masonry wall product in particular has holes in the cement blocks in which various flora can be planted. “Eventually the wall will be covered in greenery,” he said.
Such so-called “green walls” and even “green roofs” are becoming a “very big deal, in urban environments especially,” Vidosh said, as homeowners become more sensitive to their impact on the planet.
“A live wall or a hedge is a much more eco-friendly way to go about your landscaping,” he said. “It creates a much softer and inviting atmosphere around the house.”
Vidosh added: “We’re always trying to come up with new creative ways to create privacy. We have a lot of customers who want something unique and who want something to make their home their own.”
Putting down roots
The ideal time to plant trees and shrubs is during the dormant fall season after leafdrop or early spring before budbreak. This period of cool weather allows plants to establish roots in their new location before spring rains and summer heat stimulate new growth.
Regular watering is important in developing the strong new root system, so water trees at least one a week and more frequently during hot weather.
The best time of year for pruning is winter to early spring. Trees pruned at this time of year close their wounds more quickly.
HomeLife Magazine » Issues » September and October 2007 » No Peeking