Patio Privacy Ideas to Create a Secluded Space

None of us really outgrow the desire to create a place of our own. If you think back to when you were a child, you may remember setting up a blanket fort, crawling inside, and declaring yourself the king or queen of the castle. You may have even put a sign up that read “Keep Out,” to enhance your newly-created private space. 

While your goal for the perfect patio probably isn’t to keep the right people out, patio privacy ideas are popular for a reason. With researchers reporting the mental health benefits of cozying up in a private space, let’s take a look at the best patio privacy ideas to transform your backyard into your very own fortress of solitude.

Plants for Patio Privacy

Find the right plants to enhance your patio’s privacy. Create a natural barrier between your backyard and the outside world. Some of the best plants for patio privacy include:

• Arborvitae. Providing thick evergreen foliage and requiring little maintenance, arborvitaes create a great privacy “fence” around your patio. They’re also a great option if you don’t like planting and gardening and are just looking for some tall potted plants for patio privacy.
• Skip Laurel. Beautiful in the spring, skip laurel provides dense evergreen foliage that can grow up to 10 feet.
• Bamboo. As one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, bamboo creates a lush privacy screen while diversifying the look of your backyard.
• Euonymus. Coming in a variety of sizes and colors, this is a tall and sturdy shrub that takes well to all types of soils.

Vines

Vines are another great option for adding privacy to your backyard. Popular for decorating a trellis or fence, they’re also a great choice for adding some greenery and flowers to your outdoor structures.

But vines don’t just add a decorative touch to an otherwise drab chain link fence or old structure, as they increase patio privacy by blanketing the fence or structure by adding height and filling in holes. Some great options for sprucing are:

• Climbing Hydrangeas. Featuring large white flowers that bloom in late spring and summer, these massive vines add privacy and beauty to your backyard.
• Wisteria. A high-climbing vine that blooms in the spring, it features bluish-purple flowers that also look great hanging from a pergola or archway.
• Climbing Roses. Coming in several varieties, this flowering vine produces fragrant roses that look great, especially if you’re going for a cottage garden design.
• Clematis. Known as the “queen of climbers,” this vine can grow up to 10-20 feet, but there are also varieties that are more suited for smaller gardens.
• Honeysuckle. Belonging to a large family of shrubs and vines that grow in almost every state in America, this plant is an understated but attractive option. They’re also known to do well on a sturdy fence, post, or trellis.
• Jasmine. Native to more tropical climates, this plant still takes well to moderately fertile soil. Just be sure to grow it in a sunny or partially shaded area.
• Bougainvillea. This is a great option for those who want a near-year-round floral display. Depending on the variety, this plant can grow up to 30 feet tall. If that’s a bit much for your backyard, there are many dwarf varieties on the market right now.

Patio Privacy Landscaping Ideas

Plants and privacy shrubs around your patio aren’t the only way to create a pleasant, private area. By drawing upon some nifty landscaping ideas for patio privacy, you can seamlessly blend manmade design with natural elements to create your own private oasis.

Add Privacy Panels

Privacy panels are perfect for closing off areas of your property where traditional fencing would look out of place or not be an option. Depending on the style of panel you choose, they can also easily blend into a wide variety of architectural styles and patio design. Panels are also a great option if you want patio dividers for privacy enhancement as well.

Set Up An Enclosed Space

An elegant and fun DIY patio privacy idea is to create a “room” within your very own backyard. Unlike inside your home, an outdoor room can be real, implied, or both. One creative way to do this is to place some outdoor furniture around a firepit and enclose that area with some plants and lattice. Designing your backyard with different rooms is also a great way to provide separate hang-out areas, especially when your entertaining involves both adults and children.

Use Fencing

Wood fencing can add an architectural and artistic boost to your backyard while also giving you some shelter from the outside world. Popular styles include pine, cedar, cypress, and redwood, with pinewood being a common option because of its cost-efficiency and longevity.

Install Green Walls

As we touched on above, outlining your patio with shrubs and plants to create a lush and dense wall of green is a great way to create a natural patio privacy fence. But you don’t have to stick with just flowers and small to medium-sized plants. Shrubs like the pink flowering almond and the green-and-white charmer are great choices, as well as small to medium-sized trees if your backyard is big enough.

DIY Patio Privacy

Getting creative with your outdoor space is a good way to increase DIY patio privacy without making your property look like a backyard bunker. By strategically placing design elements around your patio and throughout your garden or backyard, you can begin to turn your fun DIY projects into truly unique patio privacy ideas.

Use Old Shutters As a Statement Fence

Perfect for adding privacy to your garden or patio, restoring some old shutters you have lying around the house is a great way to give your backyard a rustic and creative look. You can also add a pop of color to your backyard setup by painting the shutters in a bold color. Rich blues, reds, and even yellows are great options for channeling those spring and summer days when you’re most likely to be sitting outside on your patio.

No shutters? No problem. Try spending a Saturday thrift shopping at an outdoor market or even searching online for people in your area selling their DIY projects to get the perfect pair for your patio privacy needs.

Add Artificial Greenery Panels As a Privacy Screen

If your backyard is surrounded by an old chain link fence that’s cramping your style, and you don’t like the look of outlining it with vines, you may opt for artificial hedge panels. Hedge panels can interlock and attach to any existing fence, and they add optimal privacy to give your space a safe and secluded feel.

Create a Quiet Retreat with Pergolas & Gazebos

Pergolas, pavilions, or gazebos are another great option when you’re thinking about patio privacy ideas. By combining a pergola or pavilion with twisting plants that will fill in the space posts, you can create a cozy and secluded effect that’s perfect for nights around the fire. Or you can opt for a screened-in pavilion to create that place of retreat.

Hang Curtains 

To further enhance the privacy of your structure, consider installing curtain rods and hanging some “keep out” curtains. A nice pair of curtains can add elegance to your backyard patio space and are a bit easier to manage if fast-spreading vines aren’t something you want to maintain. Our retractable EZShade Canopies and EZShade Curtains, which can be added to our custom-built structures are a great choice for fans of this option.