How to make your neighbours disappear

Cheek by jowl housing sends homeowners scurrying for cover. Don't fence me in

By Theo Sands

Britton Adams got a shock when she came home from work a couple of weeks ago. Her new neighbour, a soft spoken Methodist minister, had cut down a twenty foot long stand of lilac bushes that ran along his side of the property line. Ms Adams could suddenly see directly into the bedrooms of the family's two adolescent children. She decided she preferred the lilac bushes.

As the urban and suburban landscape becomes more densely built up, privacy has become increasingly important to homeowners. In cities like Toronto and Vancouver where new land is at a premium, homes are often built close to the property line. That likely accounts for the recent boom nurseries are reporting in sales of screening plants, particularly evergreens, that can be used to shield one from prying eyes.

THE GREEN WAY
Though Ms Adams opted for the quick fix of a fence, by far the preferred method is to go the green route. In the east, the plant of choice is the arborvitae or white cedar. It's fast growing and can be pruned easily. A five foot tree costs from $35 at a discounter's to as much as $100 from a private nursery. The higher price usually includes planting labour, particularly if you purchase something resembling a small forest. Planted four feet apart, such a hedge would cost considerably more than the $200 Ms Adams paid for her fence.

On the downside, a newly planted hedge doesn't supply the instant block out offered by 25 feet of fencing. In the long run, though, most homeowners prefer the appearance of the evergreens and, once established, they're maintenance free and can grow virtually as high as you'd care to let them. Another advantage to a living wall is that it won't run into zoning restrictions faced by artificial structures like fences and walls.

In the west, cypress and yew trees are the way to go. Yew trees have a much longer lifespan � centuries instead of decades � and thrive in shady locations. On the other hand, they're a favourite with deer.

CLIMBING HIGH
A cheerier block can be provided by climbing roses, particularly on the west coast where, given the speed at which everything grows, gardeners have many more alternatives. That said, a Halifax area ob/gyn reports great success with his roses. Four years ago he put up an eight foot trellis along the road in front of his house and planted rambling wild roses. The hedge is now a mass of pink blossoms from June well into August and is a delight to both the doctor and his neighbours.

Though American poet Robert Frost doubted that good fences make good neighbours, the owner of the farm adjoining his property thought they did. Many urban Canadians, like Ms Adams, would side with the farmer.