This is often a problem for people for small yards, as they want to avoid that boxed in feeling. Another reason for this is that while many people do not actually want a fence, sometimes, one becomes necessary.
This can happen when perhaps the neighbor has a big inquisitive dog, or their little kids 'visit' your flowers! etc. While shrubs offer a boundary line, they can still be 'crossed' by dogs and children alike.
One way to get around this problem is to erect a minimal low style fence, and then to disguise it. Sounds mysterious? Not really... read on.
As with any fence, before you start you must check your local by laws, zoning laws, building permit laws etc. You often are allowed to have a higher back fence than sides or front etc, so you will need to know all this.
There will be three areas where most people like the fence as high as it is allowed. Two of these are by the back and front door. A third may be the vegetable patch. If the patch is on the edge of the yard, then the boundary is a good place to raise a high trellis for climbing plants like runners beans or trailing cucumber.
Putting those considerations aside, the rest of the fencing will be very cheap. It is hiding the fence that is your main expense. The fence itself will be made of wire netting of any size. An average guess for span size would be approximately two foot six inches high by six foot across.
This type of fencing does not need a lot of support from a fence post, it is not meant to be leant on. Posts of 2"x2" timber that are about three foot six inches long, hammered into the ground should do it. The wire can be attached by a stapling gun.
Assuming this part is all done. You now need to do the 'disguise'. Low level fir trees about three foot high are fairly inexpensive, and you can dot these along your fence posts. Plant one at every post, about a foot in front of each post. If you don't like uniformity, plant two, or even three, in front of one or two of the posts.
Along the run of wire, you can plant two or three evergreen shrubs that will not grow very high. Your back row must be evergreen, because you need to hide the fence all year round. If you plant a small outdoor ivy plant in the middle of each six foot length of wire fence you can train it along the fence, it will only take a year to be established.
Once you have the evergreens in, you can choose a few annual shrubs and bushes for color in the spring and summer. If you want to have a trouble free fence area, just let your lawn grow up to it.
If you want a slightly more professional look, group more shrubs in a few random spots, especially a corner, and add bedding plants each spring. Building this type of fence need not offend your neighbor, you can tell him that you are building a wire support for your shrubs.
