Outdoors: great hedges for ensuring privacy in limited space

With homes built ever closer together, we increasingly live in each other's pockets. Which is all very well, until you realise you don't want to see your neighbour's undies hanging on their washing line, or cop an eyeful of the mural they've painted on their garage every time you step outside.

A hedge is a good way of providing privacy without taking up lots of space, with Camellia sasanqua, Viburnum and Ficus all popular choices. For a smart conifer hedge, consider Juniperus chinensis "Keteleeri". In tight spots use slender weaver's clumping bamboo, which grows to six or eight metres very quickly.

For a prettier screening alternative, try Magnolia grandiflora "Teddy Bear", and if you want to attract birdlife, look at banksias, grevilleas, bottle brushes and lilly pillies. If you have the space, prefer variety and don't want to be a slave to constant clipping, try combining a few of these. An annual pruning after flowering will keep their size in check.

Climbers can make excellent screens, too – you just need to build a simple structure to support them. Beaumontia, bougainvillea, orange trumpet vine, bower of beauty and star jasmine all work well. If you can't plant into the ground, use tall narrow pots to give instant height, or add lightweight troughs to the top of a wall (check it can take the load first). Succulents can be a good choice here as they require little water or ongoing care.

If you really can't wait for growth – and who can wait for anything these days? – try using advanced plants. Or if money's no object, crane in a 12-metre date palm. That'll get the neighbours' tongues wagging.