Landscaping Ideas - Another Way to Add a Calming Charm and Natural Privacy Screen to your Balcony or Deck

Due to the popularity of my article entitled ‘Create a Natural Privacy Screen for your Deck or Balcony Area that is Sure to Add a Calming Charm,’ I thought it would be helpful to cover a few more ways to enhance your privacy in a natural and green way.  This time by mixing in some additional foliage with coordinating color and some flowering possibilities.

When writing my original article, I knew right away that the issue of privacy screens would be a hit after speaking to so many neighbors, acquaintances, and overall troubled homeowners who were battling to find a natural way of melding their established landscaping with their balcony or deck area and add an element of what I refer to as ‘calming charm’ at the same time.

To help you out even more and take our original project subtly one step further, we can mix more than one vine together for the effect sought after and easily achieved in hanging and window baskets.  By coordinating and complimenting more than one type of foliage and enhancing it with a color combination that fits your landscaping theme, your balcony or deck can take on an enchanting new and calming look.  You may remember that our original project used only the Creeping Fig vine to create our privacy screen.  Let us look at ways of starting a harmonious relationship between the Creeping Fig and other vines and plants.

Assuming you decide to use the Creeping Fig as we detailed in the first article, consider adding a second type of vine to your mix, such as pink Jasmine or another dark leaf plant.  Both of these particular plants have a darker green foliage, but with much different shaped leaves.  The growth characters of each are very different as well, with the Creeping fig exhibiting a natural ability to cling to surfaces, and the pink Jasmine trailing and wrapping itself around its own shoots and those of other plant varieties.  The most significant difference between these two plants though is the flowering nature of the pink Jasmine and its well deserved fragrant reputation.  Both are very hardy plants and blend very harmoniously together, while offering a splash of color during the spring and summer seasons from the pink Jasmine.

Here is how you will create your privacy screen:

Step 1:  The planning and planting phase of creating this more colorful and natural privacy screen is essentially identical to that in the original article.  You would pick out your plant containers, ideally rectangular to flow well with the shape of your balcony or deck.  Make sure they have drainage holes or be sure to drill them yourself.  Then, add a layer of small rocks or gravel to help with drainage and keep soil from falling through the drainage holes.  Finally, add your potting soil, organic fertilizer, your vines of choice, and a top layer of mulch to help the soil retain moisture and resist weed growth.  Your containers will most likely need to be a bit longer in length since you will be planting two vines side by side. 

Step 2:  Again, you will cut 1 to 2 inch strips of plastic fencing available in most garden centers, and attach loosely to your fence panels or deck railings using a staple gun.  Be conservative in how much you staple.  You are simply trying to attach a few of the vine lengths to give them a start.  Use plastic coated wire ties to attach a few of those vine lengths to the plastic fencing.  Eventually, the vines will grow and shield the visibility of these plastic fencing and wire pieces, so you will forget they are even there. 

Step 3:  Follow the directions received on the information tag that hopefully came with the vines you purchased, and water, fertilize, and prune accordingly.

You have now learned another way of giving your balcony or deck a calming charm, and adding a natural and lush privacy screen at the same time.