Page 18 2024 Spring Home and Garden LINCOLN DAILY NEWS April 2024 Fences make good neighbors and so do trees and shrubs The old adage says, “Good fences make good neighbors.” But fences are not the only mode of defining borders and protecting privacy to make better and safer neighborhoods. Many people are realizing planting trees, shrubs and hedges can not only provide a privacy border, but also make good windbreaks. Plus, the cost may be lower. In Illinois, the high winds we experience throughout the year can make it cold and miserable outside. An article by Christopher Enroth says, “this is why many Illinoisians plant windbreaks around their homes to keep that biting wind from causing a drafty house, prevent drifting snow, and make being outside tolerable.” Enroth provides suggestions for creating successful windbreaks such as spacing out plants, removing wrapping around the root ball, not planting too deep and having diverse plants. In the article, “Consider Installing a Windbreak,” John Woodmansee has Fences make good neighbors, and so do trees and shrubs more advice. Woodmansee says, “the location of the windbreak is not just determined by prevailing winds and the space to buildings. Consider power lines, road visibility, snowdrift patterns (e.g., windbreak should be at least 100 feet from a driveway), buried power lines, septic absorption fields, and other uses of land that may conflict with the windbreak.” Something else Woodmansee says you should think about is spacing. The spacing varies depending on the species of the tree. For example, Woodmansee says, “In-row spacing for most species is from 8 to 16 feet, with a between-row spacing of 12-20 feet. Twin-row high-density spacing should have a between-row spacing of 4-12 feet. Each row should have trees planted so that they align with the center open space of the prior row.” When plants are used to create privacy, screening plants can help define and give purpose to a space. Homeowners may wish to screen a particular area or transparency in the landscape, creating interest in what lies beyond. Continued --
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