Protecting your privacy can evoke images of high-tech gadgets, reinforced steel doors and high walls. It's a draconian image. If you'd like to take charge of your privacy but find the idea of a Fort Knox-style home off-putting, Mother Nature can lend a helping hand. Here's how.
Conifers
These hardy evergreens provide an excellent buffer for anyone looking to limit access to or site lines into their property. Naturally (excuse the pun), you'll need a large enough property to install these - we'd recommend planting mature conifers as they take a while to grow - but for people with gardens that back onto neighbouring plots, these are the perfect natural wall. Conifers are great for privacy because they are dense and woody, with thick branches covered in rugged, dark green leaves. They are also a good means of discouraging nosey parkers (or those with a more sinister agenda) from attempting to enter your property.
A well-positioned conifer screen is exceptionally difficult to get through without making a lot of noise, ripping your clothes or getting stuck at least once. Any child growing up in suburban England knows who had to retrieve a football from behind a next-door's barricade of woody conifers. Conifers also have a remarkably effective baffling effect. Conversations you have at your backyard barbecue would need to be exceptionally loud for the sound to travel beyond your conifer screen.
Holly
Not everyone has the space or means to build a conifer screen. Holly, which can be planted in tubs on balconies, in small front yards and against garden walls, is a great alternative. It's dense, very prickly and smells lovely. Police forces often recommend using holly to deter burglars, as it does a great job of blocking views into your home without robbing you of sunlight.
Hanging Baskets
Say you wanted to conduct legitimate surveillance around your property but didn't want to advertise this fact. Hanging baskets, carefully installed at key vantage points, can be a great way of concealing outdoor security cameras or CCTV devices. They also look lovely, let's not forget.
Hessian
Hessian is a natural fabric that does very important things. It insulates noise and light. Blackout blinds made of hessian are an excellent choice to shut out sound and light from your bedroom and get the best night's sleep. But they're also really good for maintaining privacy. Due to their design, they typically cover the entire window's surface area, ensuring no gaps for people to peek through. If you live in a built-up area, for example, on a terraced street, they're awesome for preventing sound inside your house from travelling out. As a bonus, you might notice your heating bill dropping slightly, as hessian blinds are excellent for insulating glass.
Coconut
You probably never thought we'd recommend coconut as a useful substance in the fight to protect privacy, but here goes. Coir is a thick, rope-like material used in high-end carpets, rugs and mats. It's made of coconut shells. It is a phenomenal and insulating sound. This is the dream if you live in an apartment block and want to move around your place without disturbing your neighbours below. Your neighbours will never be disturbed by your footsteps, nor will they hear your conversations (we all know how poorly sound-proofed modern apartment buildings can be). As a nice bonus, coconut carpet is supremely rugged and hardwearing. Due to it being made from only natural fibres, it can also be good for allergy sufferers.