While your garden may be a little piece of paradise, the surrounding view may be less than desirable.
Ugly sheds, unsightly walls and fences or even nosy neighbours can ruin your beautiful retreat.
But you don't have to put up with it.
There are some great fences, screens and awnings available for instant screening.
Many gardeners prefer a "green" screen and there are plenty of plants to do the job.
If the screen needs to be high, use an evergreen tree or large shrub.
Some of our natives are ideal for screening, as they attract birds and have eye-catching flowers.
Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) likes a sunny spot and bears dainty fringed white flowers followed by blue berries.
The cultivar 'Prima Donna' has pink flowers.
You can also clip blueberry ash to make a large hedge.
NSW Christmas bush (Ceratopetalum gummiferum) is excellent for screening and puts on a wonderful display of red sepals after producing small white flowers.
Prune after the sepals have finished for a good show the following year.
The ivory curl tree (Buckinghamia celsissima) bears panicles of sweetly scented creamy white flowers and birds love them. Give it a sunny spot.
Callistemons are popular screening plants.
Native lemon-scented myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) can be left to grow to about five or six metres or clipped to form a large hedge. The leaves can be used in cooking.
Michelia doltsopa is a beautiful screening tree. It reaches about nine metres and has large white flowers and shiny green leaves.
Michelia yunnanensis, 'Scented Pearl', grows to three metres with white, fragrant flowers, dark foliage and stems that are almost black.
Closely related Magnolia, 'Little Gem', has white flowers and handsome leaves.
Hedges are popular for concealing service areas that contain compost, garbage bins and clotheslines.
To keep the hedge in shape, buy a good pair of hedge shears or an electric hedge trimmer.
Lillipillies can be clipped and make excellent screens for narrow spaces.
Lillipillies are available in a variety of heights but some are prone to psyllids, which cause unsightly leaf bumps.
The best psyllid-resistant lillipillies are Acmena smithii and Syzygium luehmannii or their cultivars.
The cultivar name of Acmena smithii, 'Goodbye Neighbours', says it all.
You can let this fast-growing plant reach six metres or clip it low.
'Hot Flush' makes a tall, effective screen (three to four metres) and produces cherry-red new growth.
Box is ideal for low hedges and photinia can be hedged or allowed to develop into a large shrub or small tree.
The equally hardy Teucrium fruticans has beautiful silvery grey foliage and pretty, blue, bee-attracting flowers.
Native westringia makes a good, low, screening hedge for seaside gardens.
Viburnum odoratissimum produces handsome, shiny leaves and can be clipped as a tall hedge or left to grow into a large five- to six-metre shrub.
Luma apiculata reaches a height of about five metres and looks attractive when clipped.
It has creamy white midsummer flowers followed by purple berries.
Camellia sasanqua and fragrant orange Jessamine (Murraya paniculata) are also ideal for hedging.
A pergola attached to the house is a good way to block out neighbours who look down on your property.
While you can cover a pergola with a climber, a roof will provide even greater privacy and protection and allow you to sit outside even when it rains.
Louvred pergola roofs are popular, as you can open them to allow air or sunlight in when required or close them for shelter from the elements.
Transparent polycarbonate roofing materials are available in various profiles. Visit austpolyproducts.com.au.
Roller blinds can even be installed on the joists under polycarbonate roofing to provide shade and privacy.
Shade-giving awnings also provide privacy from above.
Awnings attach to the house and can be pulled out when required.
They are available in a variety of shapes and materials. See www.luxaflex.com.au.
Shade sails placed over entertainment areas provide seclusion from prying eyes above and protection from the sun.
They can be bought ready-made or custom-made. Some are waterproof.
Screens are great for providing privacy on balconies and decks.
Screens from bamboo and reeds are available at www.houseofbamboo.com.au.
If you are building a new deck, think about creating storage space beneath it.
If your deck is high enough, you can store ladders, wheelbarrows, water tanks, dustbins and gardening tools in a room underneath.
All you need is an access door and your clutter will be out of view.
Lattice allows numerous options for screening and, when covered with a climber, will eventually become a living green wall.
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