In the dense urban fabric of Chicago, privacy can feel like a luxury. Whether you’re hosting dinner on a rooftop terrace or seeking solitude in a compact backyard, well-designed screening turns exposure into intimacy.
Great Chicago landscape design doesn’t just prioritize aesthetics—it balances beauty with function to form spaces that create comfort, calm, and a sense of place. In this post, we explore design strategies that use plantings and built elements to create green enclosures, offering privacy and the invitation to spend more time outdoors, even in the heart of the city.
Columnar Trees: Vertical Greenery for Tight Spaces
For organic, year-round screening with minimal footprint, narrow fastigiate trees (those with flowers or branches that form a tapering or cone-like outline) provide vertical enclosure while preserving usable space. These trees are a key element in many of our landscape installation projects. Some of our preferred selections for the Chicago region include:
- ‘Slender Silhouette’ Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua ‘Slender Silhouette’) – A deciduous tree with dense, upright growth, offering seasonal interest through vibrant fall color.
- Fastigiate European Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’) – Known for its structural integrity and adaptability, this tree forms a tight columnar canopy that maintains winter presence.
- Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) – A reliable, cold-hardy evergreen with tight form and consistent color, ideal for year-round screening.
These species establish vertical green partitions while maintaining proportional balance in confined urban spaces. When integrated with lighting, their branching structures create dynamic visual interest, even in the dormant season.
Trellises & Vines: A Living Privacy Wall
Trellises introduce vertical structure and support for climbing plantings, creating soft, textural screening while delineating spatial boundaries. Durable, low-maintenance vine selections include:
- Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) – A self-clinging deciduous vine with exfoliating bark and large, lacecap flower clusters that thrives in partial shade.
- Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis terniflora) – A vigorous, late-season bloomer with fragrant white flowers and rapid vegetative growth, suitable for seasonal screening.
- American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) – A native, non-invasive alternative to Asian varieties, producing cascading racemes of lavender flowers with controlled growth.
For structural materials, powder-coated steel trellises provide modern, corrosion-resistant durability, while finely crafted cedar frameworks offer a traditional aesthetic with natural weathering characteristics.
Green Walls: Maximizing Vertical Impact
Living walls are a high-impact, engineered approach to vertical greening, combining irrigation, substrate systems, and modular planting configurations. The design flexibility offered by green walls make them ideal for premium urban spaces like rooftop gardens, courtyards, or terraces where every inch counts.
Plant selection varies based on exposure and irrigation capacity, with options including:
- Perennial Green Walls – Incorporating species such as Heuchera, Carex, and Sedum offer seasonal texture and color.
- Annual/Rotational Planting Systems – For year-round variation, interchangeable planting pockets allow curated changes by season.
Though these systems require more investment and upkeep, they offer unmatched visual and ecological payoff—transforming bare spaces into vibrant green walls that support biodiversity and air quality.
Decorative Metal Panels: Architectural Screening Solutions
For a crisp and low-maintenance architectural approach—and when botanical screening isn’t feasible—decorative metal panels provide an effective balance of privacy, airflow, and aesthetic refinement. These are a common feature in many of our Chicago landscape design projects. Material options include:
- Corten Steel – A durable, weathering steel alloy that develops a stable, rust-like patina that deepens with age, ideal for adding texture, warmth, and industrial character.
- Laser-Cut Aluminum – Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, these panels can be customized with intricate perforation patterns—offering a refined way to echo personal style, architectural motifs, or site-specific narratives.
- Powder-Coated Steel – This durable material resists oxidation and is available in a range of finishes, making it easy to complement and elevate surrounding architectural elements.
These panels can be tailored to reflect the unique character of a site, offering visual continuity and a sense of intentional design. Their adaptability allows for cohesive integration into a variety of landscapes, especially where plant-based screening may be limited by space, light, or maintenance constraints.
Where Form Meets Function
Smart screening does more than create privacy—it defines space, enhances comfort, and adds depth through layered textures and structure. Our designs are tailored to your site, style, and way of life, blending plantings with modern materials to craft cohesive, refined outdoor environments.
If you’re looking to create an outdoor living space that feels both secluded and connected—attuned to your home, your routines, and how you want to live—we’d love to start the conversation. Call us at (773) 489-4701 or schedule a consultation to discuss possibilities for your outdoor space with us now.