by Carol Wallace

Created on: April 25, 2009   Last Updated: April 26, 2009

Is there anyone among us who at one time hasn't wished for a secret garden? A garden for privacy, tranquillity, escape or contemplation? Somehow our notion of secret gardens seem to have been molded by the book of that name. I dreamt of that as a child, but the space behind the mandatory yew hedge in front of our house was about as close to secret as things got in a suburban Detroit. And the yews scratched!

But let's face it - walled secret gardens aren't exactly common these days. Which is not to say you can't have a secret garden of your own. . What you really need is a sense of enclosure.

If you have a big budget, the space, and a talent for creating puzzles, you could create maze from tall yew hedges. Don't give the map to anyone else, and you will always have a private retreat in the center. It's a tempting thought, but perhaps a bit out of range for most of us.

A privacy hedge, however, doesn' t have to be created in yew or box. It can be created from anything that stands about six to seven feet tall and is dense enough not to be seen through.

In our last garden we created that privacy with a large panel of woven redwood clothed in vines. Lattice works well. Even one of those ugly cyclone fences will work, especially if covered in climbing plants. And if you are brave, you can have a screen relatively quickly by planting running bamboo. Just make sure you plant that within a barrier that will prevent it from taking over the block.

I used buddleia to create a living wall around one of my gardens. Other fast growing deciduous shrubs that grow quickly include Salix integra "Hagigi Nishiki" - a variegated white leafed willow, and the dogwood chrubs such as Cornus Alba - shrubs that shed their leaves in winter but whose twigs turn vivid colors with the arrival of cold weather, There are mmany of these dogwoods in commerce, and while they don't create a perfect screen in early spring, they do give a partial shild with their colorful twigs. But to maintain the nest foliage and leaf color on all of thewse fast growing shrubs, you need to cut them back in late winter. No fear as new shoots soon appear and will quickly surpass the height of the previous year.

Tall grasses also work well. Your secret garden won't be very secret in spring, if you live in the north as I do, but by the time you're done with the spring and early summer rush of garden work and ready to sit back and relax, your garden will be enclosed. These, or other tall screening plants can act as a

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