Instant privacy is the greatest luxury we can imagine in a world where Facebook sells us out to advertisers, hackers know our credit scores, and our eavesdropping Amazon Alexa lets out creepy, maniacal laughs at dinner parties.
Luckily it’s still easy to create privacy in the garden—without spending a lot of money or time. You can block visual intrusions with inexpensive barriers (panels, screens, planters)—and less-than-subtle sounds with a portable fountain. Lean back in a chair. Close your eyes. Smell the roses. Now, isn’t that better?
Here are 10 inexpensive ideas (all under $100) to create instant privacy outdoors:
Potted Tree on Wheels
![My potted fiddle leaf fig tree is on a rolling Socker Plant Stand (\$6.49 from Ikea) and is easy to roll around; on the front porch I position it as a barrier against street sounds. Photograph by John Merkl.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/fields/fiddle-leaf-fig-michelle-porch-gardenista.jpg)
Rollout Fence
![A Willow Balcony Screen made of natural willow twigs is 300 centimeters long and available in two heights (90 and \150 centimeters); from €40 to €60 depending on size at Manufactum.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/privacy-screen-rollout-fence-manufactum-733x509.png)
The Sound of Running Water
![A diminutive, \1\1-inch-high Bubbling Garden Fountain with Lights made of glass fiber reinforced concrete is \$6\2.\1\2 from Birch Lane.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/small-garden-fountain-733x727.png)
Japanese-Style Screen
![Measuring 6 by 6 feet, a Bamboo Fence Panel is £64.99 from Primrose.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/privacy-screen-bamboo-fence-panel-733x507.png)
Translucent Panel
![Translucent panels create privacy without blocking light in Remodelista editor in chief Julie Carlson\2\17;s outdoor shower in Mill Valley, California. Photograph by Matthew Williams.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/privacy-panels-outdoor-shower-julie-carlson-matthew-williams-733x1101.jpg)
Julie’s architect, Jerome Buttrick, spec’ed Polygal’s co-extruded polycarbonate panels for the outdoor shower. For similar sheets of translucent paneling to mount on a slatted wood frame, 10-foot Clear Corrugated Polycarbonate Panels are $50.72 apiece at Menard’s. Another option is 20-by-30-inch Corrugated Plastic Panels; $4.45 apiece at Blick.
If you’re designing an outdoor shower, start with our guide to Outdoor Showers 101.
Freestanding Trellis
![An Expandable Cedar Trellis Kit comes with three squares with pre-drilled holes; \$36 from All Things Cedar.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/expandable-cedar-trellis-kit-733x522.png)
Railing Planter Box
![](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/balcony-brackets-isabelle-palmer-gardenista.jpg)
Balcony railing planters with hooks or brackets create a natural visual barrier; plant tall flowers or compact trees or bushy shrubs to block the view. See 10 of our favorites at 10 Easy Pieces: Balcony Railing Planters.
Plant Shelf
![A multi-tier plant stand to display up to seven plants, a Natural Outdoor Rectangular Wood Plant Stand is \$79.38 from Lowe\2\17;s.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/plant-shelves-lowes-733x499.png)
DIY Container Garden on Wheels
![Photograph by Matthew Williams.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/container-garden-on-wheels-1-matthew-williams-733x984.jpg)
With a few inexpensive supplies (plus a power drill), you can make your own DIY container garden on wheels for under $100. Roll it around to create instant privacy where you need it the most. For step-by-step instructions, see Container Gardening: A DIY Planter on Wheels.
Outdoor Curtain
![An 84-inch-long Outdoor Solid Curtain in natural is \$99 from West Elm.](https://media.gardenista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/solid-outdoor-curtain-west-elm.jpg)
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