10 Ways to Add Privacy to Your Yard

Similarly, a masonry wall of stone or stucco that rises 5- or 6-feet-high feels less oppressive when windows are cut into it; often, ornamental ironwork can ­dec­orate such openings.

Michael Glassman, a Sacramento, California, landscape designer, searches garage sales for the fencing he incorporates into his clients' yards. He might use a $50 cast–iron section as a trellis for vines, fitting it with brackets to secure it to the side of a house. "As opposed to new ironwork, which can look generic, salvage has an old look that gives more permanence to the landscape," says Glassman.