Six ideas for garden screens

Screening plants are not the same as hedges - they usually take up less room, making them good for small spaces. They are also less dense, creating a hazy screen that allows glimpses through it. They are also less formal, and can change with the seasons, which means they give interest throughout the year.

From a grasses to a green wall, here are six ideas for garden screening.

Grasses make an beautiful, gauzy and low maintenance screen. Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' and 'Overdam' are excellent early season grasses, flowering in June. Or try miscanthus (pictured), which comes to its own in August.

Bamboo is a fast-growing, evergreen plant that is ideal for garden screening. Its roots can be invasive, so choose a clump-forming variety and plant in containers or troughs to tame them. Water regularly.

There are now plenty of easy-to-install DIY systems that offer great value for money. Fixed to a garden wall or fence, it can transform a space, especially if it's close to a window, where plants will diffuse green light into the house. Find out how to create a living wall.

Pre-grown ivy screens are a cost-effective way to create an instant boundary. The ivy is grown on a wire frame, with the roots of the plants in a mesh and coir trough. The screen will be much narrower than a hedge, making it ideal for small spaces.

A wildlife haven is easy to make using recycled materials such as pallets, waste wood, broken pots, old logs and straw. Place your haven in a shady spot to avoid drastic fluctuations in temperature - better for overwintering insects.

An espalier trained fruit tree can make a beautiful and productive screen, giving blossom in spring and fruit in summer or autumn. Buy bareroot plants for planting in autumn and winter. Find out how to make a fruit tree screen.