https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/7d68eeae-454c-4fce-90a1-9057c566d6e7 Roger Cook helps a homeowner plant a living privacy screen. (See below for shopping list, tools, and steps.) SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse Shopping List for How to Plant a Privacy Screen: Hatfield yews, Lilac trees, Ornamental grasses, Loam and compost, to amend the soil, Starter fertilizer, for promoting healthy roots, Bark mulch, Tools List for How to Plant a Privacy Screen: Pointed shovel, Plastic tarps, to hold excavated soil, Three-tine cultivator, for loosening matted root balls, Wheelbarrow, Steps for How to Plant a Privacy Screen: Set the potted yews, lilacs, and ornamental grasses in place randomly along the inside and outside of the fence line. Leave room between the plants to accommodate future growth., Use a pointed shovel to cut a circle into the lawn around each potted plant., Next, use the shovel to remove the grass from within each circle, then dig planting holes that are two to three time wider than the containers. Shovel the soil onto plastic tarps., Use a three-tine cultivator to scratch loose the matted root balls of each plant., Set a plant into its hole, making sure the top of the root ball is slightly above grade. If it's sitting too low, add more soil to the hole., Rotate the plant so that its best-looking side is facing forward., Mix loam and compost in a wheelbarrow., Mix some loam-and-compost mixture with the excavated soil, then sprinkle on some starter fertilizer., Use the shovel to mix in the fertilizer, then backfill around the plant. Don't put any soil on top of the root ball., Repeat the previous steps to plant the remaining plants., Use the end of the shovel handle to poke holes around each plant, then thoroughly water all the plants. Water once a week until the plants are fully established., Spread 2 to 3 inches of bark mulch around plants., About Ask This Old House TV: Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook. Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter http://bit.ly/AskTOHTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG http://bit.ly/AskTOHIG Tumblr: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTumblr For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseWebsite How to Plant a Privacy Screen | Ask This Old House https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse/ Wed, 10 Jun 2026 06:57:02 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://stream.echo6.co https://stream.echo6.co/client/assets/images/icons/icon-512x512.png https://stream.echo6.co/videos/watch/7d68eeae-454c-4fce-90a1-9057c566d6e7 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://stream.echo6.co/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.