Newly installed pools, patios, and playgrounds may require a visual buffer in a hurry. A 6-foot solid board fence is the quickest way to create privacy in your backyard year-round—just be sure to check local building codes regarding fence heights (and any other restrictions). It may also be the best solution in a side yard, where space is tight, since fences have a smaller footprint than plantings. Board fences come in various styles to complement the architecture of your home, and you can stain them to match the house

Another option is to mount a shorter, 3- or 4-foot lattice or picket fence on top of a 2- or 3-foot stone wall. The wall, from a distance, is high enough to disrupt sight lines, while the openwork fence screens without feeling claustrophobic. A good wall begins with a stable base. In locations with lots of loam and poor drainage, you might have to excavate down 4-feet-deep, below the frost line, and install piping to drain water out of the footing.

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. Some designers search garage sales for the fencing to incorporate into the yard. You 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.

Defined areas like small patios, outdoor kitchens, and decks are generally easier to screen than a whole yard. By building an enclosure around them, you can re-create the intimate feeling of eating or entertaining indoors, while still enjoying beautiful weather. Enclosures may take the shape of a slatted-top wooden pergola covered with climbing vines on a patio or a pair of fixed lattice panels along two sides of a raised deck. Prefab iron gazebos can be set right on the ground and surrounded with potted vines and hanging baskets to fill some of the gaps.

Screens made from lattice, shutterlike louvered wood panels, or sections of ornamental iron with anchoring posts can be set into the ground to enclose a cozy corner or make a U-shaped structure that preserves desirable views. For maximum flexibility, consider placing the post ends in lightweight planters with wheels; to anchor them, add concrete plugs to the feet or set the posts in gravel. That way, they can be moved around to create more open space when you’re entertaining. Semitransparent structures may not provide complete privacy, but they add a lot of visual interest to a landscape and allow natural light and breezes in.

Even if you’re not literally seeing eye to eye with the neighbors, you might still be close enough to hear their conversation. Or you may be bothered by intrusive traffic noise or buzzing AC compressors. In such cases, adding a fountain to your privacy plan can mask unwanted sounds with pleasant white noise. These range from off-the-shelf, plug-in units that sit on a table or hang on the wall to custom designs that become a major focal point.