Blog · November 2, 2026

Pool privacy screens: one plant or a mix?

One evergreen in a row is simple and uniform. Two or three spread the risk. How to choose a privacy screen for a Middle Tennessee pool.

The privacy screen is often the first thing a pool client asks about, and the last thing they forgive if it thins out. There are two ways to build one: a single plant in a row, or a mix of two or three.

The case for one plant

A single species gives a clean, even wall. Every plant grows at the same rate, so the screen closes in evenly, and the spacing and the order are simple.

In Middle Tennessee the usual pick is ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae. It grows fast once established, often 2 to 3 feet a year, keeps a soft texture, and handles our heat and clay. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly is the other common single-plant screen: denser and glossier, with red berries in winter, but slower.

The risk of one plant

A row of one plant shares one set of weaknesses. Bagworms can strip arborvitae and Leyland cypress in a single summer. Leyland cypress is also prone to canker diseases in our heat and humidity, which is why so many older Leyland screens around Nashville are full of brown gaps.

There's a slower problem too. When one plant in a uniform row dies, the replacement is smaller than its neighbors and shows for years.

The case for a mix

A mix spreads the risk: a pest that hits one plant usually skips the others. It also gives the screen depth instead of a flat wall.

A mix for a pool might look like this:

• ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae at the back for height.
• ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly staggered in front of it for density.
• A few ‘Limelight’ hydrangeas or boxwoods at the base, where the screen meets the deck.

The tradeoff is uneven growth. ‘Green Giant’ will outgrow the hollies, so the plan has to allow for mature widths, and the screen won't look as uniform in its first years.

What crews actually do

On our orders, ‘Green Giant’ and ‘Emerald Green’ arborvitae are often bought together. That usually means a mixed screen sized to the site: ‘Green Giant’ on the long runs where it has room to spread 12 feet or more, and the much narrower ‘Emerald Green’ where space is tight, such as a side yard or a run along a wall.

Practical notes for Middle Tennessee

• Spacing. ‘Green Giant’ is usually planted 5 to 8 feet apart for a screen that closes in a few years. ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ goes 6 to 8 feet apart. Closer closes faster but crowds later.
• Height on day one. A 6-foot fence needs plants that clear it. Starting with 8 to 10 foot B&B plants gives privacy the day the pool opens. See what bigger trees gain and risk.
• Keep litter off the water. Southern magnolias drop big leathery leaves all year, and holly leaves are spiny underfoot. Arborvitae is one of the tidiest screens to plant beside a pool.
• Drainage. Our clay holds water. Plant slightly high and keep the root flare above grade. Neither arborvitae nor holly likes wet feet.
• Sun. All of these want at least six hours of sun to stay full to the ground.

On your next list

Send us the plan with the length of the run, and we'll quote the screen in the biggest sizes we can source. If a size or plant is short, the quote shows the swap before anything is ordered. See the B&B trees we list by height.