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Unless you're some kind of exhibitionist, walking semi-nude beneath your neighbor's windows probably didn't form part of the fantasy life you imagined when the possibility of a hot tub first came to mind. What you'll be glad to know is that even if you've gone and installed the thing already, there are a good number of landscaping ideas for privacy around hot tubs that will make sure you don't have to worry about peeping toms or judgmental voyeurs making your relaxing time a tense or nervous experience.

Now, the most effective hot tub privacy design is a little more extreme than most people would find attractive - installing your hot tub in a wooden structure, say ten by ten feet, where you can steam, soak and take in the garden view through the tinted windows of your solitary haven. You could even convert one of the rooms in your house into a sauna room - but of course, for the average proclivity, the best part of a hot tub is the outdoor element to the experience.

Flip the coin, and you have landscaping ideas for privacy that consist of vegetation and a little ingenuity. Think about using bamboo - it makes for a fun, jungle-esque atmosphere and is great for cutting harsh wind in winter. If you're looking for something a little more western, go with evergreen trees - the fruit, needles and various bits of what-what likely to be dropped by your average deciduous trees make them more troublesome than their good looks or odors can justify. Holly's a great option. If you want to keep some room free around the pool, ask your local nursery manager about espalier trees. These are trees grown so that their branches go out to the sides, so that they're pretty much flat. Obviously, you can get the same effect with trellises or a well-groomed hedge.

There's also something novel about the look of an Asian backyard hot tub, which is raised out of the ground and is more easily relocated than inground hot tubs or tubs built into a deck. Their attractive vertical lines make them a worthy feature in their own right.

If you're more worried about your kids tripping and falling into the hot tub, you'll probably want to go with less attractive options like high steel fencing or walls - anything to keep the endlessly resourceful kids out of the danger zone. However, don't allow your security feature to turn your recreational area into a bleak place - you can double the effect of your security feature by spacing potted plants along the walls and growing their branches to interlace with one another.

Another solution that you'll probably not have heard about is the pergola. This fanciful looking hot tub privacy design was conceived of sometime around the time of the French revolution, and it involved building two trellis walls that lead to a dome that covers the hot tub area. It's absolutely gorgeous, though obviously can be a locus for insects and other creepy crawly things, requiring a little more maintenance than the other options. If you have a full time gardener and are willing to wait for the vines to grow over it, though, few things can beat its romantic impact.