Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): La barrera natural de árboles hace que el jardín sea muy tranquilo. - The natural barrier of trees makes the garden very peaceful.

In Spanish the construction hacer que (“to make/cause that”) is followed by a clause of result, and such clauses take the subjunctive mood. Therefore we use sea, the present subjunctive of ser, rather than the indicative es.

Why do we use ser (as in sea) instead of estar (as in esté) for tranquilo?

Ser tranquilo describes a lasting or inherent quality (“the garden is generally calm”), while estar tranquilo describes a temporary state (“the garden is calm right now”). Since the tree barrier gives the garden a continual, characteristic peacefulness, ser in subjunctive (sea) is the more appropriate choice.

Could we say hace el jardín muy tranquilo instead of hace que el jardín sea muy tranquilo?

Although you can technically use hacer + direct object + adjective (e.g. hace el jardín muy tranquilo), the more idiomatic and widely accepted pattern for “causing something to be X” in Spanish is hacer que + subjunctive. That structure feels more natural in both spoken and written contexts.

Why is it barrera natural de árboles and not barrera de árboles natural or barrera de árboles naturales?

In barrera natural de árboles, natural modifies barrera, indicating that the barrier itself is “natural” (i.e. made of living trees). The phrase de árboles specifies what composes the barrier. If you said barrera de árboles naturales, you’d imply the trees are natural (versus artificial), which changes the meaning.

Why do we use de árboles instead of con árboles?

Here de expresses composition—“made of.” Barrera de árboles literally means “a barrier composed of trees.” If you said barrera con árboles, it would mean “a barrier that has trees,” but not necessarily made entirely of them.

What’s the difference between barrera, seto, and cerca?

Barrera is a general term for any barrier or obstacle.
Seto specifically means “hedge,” a planted row of shrubs or bushes.
Cerca means “fence,” usually a built structure of wood, metal, etc.
Barrera natural de árboles emphasizes a living tree‐based barrier rather than a trimmed hedge or a manufactured fence.

Why is the sentence introduced with La instead of Una before barrera?

Using the definite article la indicates you’re referring to a specific, known barrier—perhaps one already seen or mentioned. Una barrera would introduce it as any one among many unspecified barriers.

Why is árboles plural? Could a single tree form a barrier?

A barrier implies multiple elements working together; one tree alone doesn’t block or screen much. Thus árboles is plural to show that several trees form the barrier.

What’s the nuance between tranquilo and silencioso in this context?

Tranquilo conveys a sense of calm, peaceful atmosphere (there may still be soft sounds like birds or wind).
Silencioso means almost complete silence (very little or no noise at all).
In a garden setting, muy tranquilo often feels more natural than muy silencioso, since some gentle ambient sounds typically remain.