Screening plants

Gazelle1985

Hi,

Can anyone recommend the best plants to use for screening? We’ve just bought a house, and the fence that we’re not responsible for is very low and doesn’t offer much privacy. I’d like some evergreen, fast growing, tall plants to put on our side of the fence to give us a bit of privacy – something like bamboo perhaps? What are the most cost effective options?

Thank you

andrewf75

Depends what space you have and what you want it to look like.
The most cost-effective is probably Leylandii but most people regret it as it gets huge and doesn't look very nice.
Bamboo is good if you have a small garden and don't want to take up much space. Otherwise I'd look at Portuguese Laurel, Photinia, Cotoneaster maybe?

Farway

Watch out for bamboo, some are real creeping thugs and will take over your garden, and next door's

Be warned, do a lot of homework first and check out "root bags"

You don't say how long this fence is, but a quick fix this year could be some tall annuals, like multi headed sunflowers

Not instant but will give time for you to find an alternative for next year

Maybe others can suggest more tall, easy, annuals

Depending where the sun is, how about adding some extra height with trellis / mesh & growing climbers up? Could even be fruiting, like thornless blackberry, not evergreen, but who cares in mid winter?

Mee

You may wish to consider (do watch the videos) QVC's fauz-leaf willow trellis

moneyistooshorttomention

One of the plants I've bought to achieve normal privacy levels in my garden is eleagnus.

It grows fast and has the added bonus it will have edible berries at some point.

But - it doesn't grow to "absolutely enormous" and I will be able to trim it (width and height wise) once it's got to the correct size I want for privacy purposes.

Gazelle1985

Thank you all, sone good ideaa to think about. Can any of those plants be grown in tubs? We have a patio running alongside the fence so might struggle to plant them.

Davesnave

Gazelle1985 wrote: »

Thank you all, sone good ideaa to think about. Can any of those plants be grown in tubs? We have a patio running alongside the fence so might struggle to plant them.

I love it when posters drip-feed info like this! :rotfl:

I would go for the faux willow then....Oh, hang on, where do you put the support posts?

The truth is, you have a difficult situation which won't really be remedied without some serious graft, or spending inordinate amounts of money on planters, which will still be high maintenance.

In the long run, part of the patio may have to go, when you can then plant/erect something permanent. Pyracantha is good in this sort of situation; not too wide, evergreen and tough as old boots.

For now, maybe some tomatoes in grow-bags?

moneyistooshorttomention

From what you now say - personally I'd be thinking either bamboo in large attractive containers or olive trees ditto (in large attractive containers).

Neither of which options will be cheap ones - as large attractive containers cost (so bargain on anywhere between £20-ish for standard sorta size attractive containers, up to £100 for the really large kneeheight ones as the cheapest attractive containers around, up to £500 for a full choice of kneehigh containers). Gi-normous containers (ie waist height to bust height) could go up to around £1,000 each.

Don't ask me how I know....ahem...though I've personally stopped at £100 each for kneehigh containers (ie the cheapest "real" ones basically).

As for what plants can be grown in containers - it's more down to just how big they are in some respects. Given that one can buy bust height containers and those are big enough to plant pretty tall trees in. In your position - I'd be thinking knee-height to waist-height containers.

EDIT; Of course - knee-height, waist-height and bust-height are based on my own height. I'm female and these days (darn it) short.

Gazelle1985

Thanks very much - bamboo sounds like the way to go. Luckily we have lots of containers already, but is bamboo itself very expensive?

Davesnave

Bamboo is expensive if it's the right kind of bamboo, because that grows slowly and it take a lot of time to propagate saleable plants.
You'd be best to go to a specialist nursery. e.g.
https://www.bowdenhostas.com/categories/Bamboos/

Bamboos of the size that fit in a pot are still fairly see-through.

As for olives, I've had 3 of these in my tender care for as long as I can remember, and at 5' 4" I'm still taller than two of them!

How deep a patio are we talking about here? Is there a possibility of planting beyond it and growing a plant sideways? You only get information that's relevant here if you are prepared to give enough yourself.

moneyistooshorttomention

For bamboo - personally - I'd be thinking of pretty long rectangular pots and then plant a row of them in there as close to each other as you wish.

There is the thing though with many plants - and bamboos are doubtless amongst them - that it's a toss-up between:

- buying cheaper ones - but they're still "babies" or, at best, "toddlers" in size

OR

- buy an "adult" size one - and you will be charged extra accordingly.

Depends somewhat on your circumstances personally - ie how old you are and how long you're planning on keeping current house.

At my age (60's) and with the fact it looks as if I'll be having this house for rest of my life = it's worth my while to "spend big" and buy "adult" plants. I don't want to spend years at my age waiting for them to be the size I want, as the house has to "feel like Home asap" - so I "throw money at it" and buy bigger ones. Horses for courses on that one...