Hide old council chicken-wire fencing for £0? 19 April 2022 at 6:04PM in Greenfingered MoneySaving 20 replies 553 views

Dannii75

Hi, am trying to find a (very) cheap way to hide the old council chicken-wire fencing at the end of my garden. I could remove it but I'd be left with the concrete posts (which I can't physically remove. They're waist height so not huge. Last year I bought rolls of tiki bamboo straw stuff which is now on its last legs. 

Any other ideas for next-to-nothing coverage?! 
Thank you - D 

RAS

For a longer-term solution.

If you know anyone who has a privet hedge, you could take half-ripe cuttings this summer (when they woold be cutting it back anyway) up to 30cms in length and pencil width. Remove most of the leaves, keep in water with an aspirin until you put them in pots with compost, keep moist (plastic bag over the top) and out of strong sunlight and hope for 30% take. Plant in position early next spring, least 30 cms inside your hedge, preferably more. For the next two years, be ruthless about tipping new growth when its 20cm long, to encourage branching.

In the short-term, Lidl have replaced their seeds locally, 5 for £1 for the smaller packets. These include climbing nasturtium which they may call Indian Cress. Check for other climbers or taller plants and get going ASAP. Plant along the fence line to produce a flowering barrier this summer.

Woolsery

I was going to suggest Russian vine, but you might not dislike the neighbours that muchand your/their surveyor might not know it from Japanese knotweed....

A more sensible suggestion is Clematis montana, which you might find cheaply enough locally.

Otherwise RAS's suggestion is a good one if you are patient and consistent with watering in a shaded place. I've done the same with Viburnum tinus and made a 60' hedge, but it's taken 3 years or so.

MovingForwards

I'd grab a packet of sweet pea seeds, scatter, water and let them grow, sef-seeding towards the end of the season; mine carried growing / flowering throughout winter.

Farway

I'd try climbing / trailing nastutium as RAS suggested, self seeds and it'll go forever, annual dies off but the seeds pop up without fail

Or splash out on a thornless blackberry and train it along, pick the right one and nearly evergreen as well

fatbelly

Honeysuckle is a possibility

Dannii75

RAS said:

For a longer-term solution.

If you know anyone who has a privet hedge, you could take half-ripe cuttings this summer (when they woold be cutting it back anyway) up to 30cms in length and pencil width. Remove most of the leaves, keep in water with an aspirin until you put them in pots with compost, keep moist (plastic bag over the top) and out of strong sunlight and hope for 30% take. Plant in position early next spring, least 30 cms inside your hedge, preferably more. For the next two years, be ruthless about tipping new growth when its 20cm long, to encourage branching.

In the short-term, Lidl have replaced their seeds locally, 5 for £1 for the smaller packets. These include climbing nasturtium which they may call Indian Cress. Check for other climbers or taller plants and get going ASAP. Plant along the fence line to produce a flowering barrier this summer.

What a great idea! very do-able! thank you for all the advice! Appreciated. - D

Dannii75

Woolsery said:

I was going to suggest Russian vine, but you might not dislike the neighbours that muchand your/their surveyor might not know it from Japanese knotweed....

A more sensible suggestion is Clematis montana, which you might find cheaply enough locally.

Otherwise RAS's suggestion is a good one if you are patient and consistent with watering in a shaded place. I've done the same with Viburnum tinus and made a 60' hedge, but it's taken 3 years or so.

haha! oh, yes, that Clematis is really full isn't it! that would be very pretty! - D

Dannii75

Thanks everyone! some fab ideas here! - D

in_my_wellies

Re RAS post: To give you some idea of timing, I checked the privet cuttings I took 18 months ago yesterday. I've used them to thicken up a thin and straggly hedge.  I planted them out last March and they are now approximately 30 cm across and 50 cm tall, however, I have cut the stronger shoots to make them bush out which in the long run will make for a thicker hedge. 

RAS

Thanks inmywellies. Agree with the timing and management. 

Re clematis montana, if you know anyone with a plant, next month you could try taking a few cuttings frim that? And use it as a mid-term option?