Shed Covering Plant

Situation:
Long-ish garden (6.5m – 20ft wide by 30m - 95ft long), with an ugly concrete panel shed. Drilling in to this isn’t possible it seems, so climbing plants might not be an option.

Location:
South of England, about 400m from the sea. The shed itself is pretty much directly South facing.

Aim:
Hide it by growing something in front of it that can grow up to roughly 2m (height of the shed), but that can be trimmed to 1m, to leave openings for the windows. Ideally something that will cover it for most of the year. We quite like the idea of it being useful as well, think berries or the like. Although a nice colourfull plant would be fine too. I was thinking of maybe putting some herbs in front of it as well, as I don’t want to be cleaning leaves off the lawn every week, or have bald spots under the plants that won’t look good.

Complete novice when it comes to gardening, hence my question here. Any suggestions welcomed, but anything that is novice friendly would be ideal!

 

to GC @Wo0t!

My first thought is Pyracantha: an evergreen, thorny shrub with pretty spring flowers which develop into lovely berries in the Autumn (which birds love). The colour of the berries varies depending on which variety you buy but red is the most popular (yellow and orange are the others) and it won't need any supports. It's an easy care shrub and can easily be trimmed around the windows and kept clipped close to the shed wall too. Very novice friendly but do wear gloves when you trim it!!

If you wished to, you could also add a climbing plant to weave its way through the pyracantha so you had flowers during the summer months ( a summer flowering clematis, for example); perhaps a sweet smelling honeysuckle?

As for herbs to plant in front, rosemary is an easy care, evergreen shrub (pretty tiny blue flowers in Spring) and very useful in the kitchen

I'm sure there will be lots of ideas from other members but do have a good nosey around the forums and use our search facility too if a thought pops into your head and you want an answer a little more speedily

Looking forward to seeing you around the forums

 

Plenty good information to help us all give suggestions, but who on earth told you that its not possible to drill into a concrete panel shed?

 

Someone who wasn't able to drill into a concrete panel?

 

00000000000000000000000000001348Wo0t, good evening and welcome to the site. My suggestions would be Virginia Creeper or Russian Vine or Hydrangea petiolaris or Hydrangea serratifolia or Wisteria.

 

How about a Clematis Montana ( spring flowering ) with a Clematis " Winter Beauty " ( evergreen ) and perhaps a couple of summer flowering Clematis.

All year round flowers

 

A kiwi fruit ? Might take a few years till it fruits up but when it does yumyum. Or a grape vine, free wine