Bamboo screen

Hi,
I was looking for a bamboo screen. Neighbours have an unsightly extension right next to my patio doors (onto decking) I was looking at building a trough to house the bamboo.
I just wanted some pointers on the size of the trough. The extension I want to cover is about 2 - 2.5m high and 4m long.
My initial thoughts are 30cm deep by 30cm wife and obviously 4m long. Will this be enough for bamboo?
Plus is there any issues I should be aware of with bamboo, I know about it being invasive.

 

Use john Innes number 3 and maybe look to put some form of irrigation system in place, otherwise you will be doing a lot of watering in summer. It will need feeding.

 

Thanks,
How much watering (assuming average weather conditions) will a 4m wall of bamboo need?
And will there be enough soil for it?

 

As an alternative, how about if I fix 6' x 6' trellis to the wall and hang baskets from the top. Would just need a suitable trailing plant to over the area?

 

Hi beefpotnoodle,

I have just joined the gardenerscorner for advice and suggestion for for privacy screening from the neighbours overlooking our garden. I saw your post about the bamboo. This is what I did to screen from neighbours. So far I have bought 1 meter long fiberstone troughs 515mm tall and 360mm wide. I have planted one black bamboo per trough. Due to the lockdown I couldnt get hold of Innes 3 compost, so just used normal container compost and have fed them once a fortnight so far, watering them with the watering can every other day until water drips out through the drainage holes at the bottom. Ive put rubble and stones at the bottom before putting the compost in for drainage. They seem to be doing ok so far. I can see new shoots coming through too.
Ive had to put some trellis up behind the middle bamboo and turn the trough round ( well hubby did ...too heavy for me to even lift) as the neighbour cut the tallest, bushiest culm that had leaned over their side of the fence.....very upsetting!)

If you are planting direct into the ground then go for the 'clumping' bamboo.

 

Thanks, this is what I'm dealing with. This is my view from my seat in the living room. Depressing when you think I'm surround by a 100+ foot garden, nature reserve and park! Thinking a living wall might be better or some Jasmin vine that can live in a shady position.

 

Looks very nasty with windows into your property (is it legal?) and roof slope either with rainwater from their roof coming into your property???
Ivy with variegated leaves would be good revenge to hide that extension , but it would damage their walls.
What about nice very high trellis fence and then putting pots with bamboo and maybe planting clematis and/or other vines directly into the soil.

 

Yeah the neighbours are a mess. It's right upto the boarder with drainage built in. Council were less than helpful, didn't even care about building control. There's internal blocks used externally etc.
Anything I put in would have it's it' support and maybe some membrane between their property. I don't want them able to say I've done something to their disastrous build. They are trying to build something massive down the garden, already made their 3bed semi into a six bed. As you can imagine, I'm just trying to make the best and sell up as soon as financially possible

 

As @Alisa says that does look nasty, though I would use more colourful lanuage to descibe the structure and even more colourful language to describe the persons doing it !!

Would assume they are going to render the blockwork as it will probably let the water long term.

Would question the legality of building right onto the dividing line and the roof gutter , if/ when fitted would overhang your property.
Expect you could make them modify things, but at what cost to the 'relationship' vs your general well being.

At least the UPVC installers have used frosted glass as is legally required.

Like @Alisa we would say go for a 1.8M full fence panel or thick trellis and quick climbers and one of our favourite climbing Roses, @woo is the best man to advise on the best ones for location and pot size.

You coukld use some pot grown pleached shrubs or small trees to cover to the height of their windows but doubtless those B******* would soon be complaining you are blocking their light out !!!

Hope you get something up and growing well soon and you can forget all the hastle they have caused.

 

I really feel for you. Thats terrible and I concur with everyone else. Though as an idea if you are planning to move in the near future, how about just making the area decorative for your own purposes while you are still living there. You still need to enjoy your home space. Maybe artificial screens might work for you. put stakes at either side of the monstrosity to support your screen...check riverside garden centre website for example or just googling artificial hedge screens there's so many out there and some are very realistic. Put a couple of pots with your favourite patio tree or climber with pyramid shaped canes in the pot for the climber to climb, I say in pots so you can take them with you when you get to find the home that will give you the happiness and peace you deserve.

Theres lots of ideas out there , dont get too disheartened. Think like someone living in the terrace houses with houses on either side and narrow gardens, search for how they get around the problem of creating a zen space for their gardens. Ive been doing lots of searching and come across quite a few lovely creative small spaces....though not applicable to us but still nice to see what people do with various situations and successfully too. :-)

Share with us what you end up doing and we can all share your garden space with you remotely.