screening for a city garden

Well, I've finally knocked down the big ugly shed, taken several van loads of rubbish to the dump, and put up a smart new cedar wood fence. So I'm left with a nice clear space. how exciting!

The first thing I'm thinking of is blocking out the views of the blocks across the street, and getting some privacy. And my first thought is bamboo. As you can see from the photos, there's an awful lot of view to block out - it looks like I need a layer of tall bamboo in front of the left, centre and right walls.

I don't know much about bamboo - I really am a beginner. Does anyone know of a place in London that sells a selection of different types that I can look at? I imagine a selection of different types might be in order, for interest, in such a large area.

If anyone has any ideas or comments, I'd love to hear what you think - anything from ideas for the garden, alternative screens etc

Thanks!

 

I'd say whatever you choose, you're going to have a bit of a problem with lack of light. I couldn't tell from the pics but is it a courtyard garden?

Not sure what the planning regs let you get away with but if bureacracy wasn't an issue, I think I'd put beams over the lot and make it one giant pergola and grow some sort of vine (grapes?) over the top, then have shade tolerant plants in containers underneath.

In my mum's back yard, I've been trying for years to let me do that to hers. I'd also love to put a small balcony over it, with steps leading up from the yard, but she won't let me:(

On the bamboo thing, I reckon it is very expensive. Also, my mate who comes from the warmer climes of Taiwan gave me a very suspicious look when I told him that bamboo can grow outdoors in the UK. This conversation happened while we were looking at an 8ft tall bamboo in a container at a garden centre, being sold for the modest sum of £210.

 

Know your bamboo - some can be very invasive. I think it will take a time to grow for the height you require. and it will reduce the size and light into your garden considerably. Trellis with a variety of climbers would be quicker.

Maybe, similar to clueless, put up a pergola next to the house where you can site and entertain in privacy. Plant honeysuckle, jasmins and scented shrubs. Its fairly easy to get year round scent.

Clematis is good but there are far more clemati than just montana. Duchess of Albany flowers for a good 3 months

 

Thanks clueless and has been!

Strangely enough, I've always loved pergolas, and secretly yearned for one myself. So this may well be the time to put one up...

 

I know there's a place for it, but when I hear the word 'bamboo' I can't help but give an involuntary shudder, particularly since the one we inherited (upon which hangs a label saying 'Non invasive. Ideal for a small garden') has taken us 4 years to begin to get rid of! It was only a small clump - on the surface - but its roots have been found 3 metres away and we stopped digging when we got down to 4' - even double strength weed killer and several applications of 'brushwood' killer, poured neat directly onto the roots, has so far failed to kill it completely.

 

I'm going to make some deep raised beds with railway sleepers - two large squares in each far corner of the garden - that way I can block out the nearest overlookers, while still retaining light, and I can also keep the bamboo totally separate!

 

I've had a change of plan. I thought longer term, it would be nice to plant a couple of trees instead of bamboo. I've bought a Silver Birch (Betula Pendula), as there's one on the other side of the fence, on the street, that looks great, and my dad bought a "Crimson King" acer, with lovely dark red leaves. They're both about 3 metres high at the moment, in pots, but looking them up, I'm getting worried that the acer in particular is going to potentially get too big for a small garden of about 6 by 6 metres.

Ideally I need trees that will grow to at least 4.5 metres tall - can anyone recommend a tree that might be more suitable?

Thanks

 

Jings, Silver Birch and Crimson King both grow huge ! You need an acre of garden to do justice to that king of stuff.
Looking at the pics there is nothing suitable you could grow to completely block out the flats.
As others said the best plan would be a pergola - or similar - in one area to provide a nice secluded private area.
Hope it all works out great.

 

Basically, what you need (I'm guessing) is something which is relatively tall without being invasive. Now, I'm not very good on trees, but I do remember some time age, (on 'Ground Force' or possibly 'Gardener's World'), that they planted a tree in the corner of a very small garden. I'm not even going to pretend I know what it was, but I do recall it had 'frondy' branches which created quite a bit of screening without blocking out too much light.

In the absence of any practical suggestions from me, which not take a look at -
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=117
where there are innumerable suggestions for all types of tree to suit all types of soil, height, season of 'interest' etc.

 

It could have been Eucalyptus Fidgetsmum.

 

Wow, great link fidgetsmum

I swapped the crimson king acer for a liquidamber, which has similar looking leaves, great autumn colours, but only grows to about 5 metres.

I also bought 3 bamboo plants to keep in pots for mobile screening :-)