Leylandii

The previous owners of our house had a wooden playhouse close to the leylandiis at the end of the garden; when they left they took the playhouse with them leaving us with a large brown bare patch. I'm sure there's no way I can promote any new growth to get rid of the bare patch but please can anybody suggest anything I can grow to mask it that will survive in the very poor soil at the base of the leylandii.

 

Nasturtium will grow there. In fact to be honest most stuff will if you dig in some rotted manure.

 

I would agree with Clueless. Climbing nasturiums will sramble up there and hide the brown patch.
Or you could try Lonicera (honeysuckle).
I found monbretia did well in quite similar conditions but it might not give you the height you need.
Climbing nasturiums at the back and montbretia at the front ?

 

Good old Russian Vine would scramble through the bare patch in one season. Although it would also ramble through the rest of the leylandii as well...and through the rest of your garden...and into your neighbours...

 

.....and through the whole village.

 

" I'm sure there's no way I can promote any new growth to get rid of the bare patch"

That is a problem with Leylandii, but you might be lucky once they can see daylight. There are some hedges around us that have gone completely green from Leylandii Aphid attack and have been left a couple of years (eyesore!!!) but are now sprouting a bit of gree here-and-there.

And if its not actually Lelandii but, say, Thuja then it may well make green growth from brown wood.

Just thought I'd mention my thoughts, but the other advice on climbers is spot on.

 

Thanks for all your thoughts. I've just been looking at some winter jasmine - is that a possibility to cover our bare patch?

 

Winter flowering jasmine doesn't really climb or scramble. It needs tying into place but it's a great plant for the yellow flowers. It is deciduous though so it will be bare for a while before flowering.

Another annual that gives good climbing cover is Ipomaea (Morning Glory) but again, an annual.